Visit China

Question:

We registered at 3 stores, keeping each one different to avoid duplicates. Register for anything you need (like basic plates), as well as several things you would like (like candlesticks).  I would recommend, though, if you are just starting out and have virtually nothing for your kitchen/home/bed/bath/etc. that you primarily register for the basic need-items (i.e. what good does pretty china do you if you don’t even have pots and pans?)  We registered for dishes, flatware, bed and bath linens, a bunch of small appliances, and other useful kitchen and household items.  If you’d just like to get an idea of what’s available, call JCPenney’s and ask for their gift registry catalog. While it focuses heavily on formal china, it does include some everyday dishes, and other items.  I think their number is something like 1-800-JCP-GIFT.  We found their registry to be readily available in several cities, as well as online, and they did a great job updating everything promptly.  Make sure you choose items in several price ranges – small items are great for college friends, shower gifts, and for combining with other small items, while you may have friends or relatives who want to purchase something more expensive or who want to get group gifts. Hope this helps, and good luck! -Sara:)

Response:

>Yikes!  Compared to *what* awful Macy’s experience??  We just registered >there this weekend!  

Let’s see… 1. Macy’s won’t return items even WITH a gift receipt. 2. Macy’s will return some items but at the lowest selling price in the last 90 days at ANY store in the area.  My wife’s best friend received a duplicate duvet cover from Macy’s. It was NEVER on sale there once.  There is an outlet store in the friend’s area which sold the cover for $75 less than Macy’s so Macy’s gave her $75 less than the selling price in store credit. 3. Macy’s ships items in bad condition or in a way that they will get damaged such as stacking china plates on top of each other with nothing in between so they get scratched. 4. Macy’s employees are rude. 5. Shipments take as long as SIX MONTHS even if it’s not specially ordere merchandise. There is a website devoted to Macy’s horribleness. I suggest you check it out. Ron Ng Knows!

Response:

You probably will register at two stores.  I wouldn’t register too many places, but some people register at 3-5 stores.  We registered at a department store and at Target.  You should register for really anything you want.  Start with your china, crystal, silverware, othe housewares.  Then, move to linens and anything else.  You can register for appliances for the kitchen, lawnmowers, etc…   Anything you want, you register for it.  You guests will then go into the store and get a printout of the items you registered for.  It will list how many of each item you requested, the price, and how many have already been purchased.  This way, you get what you want, but you don’t get 5 toasters!!  It is really convenient for your guests because they know they are getting you something you will use and want.  Some guests will still get you things not on your registry, especially if they live somewhere where they don’t have that particular store, but I think we only returned MAYBE 5 items we received.  Usually, you will have someone to help you through the registering process.  Go to the china department in any department store, and you should find a counter or desk where they make appointments for such things.  Stores like Target, you just go around with a scanner gun and "shoot" everything you want.  Good Luck. Kelli – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Could someone please expain the process of registering for gifts to me. > My fiances mother is having a party for us after we get married, because > we will be getting married out of the country. She wants us to register > immediately, and I don’t even know where to start. Do we pick one store? > Do we have to pick out each thing we want? What is the appropriate price > range of gifts to ask for? etc… I would appreciate any response and any > suggestions as to where to register.  Thanks in advance.

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>But in case anyone was thinking of >registering at Service Merchandise, I’ve >heard that you have to return things to the >exact store it was bought at!  

I had no problem returning a lamp that was bought on the other side of the country, not on our registry, and without a receipt. My cousin just had a note on it "This came from Service Merchandise, and can be returned there." Their SM just didn’t have any of our remaining items in stock.  Our SM gave us store credit for it, and didn’t give us any hassle at all. Compared to our awful Macy’s experiences, Service Merchandise was heaven. -xine

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Yikes!  Compared to *what* awful Macy’s experience??  We just registered there this weekend!   Please tell all. Thanks! jb – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->But in case anyone was thinking of >registering at Service Merchandise, I’ve >heard that you have to return things to the >exact store it was bought at! > I had no problem returning a lamp that was bought on the other side > of the country, not on our registry, and without a receipt. My cousin > just had a note on it "This came from Service Merchandise, and can > be returned there." Their SM just didn’t have any of our remaining > items in stock.  Our SM gave us store credit for it, and didn’t give > us any hassle at all. > Compared to our awful Macy’s experiences, Service Merchandise was > heaven. > -xine

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But in case anyone was thinking of registering at Service Merchandise, I’ve heard that you have to return things to the exact store it was bought at!   Irene

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>Could someone please expain the process of registering for gifts to me.  

Basically, you visit a store that offers a gift registry, obtain the appropriate forms or instructions from a salesperson, and either write out or use the store’s scanner gun to record to identify each item you’d like to put on the registry.  Some stores will allow you to put notes on your registry like "any glass pitcher" instead of a specific one. People who wish to buy something for you from your registry can then get a printout of everything you put on the list and whether or how many of that item have already been purchased for you; when they buy something they’re supposed to tell the cashier so that the registry shows the purchase. If you want to avoid duplications as much as possible, you should also tell the store every time you receive something for which you registered, just in case it was actually purchased at a different store or the gift-giver didn’t tell the clerk it was a registry item or whatever. One of the big advangtages of registering is that the stores where you’re registered will usually accept returns and exchanges of any gift items they ordinarily carry without a lot of hassle.  Try returning something to a major department store without a receipt otherwise!  In any event, if it turns out you only receive one wine glass from your registry, for example, and you don’t want to buy the rest of the set yourself, you can generally return it to the store whether or not it was actually purchased there, and select something else that’s more useful as an individual item. >Do we pick one store? >Do we have to pick out each thing we want? What is the appropriate price >range of gifts to ask for? etc… I >would appreciate any response and any >suggestions as to where to register.

You should pick one or more stores (and/or mail-order catalogs) that (1) carry items you would like to receive as wedding gifts, and (2) are accessible to the majority of your guests.  In most areas of the U.S. there’s one or two department stores that are the primary place people register, for formal china, crystal, etc. as well as more casual housewares — Macys is the biggie in California.  Many of these stores offer mail order or Internet registries as well as many, many store locations.  Then there are the housewares-specialty stores like Crate & Barrel, Williams-Sonoma, and Bed Bath & Beyond, and general merchandisers who carry the casual housewares, sporting goods and other stuff but not the formal china, like Target and Sears.  Most of these places also have national or regional chains and/or mail order businesses.  And finally there are specialty stores that offer "alternative" registries, like Home Depot for power tools and flowerpots and REI for camping and sporting goods. Aside from the category of merchandise, one difference between the types of stores is how often they change their stock.  Don’t register six months before your wedding for a seasonal item that won’t be on the shelves in two more months.  Formal china, crystal, and flatware, as well as some "basics" such as Crate & Barrel’s wooden chip-n-dip bowls are typically available for years and years at a time, but most of Target’s stuff, for example, is available for only 3-4 months at a time. You can register at only one store, or you can register for the same things at two different stores with locations in different areas of the country, or you can register at two or three stores for different categories of gifts, or some combination of the latter two options. Though of course you should register only for things you’d actually like to receive, it’s a good idea to include items in a range of prices.  Some guests might enjoy giving you a collection of inexpensive gadgets; others might chip in together on a more costly gift.  Feel free to fantasize about that $500 radial arm saw at Home Depot, but also include the nifty $5 screwdriver set and the $50 belt sander.  :-) Have fun shopping! Holly

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Registering is quite painless, I understand – (‘ve never done it personally) and you can do it in as few or as many places as you like.  the stores themselves will let you know what info. they need for you and can set anything up which accommodates your needs. Most gift-givers really appreciate registeries so that they can choose a gift that the Bride and Groom would like to have.  I heard of a couple that had just bought a house prior to the wedding and it was a sort of "fix up" and they registered as a Home Depot!  Tey received stuff such as the knobs on their kitchen cabinetry! You can register just about anywhere these days and the prices can be from $1 to $300 or more.  Depends on the price range you feel your family and friends can afford.  The pricier items often listed are grabbed up by a "group" of people who get together and get a wonderful, expensive gift they wouldn’t have been able to afford on their own, but in multiples can handle easily.  Go for it!  It can be really fun to pick out the things with your fiancee.   Good luck to you.  I’m going to have to do the same thing soon and we live together (have for 5 years) so we mostly have everything we need – it’s not going to be easy with us!

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Well, we have been living together for 5 years last month – and we have all we need and still found registering fun and extreamly easy…I think it would have been equally as easy regardless of how long you have lived together (if you lived together) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Registering is quite painless, I understand – (‘ve never done it personally) > and you can do it in as few or as many places as you like.  the stores > themselves will let you know what info. they need for you and can set anything > up which accommodates your needs. Most gift-givers really appreciate > registeries so that they can choose a gift that the Bride and Groom would like > to have.  I heard of a couple that had just bought a house prior to the wedding > and it was a sort of "fix up" and they registered as a Home Depot!  Tey > received stuff such as the knobs on their kitchen cabinetry! > You can register just about anywhere these days and the prices can be from $1 > to $300 or more.  Depends on the price range you feel your family and friends > can afford.  The pricier items often listed are grabbed up by a "group" of > people who get together and get a wonderful, expensive gift they wouldn’t have > been able to afford on their own, but in multiples can handle easily.  Go for > it!  It can be really fun to pick out the things with your fiancee. > Good luck to you.  I’m going to have to do the same thing soon and we live > together (have for 5 years) so we mostly have everything we need – it’s not > going to be easy with us!

Response:

Tell Ya what to do, go to CRATE and BARRELL, they will hook you up!  You might want to register for some new luggage if you are leaving town. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >Could someone please expain the process of registering for gifts to me. >My fiances mother is having a party for us after we get married, because >we will be getting married out of the country. She wants us to register >immediately, and I don’t even know where to start. Do we pick one store? >Do we have to pick out each thing we want? What is the appropriate price >range of gifts to ask for? etc… I would appreciate any response and any >suggestions as to where to register.  Thanks in advance.

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Actually we just started this today…we choose Sears…we don’t have the scanning gun here so we have to do it by hand…we got a booklet and a catalgoue (we actually have three – one from Christmas, the Spring one and a smaller sale catalogue…) we just fill out tha catalogue numbers and how many we want of each etc and mail it back (or drop it off) it is that easy…as far as price ranges go we choose a kitchen table and chairs (699.99) as well as little things like a wooden spoon (3.99) We know we will not get it all but it sure is fun to do…. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Could someone please expain the process of registering for gifts to me. > My fiances mother is having a party for us after we get married, because > we will be getting married out of the country. She wants us to register > immediately, and I don’t even know where to start. Do we pick one store? > Do we have to pick out each thing we want? What is the appropriate price > range of gifts to ask for? etc… I would appreciate any response and any > suggestions as to where to register.  Thanks in advance.

Response:

: Could someone please expain the process of registering for gifts to me.   : My fiances mother is having a party for us after we get married, because : we will be getting married out of the country. She wants us to register : immediately, and I don’t even know where to start. Do we pick one store? : Do we have to pick out each thing we want? What is the appropriate price : range of gifts to ask for? etc… I would appreciate any response and any : suggestions as to where to register.  Thanks in advance.         You can pick one store, or if a branch of that store isn’t in every location where guests might be shopping, you can register at another store.  Registering at two stores also works if you want to register for gifts in a wider variety or price range, but try not to register for the same items at different stores, or you could have a big problem with duplicate gifts.         Yes, you have to pick out each thing you want.  The registry you create will list in excruciating detail every gift item you would like to receive (stock number, color, number wanted, etc.).  At some places, you have to walk around the store and hand-write all of your selections, but more and more stores are letting couples use hand-held scanners to scan in the bar code of the items they want.           The price range of gifts should include both inexpensive, moderately expensive, and up to expensive gifts.  Even _hugely_ expensive gifts aren’t out of the question, but don’t be disappointed if you don’t get a lot of the things on the upper end of the price range.         Most regional and nation-wide department stores have gift registries, and there is usually a place in each store where you can talk with someone to start the registry.  Some discount stores (like Target) also have registries.  Some specialty stores (like Peir 1 Imports, Crate and Barrel, etc.) have registries available, too.           Hope this helps,                                 Jill

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Could someone please expain the process of registering for gifts to me.   My fiances mother is having a party for us after we get married, because we will be getting married out of the country. She wants us to register immediately, and I don’t even know where to start. Do we pick one store? Do we have to pick out each thing we want? What is the appropriate price range of gifts to ask for? etc… I would appreciate any response and any suggestions as to where to register.  Thanks in advance.

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