Wedding Wednesday - Register Me this, Register Me That

This past week I was talking with my mom and she was asking what my availability is this spring because my parents' group of friends wants to throw me a bridal shower. Then, a couple of days after that conversation my mom asked me if I was coming home for Easter because my Aunt J wants to throw a joint bridal shower for my cousin's fiance and myself. After asking when Easter was and being told that Good Friday is April 6th, it dawned on me that maybe I should start thinking about a registry.

I would say that A is sort of anti-registry. Whereas, I view them as inspiration for people which may or may not turn into a shopping list for them, but they have the ability to choose. Sometimes I will buy straight from the registry and sometimes I will use it as a jumping off point. Either way, I feel that having one makes those giving gifts feel like they aren't guessing at what people like and those receiving gifts feel like people won't be wasting money on them. Sure, some gifts may not be perfectly the recipient but life isn't perfect either.

Thus far, I've only been doing research about what to put on a registry and where to register. To be honest, it's a bit of a challenge to register as someone in their 30s. I've already worked my way through most of my hand me down kitchen appliances, and purchased newer things. Although my grandma's 1970s toaster oven is still going strong, so clearly I have some items that might need an upgrade. At this point in my life there are so many other things that would be great to register for that relate to my home, for example a nice pre-hung door, a couple gallons of paint,  door knobs and about a million other home renovation items. Alas, that isn't the case.

So, back to my options. After seeing bridesmaid L get married and register at a lot of American stores, I can certainly see the lack of selection in Canada. I don't like the idea of having guests shop at a particular store. I'm the type that does research and shops around for the best price. So, I figure most other people are like that too, especially with the way that gas prices have been increasing. I'm aware that money may be tight for some people, so to register at The Bay bothers me when I know their prices are really marked up.

The regular Canadian options are:

These are the options that are the most accessible to Canadians. Although people in rural areas will need to travel to larger centres for The Bay and Home Outfitters most likely.

There are some new registry options on the scene that have been imported from the United States, they are:

Now, if I want to register at either Crate & Barrel, Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn or Williams-Sonoma then I need to travel to Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto or Vancouver just to create the stupid registry. Montreal isn't even an option! Even though the ability to buy things online for guests would be a huge plus, I have to be able to get to the store to create the registry in the first place and not all my guests are going to want to purchase items online (if that is even an option for them).

In terms of Bed, Bath & Beyond, I haven't been particularly impressed with that store. It is really expensive and they occassionally send out coupons. Yes, I understand how that is how the United States generally works and people like coupons but Canada doesn't and it bothers me to knowingly submit that kind of pricing to friends and family.

It is looking like I'll be going with Sears and Home Outfitters as the main registries. Plus, I think I'd like to add some independent stores from back home.

Now, to figure out what to register for, what would be on your list?