REI wedding registries are gaining popularity with engaged couples who register for everything from camping gear to skis and sports equipment. We’ve also seen honeymoon donation registries, home buying registries and even people who registered for DVDs and video games.

Do you think this is a creative way for couples to get the things they need to have fun together, or do you feel like it’s an abuse of traditional wedding registries? Where would you draw the line? Do alternative registries make you want to rant or rave?

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Brides, I have the answer!  Enter Wishpot, an online shopping wish list and wedding registry all in one.  The idea is simple–you download a button for your browser’s toolbar.  Each time you see something you want to add to your wish list or registry, simply click the button and voila–item saved!  The same goes for the Wedding Registry, which lets you add items from any store on the web to one central spot for your guests to shop from, all without stepping foot in a mall.

The best part?  Wishpot will let you comparison shop to find the best price on your selected item.  In addition, they’ll alert you any time that item goes on sale, and will even assist in finding coupons for all of your favorite stores.

I may already be married, but that won’t stop me from using Wishpot.  It’s the perfect storm for my shopping addiction!

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To help you in your quest to make your outdoor space a part of your living space, I’ve gathered some of my favorite pieces together.  A girl can dream!

From Top to Bottom, Left to Right:  Open-Frame Daybed Mattress from West Elm; Capri Round Lounger from Pottery Barn; Tillary Outdoor Modular Seating from West Elm; Resort Outdoor Sectional from CB2; Palmetto All-Weather Wicker Round Coffee Table from Pottery Barn; Square Metal Lounger from West Elm.

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Here are a few key kitchen appliances that would definitely make my wedding registry wish list:

Wusthof Classic Block Set, Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker, KitchenAid Artisan Series Stand Mixer, Sanyo Smokeless Indoor Grill, Kuhn Rikon Green Energy Pressure Cooker Set, KitchenAid Pro Line Series Food Processor

If you haven’t heard the latest buzz about pressure cookers, I hear you can dump frozen sausage, uncooked pasta, a can of sauce and a touch of wine in one and get a delicious pasta dish in under 15 minutes! I can’t wait to get one and try it out. I hear the cookbook that comes with this Kuhn Rikon set, titled Pressure Perfect by Lorna Sass, is full of fabulous recipes to try as well.

What is on your wedding registry?

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My fiance and I have been together for 5 years.  About 2 years in to our relationship, we moved in together.  Since then, we’ve invested in a lot of personal items together, from furniture to kitchen tools, dishes to bedding.  Our wedding is coming up and it’s getting close to the time when we would normally register.  Because we’ve already been living together for so long, there is very little that we need for our home.  We believe in having nice things so we’ve already bought the best knives, dishes, bedding, etc.  What we really need is cash, as we are saving for a new house and for our honeymoon.  Is it ok to list cash gifts on a shower invitation or wedding website?  Is there any way for us to ask for cash without sounding crass?

Show Me the Money

Dear Show Me the Money,

Your desire to receive cash as a wedding gift as opposed to anything physical is completely understandable.  Most newlyweds not only need “stuff” to start their new life together, but they also need a place to live and funds to travel!  While it is definitely inappropriate to list “Cash gifts” on any sort of invitation or website, there are ways that you can get the word out that you’d prefer cash gifts.

Most etiquette experts consider it tasteless to flat-out ask for cash.  Instead, they suggest getting the word out to the people closest to you (like your parents, in-laws, bridesmaids and aunts, uncles and grandparents) whom guests are likely to ask for gift recommendations from.  These people can subtly spread the word about your wish for cash.

Another option is to look in to a variety of online gift registries.  There are an abundance of different wedding registries, from mortgage registries to cash registries.  Check out GoGift for an easy-to-use cash registry, Feather Our Nest for a Mortgage registry,  and a variety of different honeymoon registries, most of which will mail you a check at the close of your registry to use as you please.  The Ultimate Gift Registry is a great all-in-one registry that allows you to register for anything from honeymoons to home goods.  They also have a soon-to-be-added cash registry option.

Remember, even if you register at a store, you can often return items for cash–Bed, Bath and Beyond and Crate & Barrel are just a few that do this.  Check each store’s return policy before you register.  Who knows, you might discover there are still some items you’d like for your home.  Good luck!

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• Choose the stores that you register at carefully. If you really check them out, you’ll see that Macy’s, Bloomgindale’s and Bed, Bath and Beyond have virtually identical merchandise, even if the stores seem drastically different.  Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s are actually both owned by Macy’s, Inc., making them even more connected.

• Register at multiple stores. In my opinion, registering at 3 places is ideal.  You can pick a mid-range place, like Macy’s, that will cover both low-priced, mid-priced and high-priced merchandise.  In addition, you can register at a place like Williams-Sonoma or Pottery Barn, both which tend to be higher-priced.  Finally, you can add a speciality store or even a Honeymoon registry.  This gives your guests flexibility and different price ranges when choosing a gift for you.

• Do your homework before you go. Registering, although a blast, can be time-consuming, confusing, and frustrating.  Figure out how many place settings you want.  I have never used all 12 of my settings at once, but I can’t help but be happy that I have the option if a big family event is in my future.  Figure out what kind of pots and pans you want (Stainless?  Non-stick?  Brand?), how large of a knife set you want, and which things are most important to you on your registry.  (Tip:  I registered for a beautiful, high-end knife set, and am so happy I did.  Great knives make a huge difference, trust me!).

• China or no China? That is often the question of many brides.  I went for it and registered for both fine China and casual dishware, and I don’t regret it for a second.  When else in your life will your purchase China?  Plus, it’s something I can pass down to my children one day, and it works great for special occasions.

• Look for Registry Parties.  Many stores, including Macy’s, Williams-Sonoma, Bloomgindale’s, Crate and Barrel and more have registry parties in which the entire store is open only for couples registering for their weddings.  There are usually snacks, beverages, and tons of helpful staff on hand to guide you through the process.  It’s a great atmosphere and very helpful during the confusing registry process.

• If you’re not sure about something, register for it anyway! You can ALWAYS return stuff.  Every store I worked with had amazing return policies for bridal registries, with some even giving cash back.  With all the wedding planning, it’s hard to make tough decisions about what you’ll need for the next 50 years of your life.  Make them later.

• If you see something you love that is wildly expensive, register for it. A lot of people like to give group gifts, and items like that make it easy to do so.

I could come up with 15 more bullet points, but these, to me, are the most important.  Regardless, have fun!  When else will you get to make a huge wish list and actually receive most of it?!

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-The Big Day has a detailed honeymoon registry with the option to personalize each gift that you list with your own images and copy.  Visit some of the sample registries available on their site to get a better idea of all that you can do.

-Honeymoon Wishes is a similar site with the same great options, including the ability to cash out on your gifts at any time and planning assistance.

-If you want to be your own travel agent and already have the destination, hotels and activities in mind, Honeyfund will be your perfect online destination.  No setup fees, transaction fees or travel booking is required to take advantage of this detailed honeymoon registry.

-The Honeymoon offers a network of professional travel agents local to your zip code so that you can actually meet with someone in person to plan your trip instead of relying on phone and email.

-Say thank you for your honeymoon gifts with style.  Check out Wedding Paper Divas for some chic thank you notes, like this Palm Leaf Thank You to reflect a tropical honeymoon.  With your note, include a photo of you doing whatever activity was purchased for you through your honeymoon registry.  Your guests will love that you were thoughtful enough to not only use their gift, but to think of them while you were doing it!  Such a personal touch will truly show your appreciation.

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To make it easier for your guests and to ensure gifts are not duplicated by multiple people, a wedding registry is the ideal solution. If you are worried that this will take away the element of surprise, just remember that your guests would like to give you something that you will truly value rather than a bone china tea-set that you will only take out on their visits.

Making your gift selections should be fun and stress-free, try to think of it as your wish list. Register for something that you want as opposed to something that you need. You may even request a donation to your favorite charity in lieu of a gift and feel a sense of being socially responsible. Or you may opt for services that enable monetary gifts intended to fund your honeymoon or a house purchase. A really creative idea is to write your wish about a gift alternative as a poem on a card that coordinates with the rest of your wedding suite of cards!

*Reference: 21st Century Bride

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