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With our move to San Diego quickly approaching, James and I have been packing and trying to complete as many items on our wedding to-do list as possible.  Our wedding planner suggested we set up our registry prior to the big move.

During one of our first meetings with our planner, she gave us tips on registering and included a registry checklist.   One great tip she gave us was to register at no more than three stores.   Limiting the registry to three stores would be easier on us and our guests.  Here are a few more of her tips:

• Pottery Barn and Williams-Sonoma store credits are interchangeable.

• Bed Bath & Beyond gives cash back for returned items.

• Bloomingdales is the most registry friendly department store with the best selection.

• Look into the registry completion options at stores – many offer discounts if you purchase any remaining items on you registry.

Photo: SheKnows.com

Armed with these tips and the registry checklist, James and I discussed the options and initially decided on registering at Bloomingdales, Williams-Sonoma and Crate & Barrel.   On a Sunday afternoon we headed to Bloomingdales to start our first registry.  After entering the store and browsing around I realized how unprepared we were.   Yes, we had reviewed the tips and decided on our stores.  However, we had not done any research or exploring of the options.   Based on our first attempt to register, I have developed my own list of tips.

Tip 1: Discuss what items you want to register for ahead of time

Tip 2: Research all of your options.  You may realize the store you thought you loved does not carry a large enough selection or cater to your tastes. Crate & Barrel was originally one of our top choices, but we later realized Pottery Barn has a much larger selection of most items.

Tip 3: Before setting up any appointments or beginning your registry, visit each of the selected stores and plan what items you want to register for.  This will eliminate overlap and save you time in the long run.

Photos: Pottery Barn; Pottery Barn; Save the Date Events

Tip 4: Don’t rush!  This is probably my biggest tip.  Rushing will cause unnecessary stress and take the fun out of what could be one of the most enjoyable wedding planning events.   Set aside a Saturday or Sunday afternoon and dedicate the day. Some stores even offer registry parties.   Crate & Barrel offers “The Wedding Parties” events on Sunday mornings at select stores.   During these events the store is closed to regular patrons.  A C&B employee will guide you through the process while you and your guests sip on mimosas.  Williams-Sonoma and Pottery Barn both offer similar events.

Tip 5:  Realize you won’t agree on everything and be okay with it.   Let’s face it, as much as we love our significant others, we may not always love their taste and that is okay.   Be prepared to disagree, but avoid criticizing their choices.  Instead, focus on the items you both like and will be happy with for years to come.

The Green Bride Guide registry provides detailed information about each product, including how it is made, where it is made, and what materials were used in its production. With this information at your fingertips, you can make an informed decision so that the products you want are truly eco-friendly.

The site gift shop even offers free carbon-neutral shipping.  So when a package is shipped, although the transportation process generates CO2 and other greenhouse gasses that contribute to global warming, they neutralize this effect as they calculate the impact of each shipment and purchases carbon offsets from its partner, Brighter Planet.

Each offset supports community-based alternative energy projects in the United States that remove CO2 from the air, and reduce the country’s dependence on “dirty” carbon-emitting sources. Customers automatically receive free carbon-neutral shipping with any purchase through the Green Bride Guide gift shop and registry. Cool, right!?

If you are looking to register AND make a difference to support environmentally conscious businesses, then be sure to check out the Green Bride Guide.

Please join us on level 3 at the Chevy Chase location to scan your registry, sip some José Andrés cocktails, enjoy delicious Ridgewells and swoon over  beautiful Monique Lhullier dresses from Betsy Robinson’s Bridal Collection.

Kindly RSVP to 240-744-3862.

I’ll see you there!

Remember the “Pre-Wedding” Wedding Party, sponsored by The Registry at Bloomingdale’s and GetMarried, that I was raving about?  Well, MK McKenna, a very talented local photographer, shared these great photos with me — and I couldn’t wait to show you.  Danielle and I had a blast meeting new brides and hearing about all of your fun wedding plans.  

DeAnna Pappas, host of GetMarried TV (and former leading lady on “The Bachelorette”), hosted this ridiculously fun event.  Brides competed to set a formal dining room table — something that is much harder than it seems!

A BIG thanks to the crew at Bloomingdale’s for inviting District Weddings to participate in this great event.  We had a blast!

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times… If you haven’t yet registered and are planning to, you MUST, MUST, MUST make an appointment with Molly at Bloomingdale’s.  It will be the BEST registering experience you will ever have.  Period.

JCPenney offers one of the nation’s largest wedding registries, boasting an expansive collection of proprietary and national brands with timeless style, exceptional quality, and contemporary appeal.  Registrants can make gift list selections from top brands in china, flatware, crystal, small electronics, cookware, linen and furniture.  With more than 1,000 JCPenney department stores, as well as an online presence, offering a wide assortment of gifts from which to choose, couples will find everything they need to live “Happily Ever After.”

Okay.  So the JCPenney Gift Registry team was also so generous to offer a lucky District Weddings reader a $100 gift card to JCPenney!  $100!!!

Just leave a comment and tell us…

What is the one item you most hoping to receive off your gift registry?  

A KitchenAid Mixer? (my answer)… A new set of sheets?… That gorgeous crystal vase?… A fabulous red waffle maker?  

Tell us your one favorite item and you’ll be entered to win a $100 gift card to JCPenney.  Anyone can enter.  The giveaway will run until Thursday, April 16.  We’ll announce the winner on Friday, April 17.  $100!  Thanks, JCPenney!

In case you are just joining District Weddings for the first time, Sarah Christine is our Bride Blogger.  She works in New York, but is planning an October D.C. wedding.  She pops in every week or so to update us on her wedding plans.

From Sarah…

Have you dealt with the “how many places are too many places to register” conflict? There are just so many great stores and products to put on your registry, how to you contain yourself?

Etiquette states you shouldn’t register at more than three places. While three is a lot to choose from, each bride is different and may not succumb to the Crate and Barrel/ Pottery Barn/ Tiffany’s/ Bed, Bath and Beyond type.

Brides, have no fear, you know longer have to!  Express the true style of you and your fiancée on your registry by using Myregistry.com.

Myregistry.com allows brides to add items from literally any store in the world regardless of whether it is an online store or your favorite around-the-corner boutique.

While you’ll be registering from multiple stores, it looks much neater when housed under one roof.

You can also add non traditional wedding gifts to your registry, such as airplane tickets, dinner at your favorite restaurant, or create a complete online Honeymoon Registry if you would like.

Sign on and take a tour to see everything they have to offer — it’s worth looking into their Cash Gift Service! You’ll only get to register for your wedding once. Instead of making it a chore, have fun and let your style shine!

Are you a hot sleeper?  Do you use one or two towels after showering?  Do you drink champagne?  Molly will politely (and patiently) help you select items for your registry that best suit your lifestyle.  

Photos: Bloomingdale’s

Last weekend, my fiance and I went to register.  We started at Bloomingdale’s in Chevy Chase, Maryland (where we met Molly).  She offered us seats, gave us chilled water, and talked with us about what we like, how we live, and how we envision our home together.  She then brought items to us.  We relaxed while she gathered things that fit our style.  She created place settings, giving us options without ever being overbearing.  If we saw something else we liked, we were free to get it off the shelf and bring it to her desk (our working area).  It was so fun! 

When I returned home that night, I still had questions.  How many serving pieces do we really need?  What size food processor is the most useful?  So, I emailed Molly.  She gives out her email address and phone number to all of “her couples,” so they can email her whenever they have a question.  (I’m really trying not to email her every day.)  She will add the items for you, or you can add them yourself.  She doesn’t work on commission, so she always gives her honest opinion of every product.

I can’t say enough about Molly.  We were lucky that the store wasn’t busy when we visited, but I would highly recommend making an appointment before you go.  It is well worth the drive to Chevy Chase, just so you can start your registry with Molly.  You can do everything else online afterwards.  Call the store and ask for Molly in Gift Registry (240-744-3700)…  Maybe I’ll see you there!

And…she personalizes everything!  Have the couple’s initials carved into a tree, or print their wedding date on their morning coffee mug!  The newlyweds will surely LOVE it all!

Top Left: Cuisinart Griddler ($129.95)

Top Right: Bouchon Mold & Bouchon Mix ($42.00)

Bottom Left: All-Clad Deluxe Slow Cooker ($279.95)

Bottom Right: 10 Piece Glass Bowl Set ($38.00)

To start your registry, Williams-Sonoma recommends making an appointment with an in-store registry specialist.  You can then update and change your registry on-line.  Here’s a full list of the Williams-Sonoma stores in the D.C. area… Have fun!

Williams-Sonoma, Fashion Square at Pentagon (Arlington, Virginia)

Williams-Sonoma, Market Common at Clarendon (Arlington, Virginia)

Williams-Sonoma, Mazza-Gallerie (Washington, DC)

Williams-Sonoma, Old Town (Alexandria, Virginia)

Williams-Sonoma, Tyson’s Corner (McLean, Virginia)

Williams-Sonoma, White Flint Mall (North Bethesda, Maryland)

Williams-Sonoma, Fair Oaks Mall (Fairfax, Virginia)

Williams-Sonoma, Reston Town Center (Reston, Virginia)

Williams-Sonoma, The Mall in Columbia (Columbia, Maryland)

Williams-Sonoma, Annapolis Mall (Annapolis, Maryland)

Williams-Sonoma, Baltimore/Village Square (Baltimore, Maryland)

Williams-Sonoma, Towson Town Center (Towson, Maryland)

Top Left: Bialetti Pizza Chopper ($12.95)

Top Right: Pop-Up Sponges ($14.00 – $15.00)

Bottom Left: Pancake Pan ($39.95)

Bottom Right: Paysage Dinnerware ($69.00 – $139.00)

Still more to come!