SAY 'I DO' TO BRIDAL GIFT REGISTRY PROVIDERS

Getting married is not cheap. Even a Vegas wedding will cost you a couple of hundred dollars for a very brief chapel stay. Starting a new life together and moving in the furnishings can be just as expensive as a traditional wedding. Buying appliances, furniture, china and other supplies could easily run a tab into the thousands.

This is why wedding gifts come in handy. Friends and family can contribute to a starting marriage and relieve some of the financial burden. Unfortunately, spontaneous gifts, though very kind, can also be misguided.






Bridal Registries
A bridal registry makes gift giving practical. How it works is, the bride and groom make a list of items that they would prefer to receive, usually from a department store. The registry list is given to the wedding guests and they each decide what item they will buy.

However, bridal registries can be seen as problematic. Complaints have been made by wedding guests and newly wed couples alike that the retail store was hard to deal with, or that the wrong items were bought because none of the items on the list were available in store.





Online Bridal Registries
However, online bridal registries are becoming very popular because they resolve all of the problems traditional bridal registries present. Gift lists are viewable online, with prices clearly marked. Wedding guests can login to a website and purchase a gift for the happy couple without any additional time spent, dealing with a retail store. The gift is then delivered to the bride and groom's home, eliminating travel problems for both parties.

There are two choices in choosing online bridal registries. To choose an exclusively online company that deals with customers directly through a website, and big name retail stores that have a website set up to accommodate online purchases. Major department stores with an online site include Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Kohl's, JC Penney, Target, The Home Depot, Lowe's and REI.

Online companies, particularly the ones not affiliated with a major chain, have very competitive prices and will often match or beat the prices of retail stores. While not 100% error free, shopping online is much more convenient, satisfying and safe than doing business in a retail store.