Real Couples' Top Registry Picks

Real Couple Registry #1: The Container Store
The Couple: Stephen Holton and Jamie Hulm in Colleyville, TN
Wedding Date: June 23, 2012 

Products featured (clockwise, from left): Kate Spade Annabel vase; Barbara Barry Poetical European sham and Moon Lagoon quilt, sheets and pillow; Vera Wang by Wedgwood Vera Lace fl atware; Pearl Symphony bone china dessert and dinner plate, cup and saucer and sugar bowl; Jubilee napkin; Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook Bridal Edition; Beechwood folding bed tray, all from Bed, Bath & Beyond, bedbathandbeyond.com. Photo by David Lazarus.

What made you choose The Container Store? 
They have so many unique storage and organization solutions that work for us now, in an apartment, and will still work when we transition to our first house.

Did you register online or in the store?
We registered both in the store and online. With our busy schedules, registering online was fast, convenient and simple.

Tell us a bit about your registry process.
We inventoried our apartment and came up with our “must have” and “wish list” items. The site made it easy for us to register; everything was organized into categories for us.

Did you register together?
We did. It was important for us to do it together and have fun in the process. Plus, it takes your mind off of wedding-planning stress!

Any advice for couples beginning the process?
Do it early and together. It’s so much fun going around the store, using the scan guns and checking out all the organization possibilities.

Real Couple Registry #2: Bed, Bath & Beyond 
The Couple: Laura Hoeflich and Fielding Kalas in Addison, IL
Wedding Date: April 7, 2012

Products featured (clockwise, from left): Kate Spade Annabel vase; Barbara Barry Poetical European sham and Moon Lagoon quilt, sheets and pillow; Vera Wang by Wedgwood Vera Lace fl atware; Pearl Symphony bone china dessert and dinner plate, cup and saucer and sugar bowl; Jubilee napkin; Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook Bridal Edition; Beechwood. Photo by David Lazarus.

Why did you choose Bed, Bath & Beyond? 
After comparing registry programs, we felt Bed, Bath & Beyond was the best. They took time to walk us through the process, rather than simply hand us a scanner and wish us luck. 

Did you register in the store or online?
We registered at our local store because we wanted to touch and test products for quality.

Did you consider price when registering?
We registered for gifts across the price spectrum. It gives guests a lot of options or they can team up on a more expensive gift.

Tell us about your registry process.
Our registry assistant gave us helpful pointers on what we should register for and why, which made it fun and got the two of us involved in the process.

Do you have any advice for couples starting their registry?
Check out a few stores to see which is the best fit, and make sure you’re both registering so you each get items you like. Plus, it can be a lot of fun, especially when you discover what your fiancé wants!

Real Couple Registry #3: Dillard's  
The Couple: Leah Manhart and Michael Seymour in Burnet, TX
Wedding Date: September 15, 2012

Products featured (clockwise, from left): Main Ingredients muffin tin; KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer; Le Creuset Cherry petite tart dishes; Fiesta scarlet bowl, turquoise pie baking dish and kitchen towel; Calphalon bundt pan; Fiesta scarlet square baking dish; Le Creuset Caribbean rectangular baker; Fiesta scarlet baking dish; Main Ingredients cake pans, all from Dillard’s, dillards.com. Wallpaper by yorkwall.com. Photo by David Lazarus.

Why did you register at Dillard’s?
It was convenient for our families who live in different parts of the country. They could shop at a local store or online. We also liked the china Dillard’s carries and wanted to have it as a family heirloom to pass down to our children.

Did you consider price when registering?
Our registry consultant told us to choose items in a range of prices and to register for things both in sets and individual pieces so our guests would have options no matter what their budget.

Did you register together?
Yes! We’re a team and saw this as part of the process of getting married and something to do as a couple.

Do you have any advice for other couples?
Research big ticket items like appliances and cookware online first. It also helps if you register for china online; once you’re in the store you can choose your pattern. Above all, stay calm and don’t get frustrated. We made sure we discussed and agreed on every item.

Real Couple Registry #4: Kohl's 
The Couple: Gina Echeandia and Travis Howell in Westhampton, NY
Wedding Date: September 2, 2012

Products featured (clockwise, from left): Godinger leaf and vine three-tier dessert stand and cake serving set; Artland Simplicity three-piece stacking glass cake stand set (one shown) and pedestal beverage server; Tablecraft ice bucket; Tabletops Gallery Catania dinnerware; Yamazaki Byzantine gold finish flatware; Wine Enthusiast Visual decanter and Fusion Infinity white wine glasses, all from Kohl’s, kohls.com. Cake by City Sweets and Confections, citysweets.com; Sparkling wine by 2007 Domaine Carneros Brut Cuvée; wallpaper by yorkwall.com. Photo by David Lazarus.

Why did you register at Kohl’s?
I received a gift card and was pleasantly surprised by their selection when I went to shop—so much so that we ended up registering there!

Tell us about your registry process.
We have never lived together and our tastes are so different. We figured out what we needed (everything!), looked through magazines and got a sense of each other’s styles. After that, it was easier because we knew what we each wanted.

Did you register in the store or online?
I scoped out a few things in the store but ultimately registered online. I found so many things I loved; it was easy.

Do you have any advice for couples starting the process?
Discuss what you need before going into a store or to a website— it eliminates “surprises” and saves time. Also, talk to recently married couples and/or couples that have been married a while. You’ll learn the things you’ll never use and the items you can’t live without.