Let’s face it, registering for your wedding might be one of the best parts of the wedding planning process. This is your chance to create the ultimate wish list for your new life as a married couple — and although super fun, it can be daunting as well! I have created a few tips & tricks to getting your scanner gun game on, & then rounded up a few of the items that I’m crossing my fingers for!

1. Get organized – Decide what type of person you and your fiancé are, and go from there. Do you love to cook? Entertain? Do you keep sweaters in your stove a la carrie bradshaw? Start with the easy stuff that you love the most, and then add the necessities from there.
2. Register early – The gifts start rolling in the moment you get engaged, so you want to be sure friends & family have a place to go to to see what items are needed!
3. Appeal to everyone – make sure the place(s) you register have a brick & mortar store as well as  an online website. We all know how mom, dad and especially the grandparents feel about doing anything online #theyreoldschoollikethat Whereas my friends? We all shop primarily online. A retailer like Macy’s is a great example of a store that fits the bill for both – has stores across the country, but also has an incredible and thorough selection of items online!
4. Make a list – take stock of what you already have in your home, and what you need. Already have a Vitamix? Check it off the list. Desperate for a stand mixer? Mark it down. Printing off your list can help give you a visual of exactly what your asking for.
5. Pick a theme – Most items these days come with tons of color options. That Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer alone came in 29 colors. 29! You will want to discuss with your fiancé the color theme you want to achieve. I’m more of a blues/creams/whites/silver kinda gal myself, but if your soon to be partner-in-crime feels differently, you don’t want to find out after the fact!
6. Go big or go home -Have you always wanted a wine cooler? A bar cart? A big green egg? Don’t be afraid to register for a few big ticket items. There will most likely be a few people who want to spoil you, and now is the time to let them!
7. Over register – With that being said, the more options {and price points!} to choose from, the better. Especially if you plan on having several showers and/or engagement parties – you want to offer your guests a large range of items to choose from {I promise, it won’t look greedy!}
8. Step outside the box – don’t be afraid to choose patterns, or styles that aren’t traditional!  Smaller items like mugs {i like this one}, bath towels, or even place mats be fun to add a little color to otherwise simple + straightforward items
9. Slow down – take your time while you pick out your new items. My parents still have {and love}  their wedding china and silverware! The items you pick out should last you a lifetime, and you don’t want to make any rush decisions and regret it later
10. Thank you notes – Last but not least, always, always, always write a thank you note. I cannot stress this enough. Try to do it as soon as you can {and wait no longer than 2 weeks after receiving} – a little trick is to write down exactly who & what the gift is {I use a google doc} to keep everything organized. I also like to make note of when I wrote & sent the thank you note, so that nothing gets overlooked.

Ok so now onto the fun part — my favorite items from the Macy’s online registry. I knew I wanted to register at Macy’s for a very simple reason. There are over 775 (!!!) Macy’s locations around the country. This means that there was a much better chance for every out of towner, or more traditional shopper, to have the option of going into a store and selecting something for us. With that being said, I’m a major online shopper, and I’ve done all my wedding gift giving to friends + family via online registries, so I knew that option was really important to me as well. Macy’s fit the bill, and I’ve grown to appreciate them even more because of their incredible selection – they have all the classics (think Kitchen Aid and Lenox China) but also tons of cool & unusual items too (totally in love with this horn serving set & woven basket).

Click below to show a few more of my favorites!

Not getting married anytime soon? Don’t worry – you can still get any of the items shown above {especially since most of them are on major sale! #coughcoughvitamix} at Macy’s here! Happy shopping!

image via

thank you to macy’s for sponsoring this post