I wish I had known about a service like My Registry back when I was getting married - it's a site where you can register for anything, from any store - even stores that don't have websites!

My husband and I weren't enthusiastic about our registry, mostly because we had everything we needed after being together for so long, but also because we were forced to register at national chains since our guests were spread out all over the world and were getting married in the other side of the country from where we live. I would have loved to register for more unique items to personalize our new home in Boston, but since most of our guests didn't live in New England we registered for the same stuff everybody else registers for. I would have much preferred to register for art or other, more personal items.

I have to admit that I have some misgivings about the service (please, please, please do not send out eCards to your friends and family announcing your registry - that's an etiquette no-no because it makes you look greedy) but I think that the overall usefulness of the service outweighs the potential negatives. For instance, the service makes it easier to have multiple registries, allowing your guests more options for gift giving.