(NU) - The bakery agreed tomake your almond-flavoredmulti-tiered cake. You found abridesmaid’s dress in just theright shade of robin’s-egg blue.Finally, the wedding plans arefalling into place. What aboutyour wedding gift registry?

Today, the options for wed-ding gift registries are endless. Tohelp cut through the clutter,Demetra Bernard of Springmaidhome fashions answers thesecommon questions about wed-ding gift registries.

Q: Where should brides andgrooms look for registries?

A: Virtually every retail out-let offers a registry, making iteasy to find everything you need,from pillows to power saws.There is no rule that says all ofyour registered items need tocome from one place. For exam-ple, you can choose Egyptian cot-ton sheets from Wal-Mart, toolsfrom Lowe’s and a retro tele-phone from Pottery Barn.

Q: Is it better to register inthe store or online?

A: How you register is a per-sonal preference. The benefit toregistering in the store is the“touch factor.” You can feel thesoftness of a towel or see if theecru-colored blender matchesyour other appliances. On the oth-er hand, registering online means

that you don’t have to adjust yourschedule around store hours. On-line registries also are easier forgift-givers, especially far-flungfamily and friends who might notlive near the store.

Most brick-and-mortar storesnow have their registries accessi-ble both in the store and online soyou can decide which methodworks best for you.

Q: What do most people for-get to put on their registries?

A: One of the most forgottenitems are blankets. For some, it’sa utilitarian item that’s easy tooverlook. For others, it’s just tooconfusing to decide on a fabric.

Choosing between cotton, ther-mal, flannel, acrylic, down-filled,knit, woven or herringbone canmake your head spin. But al-though it may take a few minutesto get educated on the best blan-ket for you, having one on yourbed or in your linen closet is amust, especially when your newspouse turns down the thermostat!

Q: Should couples registerfor the “really good stuff”?

A: The tradition of weddinggift-giving started as a way forfamily and friends to help new-lyweds — who were moving outof their parents’ homes and intoan empty house — set up theirnew home. Today’s brides andgrooms are marrying later in lifeand likely have lived on their own(at college or in an apartment)and have already accumulatedsome of the basics. So a registrycan be the couple’s chance to in-dulge in the really good stuff.

They shouldn’t feel guilty, asthe good stuff isn’t all that expen-sive anymore. Springmaid, for ex-ample, offers high-quality linens— 300-thread count and 100 per-cent cotton — for about $50.

As people continue to seekout luxury offerings for their ownhomes, it’s likely they will bewilling to spend a little bit moreto assure their families andfriends get a taste of luxury, too.

Wedding Gift Registries: Couples’Most Common Questions Answered

BRIDAL

NewsUSA

Luxury is well within reach fortoday’s brides and grooms,thanks to the wide selection

of high-quality, affordablehome fashions, such as theseSpringmaid sheets available

at Wal-Mart.

NU