After you determine what items you may want to put on your registry it is time to pick the right store. There are a few key areas that you need to pay attention to before committing to a particular store.

Product selection: Does the registry carry a large variety of products and brands that are appealing to you? Make sure there are brands that you want to receive, a range of prices to choose from, and a large selection of products.

Gift shipping: Can the gifts be sent to any address? This would save your guests the inconvenience of going back to the store or to the post office to pick up your gift. Also, can the store ship the gifts in a batch so you can get fewer packages?

Convenience: Is it easy for the buyers to work through the registry process? Can out of town or faraway guests get the list via fax so they can order over the phone or fax the order back the store? It is especially convenient if your guests can view your registry online and also purchase the gifts over the internet.

Order tracking: How does the retailer track your registry? After a purchase, how quickly is the system updated to reflect the change on the list? If you are using a large retailer, then they should have a computerized system that updates frequently so your list is continually maintained.

Return policy: What is the retailer’s return/exchange policy? How long do you have? This policy is very important in case you end up with duplicates or you return from your honeymoon only to discover that you have a week to exchange or return any items you don’t want or need. Before signing up, make sure you read the details!

Bonuses: Using a specific retailer for your wedding registry often gives you different perks or benefits. Some may allow you to purchase your wedding bands at a discount and others offer a completion program that allows you to purchase what you didn’t get off your registry at a lowered price.

Account activity: You also need to know how long after the wedding the registry will remain active. Guests have up to a year from your wedding to purchase a gift for you so you account should remain period for this length of time.

To ensure that your list is accurate, fill out a form that includes a list of all the items you want on your registry. Afterwards, read over the master list carefully so you can make sure that there are no mistakes. Look over the mailing address to see that it is correct and also ask for the business card of the individual who helped you set up your program in case you have any problems or questions.