Registry Day is better than Christmas

Although we haven't gotten anywhere near this point in our planning, I'm already counting down to the night before Registry Day, when I'll be lying all snug in my bead with visions of new china dancing in my head. And when I wake up, I'll dash down the stairs in my pajamas (I still wear them on occasion at 27), grab my scanner gun, and b-line to the mall for my private 2-hour scanning session.

  

Numerous specialty and department stores are stepping up their game to lure couples in to register with them over their competitors. Perks include free food and ample flutes of bubbly, special additional 'gifts', and exclusive offers and discounts off of registry items that go unpurchased by your guests.

• Crate & Barrel, for example, hosts Wedding Parties several Sundays a month at its various locations. All couples have to do is RSVP and show up the morning of the event for a presentation, and then they can take advantage of 2 free hours of brunch before the store's doors open to the public. The best part? You don't even have to register that day or begin to rack up items on your list.  Had I known about these events, I totally would've snuck in to one long ago. 

• Macy's and The Knot have teamed up to offer Sip & Scan registry parties at a few select department stores, and I'm lucky enough to live just down the street from one of them. Champagne and hors d'oeuvres are also a staple of this event, and Macy's brings in vendors to speak with couples about their products and services. Free small gifts are also distributed by the vendors and by Macy's itself. 

• Bloomingdales, which has been a sort of Mecca/"mother ship calling me home" for all of my adult shopping life, has similar events to Macy's but with that extra sense of feel-good exclusivity. Stores in NYC and DC host yearly Pre-Wedding Wedding Parties for "like-minded professional" couples that feature designer gown fashion shows, cocktails, and catered food. Registrants also get the benefit of one-on-one personal consultants and thank-you note managers along with the customary discount for unpurchased registry items. Alas, I'm about 7 months late on the 2010 event in DC, so I'll have to hold my enthusiasm until next year. 

• Pottery Barn offers wedding registry workshops at most of its locations, generally on Tuesdays at 6pm. While their events don't have the allure of free food and drink, PB still gets a winning mark because, well, it's PB and I think pretty much everything about that store is amazing. Instead, PB's consultants offer you the invaluable service of walking you through your selection and picking out complimentary items that will create a cohesive, well-designed look for your home. When you've been living with hand-me-down sofas and yard sale-acquired decor, learning to match your gravy boat to your table runner ranks pretty high up there in perks in my book. 

Williams Sonoma, Target, and Restoration Hardware are always fun places to register but don't offer any open house registry events (ahem, get on that guys).

I have yet to look into whether any local district boutiques offer private registry events, but I'm sure that in a city like DC where just about anything warrants a cocktail party, they'll crack a bottle for you and your fiance while you size up their inventory.