WEDDINGS & WISH LISTS: by Pam Pastor

Last updated 00:05am (Mla time) 06/25/2006
Published on page C8 of the June 25, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

IN LOIS LOWRY’S BOOK "Anastasia at This Address," the bride and groom faced a dilemma. They received way too many woks from their wedding guests. How many Chinese cooking vessels does one couple need?

But thanks to bridal registry, today’s couples no longer have to deal with similar predicaments.
Designed by department stores, the bridal registry is a system that allows an engaged couple to create a wish list of items. Wedding guests can then visit the store to select their gifts from the couple’s list. The system benefits both the couple and the guests.

Bennette Rana, who runs Weddingsatwork. com with her husband John, counts the advantages of having a bridal registry. "It’s free and there’s nothing to lose if you register. A bridal registry would help the couple get the gifts they truly want. It saves the guests from guessing what the couple prefers."

Bennette and John registered with Rustan’s Department Store, SM Department Store and Artfab when they got married in 1998.

Today, aside from department stores (SM no longer offers the service), a number of smaller shops and specialty outlets have their own bridal registry systems, with their own perks and bonuses for the couples.

If you’re getting married soon, visit the following places. They might just hold the gifts of your dreams.

1. Avant Abenson
   Avant’s sales personnel will assist the couple as they apply and choose products they want. Avant has a tracking system that ensures that couples wouldn’t end up with several of the same item. Top picks are entertainment products and kitchen appliances. Couples can add to their list anytime.
   Bonus: Avant provides gift cards that can be attached to the invitation. When guests visit the store and present the card, they can get discounts.
   


2. Crossings Department Store
   Crossings sets its service apart by allowing you to register online and create your wish list by browsing its website (http://www2.blogger.com/www.crossings.com.ph). Guests can then log on to the website and reserve the gifts they want to get for you before going to the store to pick it up. But you can drop by the store and sign up there, and you can also update your list anytime, whether online or at the store (either Shangri-La or Quezon Avenue branch). At Crossings, the choices go beyond stuff for the house—couples can even include luggage and lingerie in their list. Nel Castillo, a buyer for Crossings, says that the first things guests buy are the small kitchen appliances. Because a lot of newlyweds move into small condominiums, Crossings also offers made-to-order furniture to match the couple’s unit size and color theme. In the unlikely chance that there are duplicates, couples are allowed to exchange the items within a month after their wedding.
   Bonus: Guests enjoy a five- to -ten-percent discount and free gift wrapping when they purchase items from your list. And in case the couple doesn’t receive everything on their list, the discount is also available up to two months after the wedding so they can purchase the rest of the items they want.
   


3. Borders
   One of Makati’s best-kept secrets, Borders is home to world-renowned furniture, accessories and houseware. It’s been running its bridal registry service for the past five years. Couples can visit the store and sign up for the registry, check on it anytime, add new items to their list and get notified when purchases are made. Borders also created a Group Gifting system which allows friends and family to make partial contributions toward a certain gift item. The store takes care of the gift wrapping and delivery of gifts. Exchanges can be arranged, too, although duplicates are almost an impossibility because Borders offers mostly big items.
   Bonus: If the purchases reach a certain amount, Borders offers to host the bridal shower for up to 40 guests. "We take care of everything—from the invitation, the food and the games," said Liane Bautista, Borders’ marketing consultant. It also provides the couple with a Gift Summary which can aid them when they prepare their thank-you cards.
   


4. Ethan Allen
   Couples who visit the Ethan Allen showroom and choose their desired gifts will be given registry coupons, depending on the number of guests. These coupons may be used to purchase items on the couple’s wish list. Exchanges are allowed and couples can add to their list anytime. Top picks are sofas, beds and mattresses. Ethan Allen offers gift certificates as well.
   Bonus: Ethan Allen has professional interior designers who can assist the couples while they select items for their list. They can also hold a despedida de soltera for good clients. The shower, held at the store showroom, is good for up to 30 guests. Ethan Allen also offer high discounts—sometimes going up to 25 percent for custom orders.
   


5. Gourdo’s
   Gourdo’s asks you to fill out forms and then hand you a checklist so you can go around the store and choose the items you want on your registry. The list is then printed while you wait. When you sign up at Gourdo’s, your guests can also buy gifts for you from Living Well at The Podium. Dhaize Lacson, registry assistant at The Fort branch, said the first things to be bought are the whiteware—tea sets, cups and saucers, basic plates.
   In case there are duplicates, you may exchange the items for other things you like. Your registry stays active a year after your wedding.
   Bonus: Gourdo’s provides 30-50 invitation inserts so you can announce your registry to your guests. Guests enjoy a five-percent discount and free gift wrapping when they buy items from your list. In case there are items on your list that you don’t receive, you can enjoy a 15-percent discount when you buy them. Gourdo’s will also send you a gift on your first anniversary.
   


6. Play & Display
   Couples can go to any Play & Display store to sign up. Then their names will be featured in the bridal registry standee at all showrooms. Top picks include queen-sized beds in fabric and soft leather, center tables, trendy lounge sofas, and tempered glass dining sets. The list can be updated anytime. Play & Display accepts returns and exchanges "as long as it is within the legal customer servicing premise."
   Bonus: Play & Display offers guests 10-percent on cash purchases and five-percent discount on credit-card purchases.
   


7. Regalong Pambahay
   Regalong Pambahay allows couples to register at any of its branches. Top picks are lamps, pottery and pillows. Exchanges and additions to the list are welcome. Bridal registrants are announced with a signage, and the names of the couples also appear on Regalong Pambahay’s website where guests who don’t have time to visit the store can order items online.
   Bonus: Free gift wrapping and free delivery within Metro Manila for a minimum purchase of P3,000. The couple is also given a maximum of 30 bridal discount cards that they can give away to guests. The card entitles them to a 10-percent discount on cash purchases and five percent on credit card transactions.
   


8. Rustans Department Store
   Couples can go to any Rustan’s branch and sign up at the bridal registry office where they will be assisted by bridal consultants. The list of their gift preferences will then be presented to inquiring guests, to assist them in choosing a gift to buy. Although couples can choose items to suit their lifestyle, they are encouraged not to forget the basics for the home—dinnerware, glassware, flatware, etc. Couples can update their list anytime, and can change duplicate items.
   Bonus: Couples can look forward to a more enhanced registry experience in Rustan’s after it relaunches the service in July, to be called "Rustan’s Weddings and Beyond." The service will then also cover anniversaries, debuts and showers.
   


9. Tomlinson and Raffles Fine Arts
   The Tomlinson Collection Manila specializes in classic Chinese antique furniture, Southeast Asia Buddhist sculptures, Tibetan antique furniture and other Asian works of art. Couples can visit Tomlinson and Raffles Fine Arts, choose the pieces they want and leave their contact information at the store. Top picks are functional items— wedding cabinets, armchairs and coffee tables. Exchanges are allowed within 15 days of purchase, and couples can add to their list anytime.