From the moment you announce your engagement, family and friends will want to send gifts. Although registering early is an important step in the process, you’ll want to think carefully about how many places—and exactly where—you’ll register. Though the convenience of the web makes buying easy, it’s often the in-store experience offered by brick-and-mortar stores that makes your guests feel comfortable knowing they’re investing in something meaningful for the bride and groom. Here, Barbara Heath, whose home and gift boutique The Mercantile offers the best of both experiences, explains.

Creating a bridal registry can be overwhelming. What are some general registry do’s and don’ts? Do keep in mind your guests’ budgets for gift giving. Don’t over register. Keep your registry to two to three stores. Otherwise, you’ll find that you will get incomplete sets of things and have a lot of work exchanging presents. 

In the South, many gift givers are still of the traditional mind-set and want to buy silver, crystal or china. How do you suggest modern couples approach adding nontraditional items to their registries? It’s important that couples select items that they will use often. Integrating some contemporary pieces with the traditional will give those more formal pieces a sense of being more “approachable.” An example is integrating iron and glass pieces from Jan Barboglio with fine china presents. 

What are some time-honored items that every bride should consider adding? Match pewter is a wonderful addition to a registry. It is timeless and can be used in both formal and informal settings. Fine table linens are also something that you will have forever. Our linens from LeJacquard are made in France, and their patterns are so varied to match any decor.

What sets the bridal registry at The Mercantile apart from other retailers, local or national? Through our Internet retail partnership with Taigan (taigan.com), we can post the bridal registry online, along with images and customized videos of the registry. This allows for friends near and far to shop at their convenience 24 hours a day. Additionally, we will provide a 10 percent discount to the guests who purchase items for the couple, as well as a gift certificate, equal to 10 percent of the total value of all items purchased, to the couple as our wedding gift to them. The registry can include items traditionally found on a registry, such as china, pewter, etc., but also items to help set up a new home, such as art, furniture and lamps.

What’s the easiest way to let your guests know about a registry? In our world of high-speed Internet, probably the quickest route to reach your guests is to have us invite them to peruse your registry. If you provide us with your guest list emails, we can create a secure mailing list—we do not share this list with anyone.

Every guest deserves a sincere thank-you, regardless of the gift. What’s your rule of thumb when it comes to thanking guests for their gifts? Emily Post states that thank-yous should be sent out within one year of the event; however, I say, “Just get it done.” Don’t wait a year—you want to enjoy post-marital bliss without feeling as though you are remiss in your thank-yous.

The Mercantile, 404-816-0060, blog.mercantileatlanta.com

Portrait: Lauren Rubinstein, larphotography.com