Equally Wed founders get happily registered at Bed Bath & Beyond

Maria and I have been married nearly 11 years, and this year we’re celebrating Equally Wed’s 10th anniversary of publishing the leading LGBTQ+ wedding magazine worldwide. With partying on our mind, we went to the experts in home decor to learn about their registry offerings and in-store associates to lead us through registering for one specific room in the house. For us, it was our bar! But of course, we couldn’t help but ooh and aah over the rest of the store too because there’s so much goodness there!

When we first arrived to our neighborhood Bed Bath & Beyond store, we were warmly greeted by a lovely consultant, Mel. From Mel, we learned about all the incredible items and experiences that Bed Bath & Beyond offers. The assortment of products is almost beyond comprehension. And if you think you’re seeing everything in their stores, you’d be wrong. There’s an endless amount more on the site. Personally, I think starting in-store is smarter if you live close enough to a Bed Bath & Beyond because the registry consultants are so knowledgeable and I like seeing things in person before I purchase when at all possible. Wedding registry can be stressful and overwhelming but it doesn’t have to be!

At Bed Bath & Beyond, Mel walked us through signing up for a registry account on their user-friendly app. Once we were logged in, we could start adding to our registry with our smart phones. I love how Bed Bath & Beyond is keeping up with all the latest technology. You don’t have to carry around (and learn to use) a big scanner anymore. You just whip out your phone and start scanning items that you want to register for. Also excellent for introverts is that you can keep coming back and adding without checking out a scanner and talking to people. The Bed Bath & Beyond team is really helpful but I know for introverts this is a real selling point. Whether your guests are shopping in-store or online, shipping, exchanges and returns are free and painless.

What I also love about the app is that there’s more to register for than just tangible items. You can now register for experiences, which is all the rage in weddings right now. Want to register for a a visit to Mount St. Helens National Monument in Washington led by a guide who provides interesting background about the steaming volcano and the surrounding ecosystem? Simply add that to your registry. Or perhaps a Soulex float spa for couples by VEBO in Washington, D.C. is more appealing? (You need that before AND after your wedding day, people.) Just add it to your registry! Seriously, these amazing opportunities go on and on, and if your guests want to gift you something you will enjoy beyond a new gadget for your kitchen, this is the way to go!

For me and Maria, we really wanted to upgrade our bar and a few other rooms in our house. For our bar/library (because booze and books), we wanted something different than the stainless steel cocktail shaker and mismatched barware we’ve been entertaining with for years. Half of our wine glasses have broken over the years (not naming names, of course) and my wife has definitely amped up her connoisseurship of bourbon, so naturally we need the glasses to match. To make our bar area more inviting, we registered for bar stools with backs so we could easily chat with guests while making craft cocktails but they could sit down too. We also wanted to make the rest of our home comfier and better managed, so we registered for the softest comforter on the planet from UGG, among other fun items.