Online wedding registry tickles tech-savvy brides - KMSP-TV

A new website is allowing brides and grooms to branch out when it comes to their wedding registries.

Most Minnesota brides will tell you they're registered with Macy's or Target, and though a wedding day may be the biggest gift-getter of a lifetime, remember -- you'll be stuck with that China pattern for the rest of your marriage.

Megan Werpy is still working on the guest list for her wedding reception in August.

"His mom is like, 'Register at Herberger's.' I've never shopped at a Herberger's in my life," she said.

There will always be a few wildcards, but Werpy said she knows exactly what she's hoping to get.

"The Biosense foam pillows, the school of fish cooler, glasses," she listed.

So, why should anyone be limited at registering with just a few stores? In the age of the app, techno-savvy brides don't have to.

That's where MyRegistry.com comes in -- it's a universal gift registry that lives online.

"You can get your towels from J.C. Penny's and you can get your dishware from Macy's," said Werpy, who was also able to track down the glasses that Crate and Barrel no longer carried.

Matt Rush, with Bellagala, has been working with brides for over 20 years as a wedding planner. He says today's brides are more connected -- device-wise, that is -- than in years past, and he's now encouraging couples to use websites like Pintrest to plan their big day.

"In our industry -- where everything is so visually driven, brides have an idea in their mind," he explained, saying that it's helpful when brides can find a picture to crystallize their vision.

So, by downloading a simple app that lives in your tool bar, you can add anything you find for sale online as a wanted wedding gift. All your guests need to do is surf through the wish list and make a pick.

For Werpy, she says there's an added advantage of saving money and time for her friends and family by doing the comparison shopping for them.

"If you want something, just click it while you're on the page," she said. "There you go. It's added to your registry."

The site is not just for brides either. Everyone from expectant parents and college students can use it, and the accounts can also sync up with an existing registry. There is also an option to set up a cash gift fund to help save up for big-ticket items.