I love to shop, and I love to receive gifts, so I didn’t anticipate how hard creating a registry would be. J and I spent nearly every night this past week browsing different online retailers getting ideas of what types of things we could get away asking for. We decided that this weekend we would both go to the same store in our respective cities and check out things in person while on the phone with each other. One of us could have the scanner and we’d officially open a wedding registry.

Our first attempt at “teleregistering” was at Williams-Sonoma, but the store was crowded and noisy, making it hard to hear him. Plus I had my mom with me, and she kept trying to talk into my other ear. Since I am a complete novice in the kitchen (I eat cereal for dinner), I wanted a salesperson to walk around with me explaining each piece of equipment and telling me why I needed it. But then I’d have to reiterate everything that person told me to J, which would get annoying real fast. After 20 frustrating minutes, I decided that I really wanted to have the experience of registering for these big ticket items with him, so we decided to wait until we’re together to register at W-S.

A short while later we were back on the phone with each other at Bed, Bath and Beyond, where we didn’t think we would need so much help. That was a bust too. Our connection was crappy, we both couldn’t make up our minds about what we wanted (a coffee machine with a built in grinder or two separate machines?), and to make matters worse, I hadn’t eaten in like 6 hours. I was famished, tired, cranky and completely frustrated by the whole process.

Total items on our registry = 0

Perhaps internet shopping really is the way to go.

My father sent an email to my mom and me telling us to check out the first page of the Weekend & Leisure section in today’s Wall Street Journal. He was referring to the article “The First Dance Spins Out of Control,” which describes how newlyweds are turning the traditionally slow and sentimental first dance into a Dancing with the Stars-worthy choreographed routine. Each trying to make their wedding better than the next (or get themselves on You Tube), brides and grooms are using lights, fog, theatrics, and, sometimes, even their wedding attendants to produce a first dance unlikely to be forgotten by their guests.

The best part about reading the article online was the added bonus of this video.

On a similar note, I never understood why some couples take dance lessons before their weddings. I imagine if I were taught how to waltz or something, I would promptly forget all the steps when it came time to perform out of sheer excitement and anticipation. I’d rather sway back and forth in J’s arms like an 8th grader at her first dance than worry about executing a move properly.

That said, I think it would be absolutely hysterical to surprise our guests with a choreographed routine to something completely unexpected, like an ‘N Sync song.

Hmm…