Registry Workshop: A Beginner's Toolkit

Oh your wedding registry -- seriously in the top five AWESOME things you get to do when you are getting married. It is like being a kid on Christmas morning...except you actually get to pick out exactly what Santa gets you...every adult-kid's dream! Now although the registry adventure seem pretty extraordinarily awesome, it can definitely get you in an overwhelming mess if you are not prepared - thus, get ready for a couple weeks of Registry Workshop where you will get all the "ins and outs" of how to handle your registry.
First off, you want to do some preliminary research -- basically, you need to find out what your registry options are and what type of gifts you want to request from guests. A wedding registry is available at almost any major department store you can think of, and there are a few specialty stores as well. For starters , here is a list of the most popular registry stores out there:

The above stores are by no means the only place to register; however, they are the most popular. The reason why these chains attract engaged couples is because they all offer: (1) online access, (2) registrant rewards, (3) variation in price of products, and (4) diverse product use. All four factors are important to have for any place you register, and together, these tools will allow you to thoroughly manage your registry.
It is so important to have online access to your registry - this feature, alone, gives you freedom to make changes to your registry and monitor the inventory levels from home - you do not want to have to physically go to the store every time you want to add another item (insight: you will find yourself adding/deleting registry items as seasons change and new product lines appear). 
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to getting ready to register...I will start to get to the nitty gritty tomorrow with "How to Pick The Right Place" - in the mean time, check out all these store's sites, which one has your style?