Quantity is important
Remember when I mentioned needing to register for more than four place settings? Candice Coppola, owner of Jubilee Events, explains why: "Your wedding china, flatware and glassware will hold sentimental value and meaning for a lifetime. Plates break, they get loaned and never returned or patterns become discontinued. This may be the only time you receive the patterns you've selected. Make sure you have enough. It comes in handy when you host a big dinner party like your first Thanksgiving."

For that reason, she encourages clients to register for dinner service for at least 12, but 16 is ideal.

Streamline your registry.
"These days, our clients are all about expressing their personal style in their homes," says Shannon Leahy Rosenbaum of Shannon Leahy Events. "They find that many of the big box registries are a little too "one size fits all" for their tastes." As a result, Shannon says many couples are hitting Pinterest for ideas and registering via third-party sites like Zola, My Registry, and Blueprint.

The upside of these vendors is that they pull from multiple vendors, but sort everything in one portal, making it an easy, one-stop shop for guests to purchase gifts from. Eliminating the nuisance of visiting multiple sites and having to submit billing information more than once.

Keep in mind some things may be out of stock if you immediately register but your wedding isn't for more than six months, says Amy Spears, owner of Socials in the South event planning. Be sure to visit and update your registry regularly to avoid out-of-season items, particularly if you have a long engagement.