One of the most exciting aspects of planning a new life together is picking out the particulars that will grace your new home. For years, selecting colors and patterns of items a soon-to-be-wed couple needed has been done through a bridal registry, a wish list of items that traditionally has focused on china, crystal and silver.

Typically, the registry has been the domain of the department stores where those items are plentiful.

BARRY WILLIAMS /Special (ENLARGE)
Caroline Campbell, left, and her mother-in-law, Mona Campbell, look at items in the wedding registry area of the Rich's-Macy's at Lenox Square store.
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But in the last decade there has been a shift in the scope of the bridal registry. Once exclusively the domain of engaged couples, it has expanded in many stores to be a gift registry, open to anyone who wants to participate.

In addition, gift registries have cropped up in unexpected places — from the Home Depot and Target to REI outdoor equipment stores.

"Registries are a much broader stroke across the retail industry now," said David Tutera, an events planner based in New York City, whose style comments are often heard on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "The Today Show" and "The View."

"Part of that has happened because grooms have gotten involved — something that wasn't done even five years ago. Now when you go into any major department store on a Saturday, it's not just the bride and her mother or the maid of honor picking things out; it's the bride and groom as a team," Tutera added.

Couples also are taking a broader view of items they need. Though the classic china, silver and crystal selections are still important components of the gift list, it's not unusual to find less-traditional items as well.

"When you're setting up a home for the first time, the building blocks aren't the elegant things," said Tutera. "It's the casual ware for everyday use, the serving trays, the candles, the kitchen items, linens and things for the bath. When you think about it, the traditional things are often the items you use the least."

At the Chandlery gift store in Roswell, the gift registry is often heavy on less-traditional items.

"It's the linens, placemats, napkins and glassware people usually go for," said owner Sally Johnson. "In fact, bed and bath items are much bigger than tabletop."

Johnson, who has maintained a registry for about 10 years, said the store's wide assortment of items makes it an attractive place for brides to shop.

"They can come in here and hit every price range," she said. "And their guests can make purchases in person or online and we can keep track of what they have. Then, after the wedding, if they don't get everything they want, we offer them 20 percent off their registry purchases."

The Home Depot, a leader in the hardware and building-supply business, launched an online gift registry this spring, where shoppers can select products from all areas of Home Depot's inventory. The idea came from the number of requests for the service.

"In 2003, we had more than 70,000 searches on our site for registries," said Shelley Nandkeolyar, Home Depot's vice president of interactive marketing. "So we came up with a broad-based registry, not specific to any event, but for weddings, anniversaries, housewarmings or even Father's Day."

So far, Nandkeolyar said the more than 30,000 registry participants are balanced between men and women. Their most-requested item? A power miter saw.

"They're breaking out of the traditional boundaries of what people would have normally registered for," Nandkeolyar said. "And we expect an interest in all products across the whole spectrum of what we sell."

Tutera sees a trend toward couples registering for what he categorizes as "fantasy" items — the luxury gifts a couple would love to have but can't afford.

"We're talking about things like the $2,000 Bacarat vase, the caviar tray or the martini glasses that are $120 a piece," he said. "What we're seeing is four or five people who chip in together and get it. None of us really need this stuff, but it's fun to get it."

Big-ticket items show up on the lists of brides and grooms at Rich's-Macy's, where items from the entire store can be added to the wish list.

"China, crystal and silver are certainly the most common, but we encourage couples to look across all categories," said Karen Paul, the store's bridal marketing and events manager. "They're going for picture frames, toasting flutes, bowls and vases. We even encourage people to register for cosmetics; spa showers are very big now, with guests giving lotions, fragrances and cosmetics."