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Today's brides and grooms are older and more sophisticated than their parents were when they got married in the 60s. Back then, brides provided hot meals and a well- run household for grooms who contributed financial security. Women today can support themselves and men know how to make pasta sauce and iron shirts. Registries reflect these life-style changes. Many stores have re-named the bridal registry calling it a gift or wedding registry. This new name also indicates that the service can be used long after the wedding for birthday's, holidays, anniversaries and other gift-giving occasions. If you're the groom you might be wondering why you should help your fiancée register or what the experience might be like. First of all, you'll be in good company. The majority of today's brides register with their grooms. Most brides want their fiancée's input, after all it's his home, too. Some couples need everything while others may be combining households and want to upgrade kitchen equipment or round out their assortment. Either way, the groom's opinion is important. If the groom is going to use it he should have a say in registering for it. Smart brides know the groom's got good taste - he chose her! Note to brides: Your groom did not grow up holding tea parties with his friends for a crew of Barbie dolls and bears. He is not as likely to have as passionate an interest in choosing the perfect china pattern as you do. Don't expect him to spend more than two hours in the store looking at patterns. Make it easy on both of you, bring home brochures, look at magazines and discuss your tastes before you go to the store. You'll want to whittle down the great wall of china to a manageable three or four patterns before you're ready to visit the store together. But, take heart, if you're like most couples you'll discover that there are many categories that particularly interest the groom:

Plan to do preliminary shopping for all your registry categories. Couples who have spent an entire Saturday trying to register for an entire household's needs are asking for trouble. At the end of the day they'll either hate their choices or worse, each other. Creating a registry is not a life or death decision it can wait a couple of hours or days while you take a break. When either of you is getting cranky it is high time to sit down with a cup of coffee or go home. Never register without making an appointment. Call ahead to discover the off-peak hours and never try to register during a major sale. Call ahead to ask for information about the registry policies so questions can be answered ahead of time. Don't expect to register successfully when you're hungry, angry or tired. Remember you can register for more than china, glass, silver, sheets, towels and cookware. Register for audio equipment, books, CDs, garden equipment and tools, special interest or hobby gear like scuba or camping equipment. How about tickets for sporting or theatrical events? Your only limit is your imagination! Remember to register for gifts in a range of prices so there is a gift for every guest's pocketbook. Remember that some guests might be invited to an engagement party, shower and/or bachelor party as well as your wedding. Be considerate, include items between $25-75 on your wish list. Never enclose a registry list or registry card with your wedding invitation. That's considered very bad manners, instead, rely on family, friends, and attendants to spread the word. It is acceptable, however, to include the store's registry card with a shower invitation. Remember to communicate and if necessary negotiate with your fiancée. He might not care about the comforter cover so you'll choose that and he'll select the steak knives. Learning to combine his tastes and her tastes into your taste takes time. If you can't agree today put the decision off for a couple of days and chalk it up to getting to know each other better. Remember, these are minor decisions not nearly as important as deciding to spend your lives together.