It’s always exciting to hear about new supplemental wedding registries hitting the market. Today’s guest contributor just so happens to be the founder of one of these companies. His start-up, Foodie Registry, allows couples to register for restaurant gift certificates. We really dig the concept and hope you will to. Take it away, Ben.

Congratulations on getting engaged! You’re the man. Now let me tell you what happens between now and your wedding date. A series of expensive decisions will be made about every single facet of your big day. And while your loving fiancee will seek your input and appear on the surface to run a very democratic decision-making process, in reality your measly opinion will matter very little and, even more importantly, you won’t really care!

Cream linens instead of white? Great! Kelly green instead of emerald for one of your wedding colors? Sure honey! Photobooth instead of portrait photographer? That’s what I was thinking too!

Don’t get me wrong. You should definitely care about your wedding…it will be the best day of your life. It’s just that the little details will matter soooo much more to her than most of them will to you, so you’ll go along to make her happy. Which is exactly what a good guy like you should do.  And, there are some decisions that you will for sure have a distinct position on.

Full bar or just beer and wine? FULL BAR! WE MUST HAVE A FULL BAR!

See what I mean? Another area where you should man up and have a voice is your registries. The reason? Unlike most of the wedding decisions, which are things you have to live with for one blurred, whirlwind day, your registry decides things that are a bit more permanent. Things that will clutter your house or apartment and, if you’re not careful, turn it into a bonified chick pad.

One solution is to make sure you pay close attention what she’s aiming that scan gun at and veto any gross violations, but another is to steer your girl toward registries that are more your speed. Most couples end up with around 3 registries these days. Leave all registry decisions up to her?  Enjoy your new matching pink towels and your new mango pitter.

This is why we’re such big proponents of alternative (to department store) registries. The Man Registry itself offers an awesome selection of unique gifts that appeal both sexes (and some that are just for you!). My company Foodie Registry lets wedding couples register for gift certificates to awesome restaurants. And there are a lot more options, from honeymoon registries to charity registries to adventure registries and more. The main thing is to make sure you research the options, see what appeals, and throw some alternatives in the mix. You’ll be happy you did.

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Ben Reid is co-founder of Foodie Registry, a wedding registry for gift certificates to the best restaurants in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Denver. You can connect further with them on Twitter and Facebook.

Art lover? Looking for a unique wedding registry? Look no further.

We’re happy to help announce  the launch of Contact Fine Art , a select group of photographs from the archives of the Contact Press Images agency, who represents some of the most acclaimed photojournalists of our time. Contact, an international photographic agency founded more than 30 years ago, has covered every Olympics, news event, celebrities and more, and has appeared on the covers of every major media publication and has consistently won some of the most prestigious awards in the industry.

We strongly recommend taking  a moment to look at the incredible array of images over at ContactFineArt.com. You’ll discover just how easy it is to select prints & share your wish list with friends and family!

But wait.. there’s more:

* All professionally printed photographs come in a standard two sizes, but Contact can also customize the print and help you with the measurements.

* All prints are signed by the Photographer and most are limited editions, depending on the artist.

* If someone is looking for a specific image, they’ll even help you locate it from the archives.

* Contact will track the print and update the couple on how many of their guests have contributed.

For the price of one sterling place setting or perhaps two, a couple can register for artwork that will last a lifetime and will always appreciate in value.