While the venerable bridal registry is still alive and kicking at Bloomingdale’s, Crate & Barrel, and other department and specialty stores, a spate of new-wave registries has also sprung up. On- and off-line, couples are now requesting gifts like airline tickets, power tools, or charity donations in lieu of the traditional china and crystal. With all the registry options available today, there’s every reason to think long and hard about what you and your fiancé really crave—and to request your hearts’ desire. Your nearest and dearest will thank you for it. Now let the unwrapping begin.

Design a luxurious international honeymoon with artisansofleisure.com, an online travel agency, confirming with a $1,000 deposit. Invite friends and family to treat you to airfare, hotels, or frills like a side-by-side massage in Thailand or a picnic for two at a Roman ruin. Typically two weeks at $6,500 per person plus airfare, most newlyweds have headed toward Australia, Thailand, Bali, or Italy since this registry opened in 2004. All planning and contributions are handled by phone (800-214-8144). According to associate director John McGee, “Our well-traveled young agents, some who honeymooned recently themselves, put together luxury trips for couples who have it all.”

Introduced in 2004, the NewlyNester service at Greenbaum Interiors is the first decorating registry for New Jersey newlyweds. For $500, an interior designer visits your home, giving you a master plan plus $250 to spend at Greenbaum’s. Your guests then jump-start your new décor with a chair or curtains from your wish list. According to Susan Greenbaum Gross, “People enter a marriage today with favorite furnishings left over from their single days. We help them integrate these things as they build their new nest together.” To register, call her or Ellen Greenbaum at 973-279-3000. Shop in person or via phone at 101 Washington Street, Paterson, 973-279-3000; or 1105 Mt. Kimble Avenue/Route 202, Morristown, 973-425-5500.

Friends and family can treat you to a miter saw, power washer, barbecue grill, or any of the 9,000 other tools and household items at Home Depot's online registry—homedepot.com. In just five minutes, you can create a free, password-protected registry. Friends and relations can shop by price or category, dress their gifts up with a card and box, and have them shipped. You can also be notified as gifts are purchased. This online service does not cross over to Home Depot retail stores; gifts are mailed out and returns must be mailed back. This site features a no-nonsense format consistent with the hardware giant.