You’ve got the matching towels. You’ve got the dishes, the wine glasses, and the bed sheets. In fact, you’ve got everything you need. You could register for the waffle maker you’ll use once a year, or the ice cream maker that you’ll sell at a yard sale five years from now. Or what about the espresso maker that would look so pretty on your counter top?

What’s a bride-to-be to do when she’s already got all of the essentials?

Everyone loves gifts, and although it’s taboo to come right out and ask for them for your wedding day, they are as synonymous with weddings as the cutting of the cake.

Most couples register at a favourite store, but given the fact that more than half of couples live together prior to ‘saying I do’ , more and more couples are turning to alternative gift registries.

Here are just a few alternative online gift registries that are worthwhile checking out:

http://www.honeyfund.com– If you’re like most couples, you’ll probably go on a honeymoon. Does the thought of your guests helping to foot the bill for your getaway sound enticing? There are numerous honeymoon registries online, but most charge a fee. Honeyfund.com, on the other hand, does not charge a fee. It’s free to sign up, and your guests can contribute using Paypal or by credit card. When you create an account, you can itemize your honeymoon wishes and have them contribute to everything from massages at your destination, to airfare and accommodations.

http://www.ourwishingwell.com– Are you saving up for a new car? A house? What about a kitchen renovation? Maybe you and your sweetie would simply like a dinner for two at your favourite restaurant. Ourwishingwell.com lets you create a registry that allows you to list whatever you want – even experiences you’d like to share. Your guests sign up with a free account and contribute cash towards the gift of their choice. There is no fee to create a registry. However, the website says it takes less than 1 percent for each transaction. Your guests have several options when contributing. They can use a credit card, Paypal, cheque, money order, or bank transfer.

http://www.justgive.org If you feel like you have all you need and you want to use your wedding as a time to give back, why not sign up for a charitable registry? Couples who sign up at http://www.justgive.org can choose from over one million charitable organizations. Simply have wedding guests donate to the charity of your choice in leiu of wedding gifts. Talk about a feel good gift!

www.myregistry.com – Maybe you’d love a handmade gift from one of the thousands of Etsy artists on www.etsy.com? Or maybe you’ve seen something else online (or offline) that’s caught your eye. When you sign up for myregistry.com you can set up an online gift registry with items from any store you want. And it’s free to join.