Gift Registries?

So how are the rest of you doing this?

We're marrying in the US and moving to the UK.

My dad suggested that we should just have people give us money, not gifts -- which I feel a little weird about... but maybe there is a good way to go about this... it IS the most pratical, but like I said... I feel a little greedy just asking for money.

My fiance thinks we should register with UK companies only... but what does that do for the folks here in the US - especially since most of those attending the wedding are from the US.  I guess we could ask for vouchers.

So how have you handled this situation?  What do you suggest?

We registered at John Lewis - they automatically put your list up online so that people don't have to come into the store for it, so that's how US people are getting us stuff. The trouble with the money idea (and this is gonna sound SO petty, but I'm gonna say it anyway) is the exchange rate - someone gives you $20 (or whatever) and you end up with £10 which at the end of the day might buy you one plate. LOL.

A few people are insisting on sending presents for that "personal touch" but I haven't figured out how to deal with customs on that - if just marking it as a gift is enough to keep us having to pay taxes on it or if I need to tell them to put down a certain value (which seems tacky for me to have to do!!)

One thing you should know if you do register in the UK is that it doesn't work the same where the gift list stays open for a year. Your list opens on a certain day and closes (if I am recalling correctly) 3 weeks after the wedding and they then ship all of your gifts to you at once. That's been an issue for us as no one in the US is prepared for the 3 week after thing - and my mom obviously can't send out announcements (we're having a ceremony on our own in the UK) until the wedding happens!