(From DCist contributor Colleen Egan)

For an engaged couple, their upcoming wedding brings thoughts of unity: a merging of lives, families, DVD collections. But for a frequent wedding guest, the pending nuptials can spark a bout of separation anxiety. Separating with your cash, that is. From plane fares to rental cars to hotel rooms, the wedding gift might be the only purchase of which you have control. DCist perused the area to find shops with gift options that are easy on your wallet and your mind (i.e. you won’t hate yourself in the morning for buying a breadmaker).

License and Registry: While the concept of a wedding registry may seem tackier than a cash bar at a reception, it’s an easy way to atain a gift the couple is sure to like. They asked for it, after all. Market Common Clarendon is a veritable registry row — home to couple-friendly stores such as Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma. DCist suggests buying a gift certificate to a store where the couple is registered, especially if you are flying to the wedding. Not only will it free up some room in your carry-on, but it will give the couple more bang (or bath mat) for your buck, as some stores, such as Pottery Barn, give couples a discount on remaining registry items after the wedding.

Does a registry feel impersonal? You COULD buck the system.