The bridal shopping site

Marking the start of the wedding season, June is a fitting time for the launch of online wedding-gift registry Della & James, the latest bridal shopping site to march down the aisle. The San Francisco-based company opened for business Wednesday - two days earlier than anticipated - after signing up national retailers including Crate & Barrel, Dillard_s, Neiman Marcus, REI and Williams-Sonoma (WSM). Unlike competitors that work directly with manufacturers and wholesalers, Della & James is positioning itself as an extension of retailers_ existing wedding-gift services, by some estimates a $17 billion annual market. Engaged couples can register for gifts in stores or online, and guests can visit the Web site to see composite gift lists and make purchases. The site is also constructed so shoppers can buy items for themselves, putting it in competition with traditional gift sites such as 911gifts.com.Retailers will handle their own fulfillment and delivery, and pay Della & James undisclosed sales commissions, said Rebecca Patton, a former E-Trade VP who took over as CEO of the online gift registry in January...