It's no longer about the motif of the china set nor the design of the silverware. It's about tools and home electronics, if the groom has his say.

According to the 2003 Sears Groom Gift Registry Survey released today, 'grooms want to play a big role in the registry process.'

The survey said that 80% of men getting married this year want to pick out items for a gift registry all on their own.

The result is not really surprising. Since the 1960s with the first 'burning of the bra', the women's liberation movement had worked for 'equality of the sexes.'

Forty years later, we are finding out that it was not just the women who had been liberated. Men have been liberated too.

The bridal registry which had been the exclusive domain of women are also attracting grooms who are helping their fiancees determine what gifts they'd most like to receive.

So, what gifts do grooms want to receive?

According to Sears, 'home theatre equipment (31 percent) ranks as the top item guys most want to receive from a gift registry, followed by tools (29 percent) and kitchen appliances (21 percent).

Did we just see 21% for kitchen appliances? Again, this shows that men are more adept in the kitchen than they want to accept.

Of course, with couples marrying later than usual, a bachelor has been 'fending for himself' before he met Ms. Right, hence the kitchen is not a strange place to him.

Brides today also encourage the grooms to take part in the registry process, according to the Sears survey.

"And a whopping 82 percent of grooms report that they get an equal say in the gift selection process. Grooms are taking an interest in all aspects of the bridal registry -- as nearly 75 percent reported personally selecting home fashions like bedding, lamps and rugs."

Men in general is a strong demographic. In a niche market like bridal registry, grooms taking part in the process is good news to everyone involved - the bride, the groom and of course the retailers.

With the 'home theatre equipment (31 percent) ranks as the top item guys most want to receive from a gift registry', the bridal suite just expanded.