Young House Love

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What We Registered For When We Got Married

Q: Hey guys!! I find that I often look to you all on things DIY related, but more often than not, on things life related. I would love to hear items in or around your house that you are so glad you own because it helps with the day to day. I really enjoyed reading about how you saved money with Clara (what items you skipped out on or decided to go back and buy) and how you saved money with your wedding. I am getting married next June and it would be super helpful to hear what things my fiance and I should register for (and what we shouldn’t). You guys are my favorite! – Tyne

A:  Let’s do this. We thought it would actually be fun to search our brains to see if they would even stretch back to 2007 and remember what we got, what we still love, what we regretted asking for, and what we wish we’d asked for. Because friends and relatives can be amazingly generous (and at least in our family really seem to appreciate a list of things you love so they don’t have to guess), so it all comes down to thinking long and hard about what you actually will use and love for the long haul. No pressure, right?

John And Sherry Petersik Wedding Photo

Registry items are definitely one of those personal preference things (some people might love that they registered for formal china, while other folks like us are happy to skip it) but in general we think the key is to know how you live and what you will actually use/need (registering for a Kitchenaid mixer when you don’t cook/bake is probably not the best idea). So try to toss out romantic notions of who you “should be” someday (ex: don’t picture yourself as “a grown up” hosting a giant formal 20 person dinner if this won’t actually happen – not everyone grows up, gets married, and does that).

Instead, try to focus on how you live now and how you realistically think you will continue to live and entertain over the years. Whether you’re a casual couple or are fancy and formal, embrace who you are and think about what you’ll truly use and love. Chances are you’ll still be who you are in a few decades – you might evolve a little, but you probably won’t become a completely different couple with a completely different personality and lifestyle.

Also, trying to choose things that are classic never hurts, just so that if your tastes change over time, you won’t be completely over a bunch of style-specific stuff that you once loved but now loathe. It can be pretty expensive to re-buy everything instead of going with something timeless – and you can always add personality later with inexpensive and easy to switch out items, like patterned cloth napkins, table runners, etc. See? White dishes, clear glasses, and basic silverware can be dressed up a whole bunch of ways:

Holiday Table Setting With Pine Tree And Apples As Placecard Holders

We also learned that it helped whenever possible to choose things that are attractive enough to be left out (ex: a nice stainless steel toaster or blender) because you never know what you’ll leave out for convenience’s sake. So skipping something in a crazy color that might clash with your future kitchen curtains or forgoing something super cheap that you’d never leave out in favor of something that looks a little more elegant is usually the way to go for lazy folks like us who tend to leave the blender out for three weeks after we make smoothies.

But enough chitchat, we thought it would be fun to share a list of the stuff we registered for and still love to this day, a few things that we regret putting on our registry, items that we passed on (and why), and items that we wish we had added to the list. So without further ado…

Kitchen Stuff We Registered For And Still Love:

  • Basic silverware from Crate & Barrel
  • White cloth napkins
  • Basic white dishes that go with everything (we’re still loving that they’re classic and they’re not too precious, so if one breaks we won’t cry for days)
Kitchenware With Married Initials In Glass Fronted Cabinet

  • Good serving bowls and serving ware (three salad/chip bowls, three large platters)
  • Stainless blender & toaster (we also have a griddle)
  • A cute strainer (ours is bright yellow)
  • Chunky wood cutting boards (two, since we leave them out on the counter because they’re charming and use them all the time)
Heart Shaped Measuring Spoons On Cutting Board

  • Simple and small (easy to store) can opener (we didn’t want a giant electric countertop one)
  • Cute clear pepper corn and sea salt grinders (classic, yet kinda fancy since they grind)
  • Basic glass pitcher (we definitely tried to go for timeless basics)
  • Stemless wine glasses (they’re more versatile, so they can also work for oj or smoothies)
Table setting with green napkins and artichokes as placecard holders

House Stuff We Registered For And Still Love:

  • Two Dolce lounge chairs from Target that we still use today (they’re in the guest room of this house)
  • Two basic glass based lamps that lived in our first house’s living room and this house’s bedroom/entryway
  • Organic bed sheet set (in white) and four nice bed pillows and cases
  • Gorgeous large leather photo album that we used for all of our wedding photo strips
  • Fluffy white towels (which we still use to this day, both in our bathroom and the guest bath)
  • West Elm daybed (from John’s way too generous Godmother)
  • West Elm parson’s desk (from my way too generous BFF Cat)
Small corner office with West Elm parsons desk with palm leaf artwork

Stuff We Got And Later Regretted (all our fault – we wish we had chosen more wisely):

  • Hepa filtered vacuum (regret: we registered for a cheap one that didn’t hold up very well, so we later upgraded to a Bissell Helix Bagless Upright)
  • Set of knives in a knife block (regret: again, totally our fault, but we chose a cheap-ish set that we have since had to replace, but our current one is by Paula Deen from HomeGoods and we like it)
  • Basic white mugs (regret: we didn’t think about scale at all, so the set that we got is so small it was sort of like teacups – we’ve since replaced them with larger mugs that actually work for tea and hot chocolate without feeling like you’re at a kid’s tea party)
  • Cordless hand vac (regret: we wish we had done more research before randomly choosing something, since ours bit the dust pretty fast – we later replaced it with a Dirt Devil Kurv)
  • A few basic pots and pans (regret: they weren’t great quality and got scratched and beaten up pretty fast – we later learned about Greenware pots and pans, which are eco-friendly and teflon free, so we asked for them for Christmas in 2009 and have been enjoying them ever since)
Set of pots and pans gifted for wedding registry

Stuff We Passed On (mostly specific kitchen gadgets after we realized we just wouldn’t use ’em):

  • Coffee maker (we’re a tea household, and even when coffee folks stay with us we all go to Starbucks)
  • Kitchenaid mixer (as much as I’d love to buy one in a fun color, it would totally collect dust)
  • Monogrammed towels and robes (we’re not robe people and basic white towels sans monogram did it for us)
  • Espresso machine (same as coffee maker, just wouldn’t get used)
  • Ice cream maker (didn’t think we’d ever use it)
  • Toaster oven (after thinking it through we decided a stainless steel toaster and an oven were all we needed, and five years later we’re still happy without one)
  • Rice cooker (much like the ice cream maker, we just didn’t think we’d use something so specific)
  • Panini press (ditto)
  • Waffle maker (ditto)
  • Martini glasses (ditto)
  • George Foreman grill (ditto)

Stuff We Have Since Bought (if we could turn back time, we’d have registered for these too):

  • Nice set of wood spoons and spatulas for a caddy next to the stove (get things in sets whenever possible, our old ones were all mismatched and later we updated to a matched set and appreciated how much better they looked)
  • Immersion blender (we didn’t miss any other gadgets but we did end up yearning for this one – and we use it often enough to warrant storing it)
  • Cute “Cucina” soap and lotion set from Anthropologie (so charming on the counter in a kitchen or bathroom)
Soap dispenser next to kitchen sink faucet

  • More specific things as rooms evolved and our taste became more clear (ex: green cloth napkins, J & S mugs, metallic holiday glasses, etc)
  • Sonicare toothbrushes (wish we had thought to register for these guys)
  • Two big clear glass containers for cereal, flour, sugar on the counter
  • Clam shell fruit bowl from ZGallerie (it has been our fruit bowl for years)
Close up of granite countertop

I’m sure we forgot a few items (it was five years ago!) but that’s a pretty good idea of what we registered for, what we regretted/replaced, what we skipped, and what we wish we had added. And after compiling that list it made me want to poll some friends and relatives to hear their five favorite registry items (you know, because I’m nosy) so here are their responses. It’s so interesting to see who loves what the most (and it definitely reinforces that knowing what you will love and use is more important than putting too much stock into what works for someone else (like slacker chefs and non-coffee-drinker like us, haha).

  • My BFF Katie: white dishes, white platters, white towels, stainless toaster, and basic silverware
  • My other BFF Cat (you’ve seen her wedding here): basic white towels, a silver goes-with-everything serving platter, everyday dishes (colorful Fiestaware bowls, plates, and serving dishes), a brightly striped ceramic pitcher from Crate & Barrel, and a cute bowl set from Anthropologie.
  • My friend D from All Things G&D: my crockpot, a good set of knives, good pots and pans, an Aerobed (air mattress) and G’s heavy bag (for boxing – it was his “guy” gift from all of his groomsmen).
  • My friend Heather (you’ve seen her wedding here): everyday dishes, a blender, nesting bowls, picture frames, a Rainbow vacuum cleaner. Things I never use: martini glasses, electric knife, cake stand, and ice cream dishes (why did I register for special ice cream dishes when basic bowls work even better?!).
Wedding party with red dresses and bridge and groom

  • My friend Cody: plush white towels, a 9 x 13 baking dish, a throw blanket, a welcome sign wall hanging, and of course white dishes.
  • My friend Kristin (you’ve seen her awesome house here): white everyday dishes, knives/cutlery, small electronics like toaster/hand mixer, serving platters that don’t go out of style (plain but nice), and basic glasses. All boring kitchen stuff! But I have friends who got married 8-10 years ago and registered for trendy everyday ware (in a specific color and style) and are now replacing it all since they no longer like it!
  • My friend Lisa: a nice set of knives, pots and pans, flatware, and an ice cream maker (we’ve been married 13 years, so nearly everything else has been replaced).
  • My brother (who’s officially Doctor Dan, not Almost-Doctor-Dan – woot!): basic towels, a good knife set, simple flatware, a coffee maker, and picture frames.
Wedding ceremony in front of lake

  • My sister-in-law Katie: coffee maker (still going strong after 9 years!), casual dishes, stainless steel silverware, serving dishes that match our casual dishes, Wustof knives (we surely would have put pots and pans on this list but we already had those before we got married, but those are still going strong too).
  • My mother-in-law Kathy: wow- who can remember?! Haha. Crock pot, hand crank ice cream maker, big woven basket that we use as a laundry basket, glass canister set, and a beautiful bowl. We were very practical and did not register for fancy china.

So there you have it. A whole lotta registry loves and a few shoulda-woulda-couldas. What are your favorite registry items? Anything you got that you wish you hadn’t? Or that you later purchased and wished had made it onto your registry? Hindsight is 20/20, huh?

Comments

  2. Kate says

    Wow! This is so great! I am also getting married next June and we have been wondering what we should register for :) You guys are the best!

    Reply

  4. Emily R says

    I’m at an age (33) where most of my friends are now marrying. We are older, we’ve been living on our own for a while. I have a hard time believing you haven’t eaten on a plate, or cooked in a pot during the 10 years between college and marriage. In fact, most of my friends live together and OWN a house together before they got married. I hate being seen as a cash cow who’s sole purpose is to redecorate your home. I know, I’m being Debbie Downer. Believe me, I’ll give a nice gift, most likely cash – but just not a towel, or that pineapple corer you are DYING to get.

    And I know this post isn’t about that, but I’m venting as I have A LOT of weddings coming up in the next few months!

    Reply

    • Abbey says

      I’m surprised that no one has mentioned charity. My husband and I picked three charities that are well-regarded and meaningful to us and suggested that guests donate in lieu of wedding presents. Many guests were delighted with this idea and made donations.

      Of the remainder, my favorite wedding gifts are the items that guests made or picked out for themselves (not off the registry). Every time I pick up a unique vase or use a beautiful serving dish I think of the person who gave it to us and remember how special it was to have her or she at our wedding.

    • Ros says

      From the perspective of someone getting married… we get it from the opposite side, too. “But where are you registered? You HAVE TO register! There’s not enough on your registry! The stuff on your registry doesn’t have a wide enough price range! Why aren’t you registering for *insert thing we don’t use/need/want to store/already have here*, etc, etc, etc…”

      I’m comping to the conclusion that having a wedding = hearing from everyone about everything you’re doing “wrong”.

    • Dina says

      We have a lot of artistic/creative friends, who maybe aren’t so wealthy. So we had a light registry and wrote that we admire our friends’ talents and love handmade gifts above all. We received several paintings, throw pillows, crocheted potholders, handmade stationary, etc. One friend who makes custom frames matted and framed our wedding invitation. My dad’s cousin passed down a lace table doily that my great-aunt made. We definitely appreciate the friends who bought items off our registry, but we really treasure these personal gifts! They’ll never go out of style.

    • Courtney says

      I thought this, too, before I got married. Then I bought a house and got married (in that order), and I realized the purpose of a registry. Sure, I had the basics (I had no need for plates or glasses, for example), but I was still using the towels I had bought when I went off to college, threadbare patches and all. I had one set of sheets that fit our bed. My laptop was almost 10 years old and had a tendency to randomly shut off. :)

      Maybe you’ll feel better if you think about it as helping them upgrade? I am so, so thankful to have a spare set of sheets and plush towels now, and because we registered for them, they’re exactly what we wanted. For people who felt the way you do, we did encourage them to donate to a charity we supported – that was awesome, too! But don’t knock the redecorating. One of my favorite things in our kitchen is a serving platter my aunt gave us for our wedding. It reminds me of her every time I use it.

    • Shona says

      I can understand Emily’s sentiment. My husband and I were thirty-ish when we married and so we both already owned most household basics. My first instinct, in fact, was not to register at all, but nobody to whom I mentioned this idea liked it. The general theme of the responses was, “but I really want to give you guys a gift, and I want to know that I am getting you something you definitely want or need.”

      So we registered, and the items’ prices ranged from $3 to $200, which seemed reasonable to me. We also avoided putting things on there that we already owned, like basic dishware and silverware, or pots and pans. We weren’t youngsters “just starting out”. We were both independent adults, with careers and salaries, and we just didn’t need very much. So any traditional registry items that struck me as a hold-over from the days when people got married at 19 or 20, we passed on.

      What we DID get that I am happy about are items that seemed too luxurious to buy for ourselves, but that we knew we’d use, for example: an excellent knife and block set (I don’t think I truly owned a real knife until I got these!); a breadmaker (my husband loves this thing and uses it all the time, even four years later); a food processor; a Cuisinart griddler, which is a griddle, a grill, and a panini press all in one — after we got it, we got rid of our silly George Foremans (we each had one prior to marrying ;p). Also, we registered for formal China, which I am glad about,though if I had to do it over I would select a different pattern. Less expensive items we got were anti-microbial dishtowels (still use ’em), an apple corer (gets used every. single. day. when I am prepping my toddler’s daily apple), an angled measuring cup, etc.

      What we got that I wish we had not: a set of really fancy, now-I-hate-them guest towels… and that’s probably my only regret.

      To Emily, and anyone else sick of wedding registries, we also got a few handmade items that we absolutely love. I think it is perfectly wonderful to do something like that. I would, however, offer the following caution to those who are planning to BUY something off-registry: make sure it really is special, and not just some random kitchen item. For instance, we got an unsolicited salad spinner, when we already had one, and a punch bowl (ditto). Of course, I appreciated the thought and sent thank-you-notes, but I felt bad that somebody bought us something that will probably never be used. I kept the punch bowl (just in case we have a huge, double-punch-bowl party some day?) and gave the salad spinner away.

    • Heidi says

      Agreed that wedding gift needs change substantially based on how old you are! We just got married and are 33. We really just wanted money (For honeymoon and for big house projects, like new roof and electrical) but under pressure from family members, caved and made a registry. We ended up with so many kitchen items we didn’t need, we took half of the presents back to the store. Maybe we just should have stood our ground and not registered in the first place! It is so different getting married at 33 vs right out of college. We had two full kitchens and houses of stuff to combine!

    • Jen W says

      We also were older when we tied the knot and had many of the things we already needed to set up house together (and in some cases too many things!). We used a site to register for donations to charity and our honeymoon: flights, nights on our cruise from Hawaii to French Polynesia, excursions on the cruise, dinner. It was awesome! We sent out photos of us enjoying the gifts as our thank you’s. I think the smile on our faces swimming with the rays in Bora Bora or cruising at sunset in Raiatea said it all.

  5. Meagan {Green Motherhood} says

    Not sure if anyone said it, but I would totally add Pyrex storage and baking dishes and corningware sets, we use those everyday!
    Great list guys! Also, I second the white dishes, youll never regret them.
    Also, if you’re wondering about China or Crystal, see if anyone in the family has a set that will or could be passed down to you. Then it’s even more special.

    Reply

    • robin @ our semi organiclife says

      Yes! We were given a entire set of family heirloom china from my husbands grandmother. While it’s not exactly what we would have chosen we’re super glad to have it! Just need to get it upacked. It’s been over 2 years.

  6. Sarah says

    I wish we hadn’t registered for things that did the same thing. Did we really need a George Foreman grill, a quesadilla maker, a waffle iron, AND a panini maker? We got all of those and have sold the waffle iron and panini maker at garage sales with maybe one use each.

    The only thing I wish we’d registered for was some large serving dishes – never really thought about where I’d put food after making it!

    The best gift we got was not on the registry, but a HUGE box of spices from Penzey’s Spices as well as The Joy of Cooking. So awesome to be crafty in the kitchen!

    We got more money than tangible gifts, which we really appreciated as I had lost my job a month before our wedding. With the money, we ended up paying bills and buying a kitchen table and a dog. :)

    Reply

  7. Lindsey says

    Some of my favs are the Cuisinart Smartstick immersion blender we got & the melamine multisize bowl set from Crate & Barrel (color sets change every season, so fun!). Probably should have passed on the euro pillows and shams, because we only got half and then needed to spend another $80 to complete the pillow + sham pairings. Probably didn’t need them that bad… :-) If you do your research & you know you’ll use it, I think a floor steamer that suites your needs is as winner too!

    Reply

  8. heather says

    We got a bunch of gift cards since everyone knew we’d be renovating, but we registered for a lot of stuff on Etsy. I did the most registering since Andy didn’t really care (and honestly, we just wanted people there on our day). Some of my favorite pieces were big wooden bowls, a set of ceramic measuring cups from Etsy (use all. the. time) and I honestly can’t remember much else. We didn’t do the home good things mostly because we’re renovating and we didn’t want a ton of stuff that might never go with our new decor. I DEFINITELY recommend going stainless and high-quality though. We got a new all-clad pasta pot that we use all the time, and I know it will last in the long run (my favorite pot/knives = all clad and wusthof…you can find ‘imperfect’ all clad pieces for way cheaper to add to your registry, they might have a knick you’ll never even be able to find on them, I own a few).

    Also, I definitely second Sherry on the emersion blender. Love it!

    My number one (as a kitchen person) french rolling pin. Simple, cheap, easy. Regular rolling pins have no place in my house anymore.

    Reply

  9. Ashleigh says

    Corningware! Cooks beautifully, looks good so it can go straight from the oven to the table, and best of all it cleans up easily!

    Reply

  10. Kelly says

    I may be a weirdo, because even though we did register for our wedding, I felt a little embarrassed knowing that I made a big list of things for people to buy for us. I know it was easier for them but I think it probably comes from my fear of opening gifts in front of people. I also sometimes look at other people’s registries and think..dang..they registered for that?! Does that make me a bad person? :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, it does feel kind of weird and oddly private to share a personalized wish list with all of your friends and relatives! I totally agree. I think John and I debated every last item we put on it since we didn’t want something frivolous and weird to elicit an “they wanted that???” response. Haha. Probably got some of those anyway!

      xo,
      s

    • Bethany says

      ha – I definitely judge people for their registries too. I just can’t comprehend why someone would need 15 different spatulas and a different appliance for every conceivable food you might want to cook.

      I also judged a friend who put $50 pillowcases (50.. for ONE) on her registry, $50 towels, etc.. I mean, REALLY?!

      I full recognize that it makes me a liiiiittle bit of a jerk.

    • Emily R says

      I also think the opening of gifts in front of others is awful! The only times in your life you do that are when you are a child, and about to be a bride. The funny thing is NONE of my friends like this, but everyone keeps doing it. In all honesty, I generally skip a bridal shower. I’ll send a gift, but I don’t want to watch you open it.

    • Lindsey d. says

      Agree. I often think “No way I’m buying them that!” Either something I think is impractical or just a bit odd. John and Sherry, I would NOT have bought you toothbrushes if you had registered for them! Weird!

    • Victoria C says

      In response to the whole “opening gifts” fear, as maid of honor at my best friend’s bridal shower where close to 70 people were invited (omg), I put on the invitation “the bride has requested unwrapped gifts”. I heard there were a few comments about this but most gifts came in cute baskets or clear cellophane thanks to Bed bath & beyond and cute ribbons. The guests were creative and we didn’t spend HOURS unwrapping gifts. Just opened cards and showed off the already visible gifts to acknowledge the guests. Best idea I’ve had!

    • Amanda says

      I pretty uncomfortable with the whole registry thing, since my husband and I lived together before we were married (so we already had stuff to keep a house going). I tried to register for the things that would be super useful, and keep the “pretty” things to a minimum. It also helped that my husband and my mom browbeat me about how much easier it made it on all of the gift givers. Now that I’m going to other people’s weddings, I really appreciate registries – I know that if it’s on the list, then it’s definitely something that they want.

    • Brynn says

      Haha one of my best friends had a Pickle Picker on hers. It was only $2.95, but I made fun of her for it for a while. Just use a fork or your fingers LOL.

    • Emily R says

      Victoria C – why bring the gifts unwrapped? Why have everyone look at them? It just seems so tacky to me.

      I know it is a tradition, and it is a harmless one, but it all stems from when you generally moved from your parents house to your married house. Most people do not do that anymore. And I live in a city, so NONE of my friends did that.

      I think the party aspect is nice, but the gift giving has gotten out of hand. At no other time in your life would you dictate what someone is going to get you as a gift.

      And to those who said they couldn’t wait to get nice dishes and serving ware, because of all the parties you are going to throw, why weren’t you throwing parties BEFORE you got married?

    • Kelly says

      I definitely agree with you – I judge people’s registeries, too! Mostly the completely ridiculous stuff – like a $150 trash can, just because it doesn’t show fingerprints. Expensive stuff is understandable, if it should be expensive, because that allows for people to go in on things together.

    • Alison says

      Not at all. I recently bought a $30 toilet plunger off a registry because it made me laugh. Really? You need to pump your stopped-up toilet with an oil-rubbed bronze plunger? You want your guests thinking about your bathroom habits when buying you gifts? So ridiculous I had to get it. The “Thank You” note was priceless – “Thanks for the plunger – everyone needs one!” Hahahaha.

    • Edie says

      Two of my super nerdy friends requested a life-size reproduction of a battle axe from their favorite video game (yay amazon having a registry!). They got it too!

    • Whitney says

      Emily R – I was one of those that was super excited to get china and serving dishes for parties. We didn’t have parties before because my husband and I didn’t believe in living together before we were married, and married young. So we kind of graduated college, then got married and moved in together, and then bought a house. We didn’t really have a chance to start individual lives before we were married. So we needed just about everything – I didn’t even own a single spatula! Everyone makes different choices and while we are thrilled with how we started our life together, everyone does it differently. It’s all about knowing what is going to work for you when you register.

    • Emily says

      Whitney – I get that you guys did it differently, and I respect that. However, ALL of the weddings I have gone to were for people who were well established, and mostly living together like myself.

      I have a hard time belieiving that my friends were living with one set of sheets for ten years in the hopes that they could one day register for new ones. Or holding on to that college duvet, because one day someone would buy them a new one!

      If you were young and moved from home to your married house, than the idea of a registry still fits you, but where I live, that is very much the exception to the rule.

      What I don’t understand is being in your 30s and waiting for a registry to get what you want. I see things that I want, I save up for them, and buy them because I know I will enjoy them. Apparently I am the exception to the rule.

  11. Nicole Hyatt says

    Great question! My mom has these stainless steel cookie sheets she got when she married (42 years ago) and they still are awesome! Nothing sticks, you can use metal utensils and they never scratch and now we all know they also don’t have the harmful Teflon coatings! I wish could find the same thing!

    Reply

    • Ros says

      Based on my mom’s kitchen, Chicago bakeware is basically that – love them so much!

    • Brenda says

      I got mine at a restaurant supply company 25 years ago. They are called jelly roll pans. They are very heavy and are still very shiny because I use SOS pads on them from time to time.

  12. Megan B says

    I completely agree with your advice, particularly the bit about thinking about who you are now not who you think you should be when you’re ‘grown up.’ We registered for red wine glasses, white wine glasses and martini glasses (I had images of dinner parties with fancy desserts served in martini glasses, and then we had kids….) and 8 years later we could probably get rid of all of them. My husband doesn’t drink, and we probably serve friends wine once a year. I’m thinking about selling them all and just investing in a small set of stemless glasses instead.
    Some of our relatives bought us a whole set of sterling silver serving dishes, and we have never used them either. It was a lovely thought, but they’re not our style and we had already registered for basic white serving dishes which we DO use. That’s when a gift receipt would have been wonderful!
    The one thing I bought later was an ice bucket! We use it every single time we have people over, and for some reason it never occurred to me to register for one.

    Reply

  14. Allyn says

    I think our favorites would be our french press, our burr coffee grinder (obviously coffee is a priority haha), our duvet cover/shams,some nesting plastic mixing bowls from williams-sonoma (seriously use almost daily), and our good set of steak knives. Honorable mention goes to my grandmother who bought us a “salt hog” which wasn’t on our list. It’s basically a clay open mouth container to keep your salt in so you can easily grab a big pinch. Since we cook with sea salt, it has become one of my favorites and such a sweet reminder of her.

    Reply

  15. Linda says

    “What are your favorite registry items?” – Our favorite would be this flatware set that we got. We wanted it to be unique/cool enough to look good on a “fancy” table, but nothing we’d feel bad using daily. http://www.amazon.com/Gourmet-Settings-20-Piece-Flatware-Service/dp/B0000C1E8B/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t

    “Anything you got that you wish you hadn’t?” – Hot pink towels. Yeeeah, I don’t know what we were thinking either.

    “Or that you later purchased and wished had made it onto your registry?” – A Keurig coffeemaker! Unlike you guys, we are SEVERE coffee people, and this thing has saved my life on more than one occasion. :)

    Reply

  16. Rebecca @This Nest is Best says

    When we went to register for our white dinnerware from Macy’s (The Cellar line), we realized that they were clearancing out last year’s dishes, so we ended up just buying them ourselves! We didn’t want to think of our family buying them full price when we could get them at such a discount. lol But, I totally love them to this day!

    Reply

  17. Lauren says

    Hindsight is definitely 20/20! Could you possibly share how you keep your white towels and sheets crisp and white?! My bath towels are fine, but hand towels and wash clothes just look “dull”. Same with pillowcases! It drives me nuts!

    Reply

  18. Alie says

    One piece of advice that I’d give any newly-wed is to keep your registry list (forever)!!! We’ve moved around so much (military) that it seems that during every move, something from our registry is broken/scratched/bent etc., it’s been so easy to file a claim because we know the name, serial or model number, price of an item.

    Reply

    • Heather says

      That is great advice! We’re military too, and about to PCS for the first time. I saved a copy in my wedding planning binder, but I think I’ll scan it to myself as a back up.

  19. Carolyn @HealthKitten.com says

    Two things I never regretted registering for (and were gifted by those same overly generous family and friends):

    1. All Clad stainless steel pots & pans set. It has a huge stew pot, a smaller stew pot, two different sized saucepans and two different sized frypans (and lids). Expensive, but I use one (or more) of those pans daily.

    2. Dyson Animal vacuum cleaner. Again, it’s expensive (new ones are just shy of $600), but with three cats it’s the best damn vacuum money can buy. And I’ve had it for 10 years now with little to no maintenance aside from the HEPA filter washing. Well worth it, IMO.

    To add: don’t be afraid to register for unusual items! I had friends who just bought a house prior to their wedding and they registered at Home Depot for a bunch of tools and equipment. I thought it was awesome! Another set of outdoorsy friends registered at REI for camping and climbing equipment.

    Great article!

    Reply

    • Kristine B says

      We registered at Fleet Farm as I already owned a home. Some people thought it was odd but most thought it was a great idea.

    • Amanda says

      We’re registered for the All Clad pots! My parents got a set about 12 years ago and they are still in perfect condition! Stainless steel, made in the USA, last forever, beautiful- what more could you as for?

    • heather says

      I’m glad to read about the animal vacuum! With two dogs I’ve been eyeing it for a long time. Perhaps it will be in our future once the house is finished. We’ve been using a heavy duty shop vac as our regular one for years haha. It works but…ya know.

      Also – I am 110% on board with the allclad. It’s amazing stuff. You can also use barkeepers friend to keep it shiny. Mine certainly aren’t totally shiny anymore but I love them and they get used daily if not multiple pots daily! You can get irregulars here: http://www.cookwarenmore.com/ also, I think they have a sale on the irregulars twice a year, so keep your eye out!

    • Andrea says

      We already have a house and are mostly happy with our household stock of items. However, we are going to be moving not too long after we get married (maybe a year) and we will have to replace our flooring first. Do you think it would be odd to register at Lowe’s for laminate flooring and carpet? I’m not even sure if that’s possible!

      We also have 7 cats and regularly do temporary fostering for our animal shelter. Do you think it would be okay to ask for giftcards to Petco? I don’t think it’s possible to register for cat litter and cat food! This is one of our biggest expenses and would be a huge help to us!

    • YoungHouseLove says

      It sounds like many people here are saying to register at places that meet your lifestyle (ex: REI, etc) so I think a gift card to Petco could be cute! Folks might not want to buy cat food, though. Haha. But a card = cool beans!

      xo,
      s

  20. Laura says

    Very helpful list. I just moved and got rid of all of my college-days stuff, so it’s time to save and buy nice things in the next year or two. It’s funny the things that keep popping up on the lists your friends compiled: white non-fancy china and knives, etc.

    (One tiny thing: Link to Katie Bower’s site is bad. Which made me think, wouldn’t it be fun to have a cute “whoop’s 404 error” page on your site. With a funny picture maybe? It’s not hard to make those actually and it would be a hoot for readers who stumble on it.)

    Reply

  21. Annemarie L says

    This is a great post! I just got married in April so we’ll see what ends up being useful in the long run.

    Reply

  22. harmony says

    My husband and i both had our own households before we moved in together and then lived together for nearly 3 years before getting married so we didnt really need much. A few nice frames, some great towels and my sister did a photo thing of his family and mine in a giant frame, which i loved. otherwise we just asked that our family, if they wished, contribute to our honeymoon and house fund.
    Things i would have registered for as i use them so much?

    Toaster oven. its large enough for a muffin tin and living in FL its better then heating the whole house with the oven just to make some fries or bake two peices of chicken for dinner.
    Nice knives. We still keep meaning to buy some really good ones as ours are all old and startring to fall appart.
    Our towels are soft and quick dry, which are great and we want more of them
    Our Ninja Blender. It blends and has other great setings and i use it weekly.

    Reply

  23. katie says

    We’re also so glad we chose simple white dishes and serving ware. We also love a few silver platters we received (not registry items) and our flatware. I love my beautiful and functional Columbian press coffee maker, especially when the hubs makes me coffee while I’m still sleeping ;). We didn’t register for a crockpot but received one anyway and we use it all the time.

    Probably our favorite item is a le creuset grill pan and panini press that we also use for steak, fish, chicken, grilled veggies, etc – we LOVE it. We were on the fence about scanning it because it was so pricey but it’s used at least weekly and we always comment that we’re so thankful to have it.

    I guess I’d suggest considering what types of items will make your life easier or more fun on a regular basis.

    Reply

  24. Caroline says

    Very helpful!

    I wish we had registered for a good vaccum cleaner. I used money from gifts to buy a Dirt Devil Pet Vac that stopped being cool/good after the first year. I’m ogling a Dyson canister as I type.

    Things I regret registering for: a coffee bean grinder and mini food processor. I was looking at these the other day, taking up space, and thinking that I should sell them on Craig’s List because I used them maybe once in 4 years.

    Things to definitely register for: good sheets and towels. They’re expensive. Trust me.

    Reply

  25. Haley says

    We didn’t register for anything since we had a destination wedding–we truly felt anyone just showing up was a gift! BUT some people actually got angry with us for not having one! my mom just started telling relatives to donate to our honeymoon–which was definitely appreciated! We really didn’t need anything–we are total foodies and had already stocked our kitchen with stuff when we needed it (and we reached saturation pretty fast).

    One quick question though–where do you get such a big bottle of Meyer soap????? I can only find the little ones!

    Reply

  26. Karen says

    I ended up registering for a flowery-fruity set of dishes which was totally not me, but I kind of got talked into it by a certain mother of mine. Totally regret that. On my 40th birthday, I finally decided to dump the plates and get some nice white ones from Crate and Barrel, which I love. Not surprisingly, my mother decided to take the other dishes! Now we’re all happy.

    Reply

  27. Jessica says

    Here’s a fun tip: We got married before we bought a house. So, I saved two HUGE boxes of my bridal shower gifts for when we bought our house and moved in a year later. Even though we had plates, glasses, silverware, etc., it was SO NICE to have brand new of these items, plus other items that we could live without for a year, to unpack and use in our new house when we couldn’t just go out and splurge on new things because we had just bought.a.house. It took some willpower, but it was totally awesome to put brand new plates, etc. in our new-to-us house.

    Reply

  28. Debbie says

    My favorite wedding gifts were tupperware (SO USEFUL) and formal china. We use the china pretty often and enjoy it. I realize not everyone does though.

    Reply

  29. Kristen in Hawaii says

    I love this post (maybe because we’re getting married next month and I’ve very much been enjoying living in Registryville this past year). We went with basic white dishes and nice flatware from Crate & Barrel, lots of versatile serving pieces, and a bunch o’ All Clad and Le Creuset cookware because it lasts FOREVER. My parents are still using their Le Creuset that they received as wedding gifts 39 years ago!

    And because we entertain frequently and love setting a fab (and fancy) table, we registered for platinum banded china and mixed it up with accents and serving pieces in complementary-but-different patterns.

    Also, we did register for some fancy barware/glasses, due to the abovementioned frequent entertaining and the fact that we actually own a bar to serve from — a Craigslist find that we refinished, of course :)

    Our wedding hasn’t even happened yet and I’ll fully admit to throwing a faux tea party with my mom just so we could set a table and play with everything.

    Reply

    • Anna-Lisa says

      Seconding the Le Creuset! I didn’t register for it because it’s so expensive, but we’re actually making a tradition of buying a pan every year on our anniversary until we have a set. (We have an enameled cast iron skillet that actually belonged to my husband great-grandma, so we know it’ll last forever!)

    • meganleiann says

      Brilliant! Le Creuset is the best! It never chips. I wish I had registered for it. My MIL bought me a large Dutch oven for Christmas 2 years ago and I use it 4-5 x a week. I even make oatmeal in it because it is so easy to clean.

    • Wendy says

      Agree on Le Creuset.

      I worked at an outlet and store employees get a HUGE discount. We have 2 full cabinents full of stuff, and would have more, but I sold a bunch to pay off student loans.

      My husband swears by his Lodge which is very good and practical. I baby my stuff and he gets it or humors me.

  30. Erin says

    We still love our white dishes. The only thing I wish I could change is I would have registered for a BIGGER Kitchenaid mixer. I really like to cook and bake and my family is so big, when I’m making cookies I usually have to do a double batch. It all won’t fit in my small mixer so I end up mixing two batches separately. Oh well, live and learn, right?

    Reply

  31. Jamie says

    My most used registry gift: Brita pitcher. Most un-used? Fancy China. It’s white with a gold rim, so I’m thinking about getting rid of my every day dishes and just using the china.

    Reply

  32. Devon @ Green House, Good Life says

    I agree with everything you’ve said…BUT I would add that, for anyone who thinks they would use an ice cream maker, I would totally recommend it! We use ours several times a year (especially in the summer) and have stopped buying ice cream at the grocery store. If we want to eat ice cream, we have to make it ourselves, so we indulge in moderation…oh, and we use tiny serving dishes (they hold about one scoop), so a batch lasts a while, too. It’s easy to make and sooooo gooooood.

    Reply

  34. Natalie says

    OOOO EMMMMM GGGGEEEEE….
    So, guys, I just clicked on “we’re digging” and looked at the cute little sandwich bag on Amazon.com…. AND saw across the bottom of the screen… “people who viewed this…” and caught a glimpse of your B*O*O*K…. holy crap, guys, it’s real… I mean I knew it was REAL… but I can’t believe it… I am so proud for you guys, and just felt a little “startstruck” when I saw it, been following the blog for SO LONG (even before you changed the name of the blog)… I feel like y’all are family… Constantly saying, “well my young house love peeps say…. this or this, or this….”
    Forgive me for my excitement… as it relates NOTHING to this particular post, I am just so excited for you all. THANKS for being my favorite place to go on the whole “internets” :)
    WAY.TO.GO.
    Love, Natalie in Oklahoma.

    Reply

  35. Christina says

    Love my Fiestaware. I have it in all different colors which was a good thing. I change my mind with the wind when it comes to color combos so this is just easier ;-)
    Totally didn’t need the Roomba or Scooba (both broke :( ).
    Should have registered for a convection oven/ toaster. We get a lot of mileage out of ours, especially in summer when I don’t feel like going near our real oven.

    And I hate to go all caps on you but: REGISTER FOR LOTS OF GOOD QUALITY TOWELS. We did, but then a scary yet wonderful surprise happened– two different people bought us towels on the same day at different stores and the registry didn’t update in time leading to double what we originally asked for. I could have brought them back but we opted to keep all of them because my mom said “You’ll always need towels”. We’ll be married 5 years in September and I haven’t bought a towel yet aside from beach towels ;-)

    Reply

  36. Kristie says

    Though it’s been 15 years, I remember choosing my registry items like it was yesterday. Apparently, I had a thing for glasses back then, and registered (and received) every kind imaginable. Wine glasses (red and white), pilsner glasses, beer mugs, margarita glasses, rocks glasses, beer mugs, martini glasses, vodka glasses, fountain glasses, champagne flutes (I literally have 100 of theses, don’t ask), Irish coffee mugs. You name it, I have it. While I love pulling out the perfect glass for any drink, I use most of them about as frequently as leap year comes around and there are some that I have never ever used (see vodka glasses). Probably should have just registered for a lifetime supply of Red Solo Cups. Cheers!

    Reply

  37. Larissa says

    My favourite item we registered for, and the only appliance, is our waffle maker. We use it about once a week, and when our family grows, we plan on having waffle Saturdays!

    Another thing I love is all my Tupperware! My sister threw me a Tupperware shower, and I am so grateful for that. The stuff lasts a lifetime and is so practical. I would wish one upon anybody. It is my go to wedding gift for others.

    Reply

  39. Anna-Lisa says

    My best advice would be to actually look at the stuff you’re registering for in the store. I just registered online and the friend who bought me towels got us a different set (in the same color) because she said the set we had originally registered for wasn’t very nice quality… so sweet of her to pay attention to that for us! Also, don’t assume because you’ve heard of the brand that all their products will be good. When I registered for my kitchenaid mixer I also decided I wanted the matching mixer, toaster, and food processor. The mixer is fantastic but the rest of them are plastic, not metal, and just not as heavy-duty (but still expensive). If I’d been registering in the store and actually gotten a chance to look at them I might have chosen something else.

    Reply

  40. Karen F says

    So, I’ve been married 15 years, and I would have done a LOT of things differently! I lived with my parents up until I got married, so it was hard to know what I would/wouldn’t use. If I had to do it over again, I definitely WOULD NOT have registered for fancy china, silverware and wine glasses that we never, ever use (but would feel guilty actually getting rid of). We also registered for a cheap vacuum that bit the dust. I really think your list is a good one – just simple, basic things. I also now have a rule that I try to stick to, that I don’t purchase a kitchen appliance that does only one thing (such as a panini maker or something like that).

    My friends and I joke that we should get to have a bridal shower every 10-15 years so we can take turns replacing all our old stuff!

    Reply

  41. Evie J. says

    My favorite from our registry has totally been our Crate and Barrel dishes (classic white) and silverware (super basic, hefty so they don’t bend and warp with use). We also got a lovely wood salad bowl set that can be used for all different serving things… looks great with the white! I have to say though, while a rice cooker and ice cream maker were things we bought later, MAN do we use them. I make rice maybe 3-4 days a week (we’re a gluten-free household, so maybe we love our asian food more than the next guy?) and I absolutely LOVE making ice cream as a treat from time to time instead of buying the old quart at the store. Maybe not a must, but I really encourage a little rice cooker!

    Reply

  42. Casey @ wafflingdesign says

    While we are on the subject of asking you questions…have you had those swatches on ur house for all these months now and aren’t painting??

    haha

    I wish I could register. I bought a house well before marriage (still no sign of that man yet)…so I bet when it comes to it I wont need to register for anything!

    For my best friends wedding, my dad bought her a chainsaw. Apparently thats what they registered for! I told him, if knives are bad luck, im pretty sure a chainsaw should be out” :P

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We actually had to paint over them with the original house color since we had to shoot some door shots for the book and had to hide them! Haha. So at least there aren’t a bunch of gray swatches out there! I think the neighbors are relieved.

      xo,
      s

  43. Susanne says

    We were very careful about what we registered for. Top five things we registered for that I love: our Mikasa dishes in the Pure Red pattern, Oneida silverware, a big white platter, the KitchenAid mixer, and the KitchenAid ice cream maker.

    What I wouldn’t have registered for: a turkey roasting pan. We just don’t use it.

    My other tip for specialty kitchen items, if you have family or close friends that live nearby is to divide and conquer rarely used items. For example, my SIL and I have a Bundt pan that we share. And I share my ice cream attachment with her. My MIL has one of those fancy glass drink dispensers and we share it among the three of us.

    Reply

    • megan e. says

      Agreed on the sharing of rarely used items! Some of my super-organized friends put together a spreadsheet of items anyone from the group can borrow: unique tools, pop up shade tents, drink dispensers, folding tables/chairs, etc. Always a nice reference when you’re having a party or in the middle of a DIY project gone wrong.

  44. Jess J. says

    As a lover of all things coffee… might I suggest investing in a frenchpress. Then you can make coffee for guests when need be (need to have a little coffee on hand as well) but is great for a pinch! Post-dinner/dessert coffee when you have dinner parties. I’m a self-admitted coffee snob, so I have my trusty Bunn drip coffee maker for weekdays, as well as a french press we use for Sunday mornings (using a tea kettle to make the hot water -you have that!) It’s the best tasting coffee out there and does not take up much space at all to store. Amazon or even a thrift store might have one… OR put on your facebook you’re looking for one and someone might give you one. You can even buy ‘smallish sized ones’. So cute when you bring that out with your dessert on tray! :)

    Reply

    • Megan Circelli says

      When we bought all of our windows at our old house, Home Depot threw in a small appliance that you got to choose. We chose a coffee maker and my inlaws use it every time they come. We don’t drink coffee but it saves running out to Tim Horton’s every twice a day!

    • Amanda says

      Seconding the French press love.

      My husband and I use French presses every day for our coffee. In addition to not taking up much space, they look nice, so I have them out on open shelving.

  45. Joanna says

    My favorite registry gifts are my LeCreuset dutch oven and our formal china. Both were splurges that will last a lifetime. I know not everyone will use china, but we use ours every Sunday and when we have friends over, and it’s the only thing on a registry that has heirloom potential. Plus we’d never have treated ourselves to it otherwise!

    Reply

  46. Joanna says

    P.S. Our regrets are one-use specific items (rice cooker, pizza stone, etc). We don’t use them enough to justify the storage space.

    Reply

    • Jodi says

      You can use your pizza stone to bake cookies, biscuits, pastries, even round loaf breads – it makes everything rise really nicely and no burned bottoms – just a thought to make it less one-note!

    • Melinda says

      You can also use a rice cooker for different things! You can make bread, cake, even tofu in a rice cooker! Maybe not the most practical item for non-Asians though….

  47. Jess @ Little House. Big Heart. says

    I was very specific on what I wanted so most of what we registered for we love (especially our white bone china– classic, durable, and goes with everything).

    I’d have to say thought that Kevin’s “Man registry” was one of the best things we did. Having just bought the Little House a month before we got married, we were in desperate need of the basic tools necessary for homeownership. Being registered at Sears for tools for Kev not only helped us build up our tool arsonal, but helped him feel much more included in the wedding gift process (since not everything was Henkel knives and Kitchenaid mixers).

    Reply

  48. Emily says

    We got married last October, and as we approach the one-year mark we really do use almost everything we registered for. My best tips:
    – Subscribe to consumerreports.org for the few months you are dealing with the registry and then cancel it. Worth $6/mo to know whats up.
    – A good-but-not-Dyson vacuum (ours is as well rated as most Dysons and several hundred dollars cheaper).
    – We did Fiestaware for everyday and solid white (with some texture) china that is moderately priced as china goes and dishwasher safe. We use both!
    – Good quality, but not chef quality, cookware. No need for All-Clad if you’re not a professional! Ours is Calphalon Contemporary.
    – Splurge on the bedding/linens… we LOVE our bed!

    Reply

    • Emily says

      Oooh and I agree with other commenters on throwing deep with your flatware. We got some Oneida that we love, use constantly and mix with both our everyday dishes and china.

  49. Brenda says

    Congrats, Dr. Dan!

    I love the idea of simple dishes. I have my own studio apartment, and lots of my dishes are from my mom or from college. I have a set of glass hexagonal plates and bowls that I love because they’re simple and go with everything.

    Reply

  50. Nicole says

    Since I put marriage off and had a pretty established home as far as dishes, towels, etc., my husband and I included some nontraditional items. In addition to the traditional housewares you suggest, I would also suggest including a few board games or perhaps Wii games (whatever fits you). One of the best gifts we received was the Super Deluxe Edition of Scrabble.

    Reply

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