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?
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:
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)
- 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)
- 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)
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)
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)
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)
- 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)
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?!).
- 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.
- 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?
dana828 says
We will celebrate our 13th anniversary at the end of August, and I totally want a do-over on the whole registry thing! Things I regret the most: our now-outdated dishes w/ a blue & green leaf pattern. Ugh. I honestly don’t even remember most of what we registered for and received, though I do know I wish we had registered for much more practical, timeless stuff! The only thing I’m really glad we registered for was a KitchenAid mixer…though I wish I hadn’t chosen yellow. But at least it still works (I don’t know what I’d do without it!), and I can store it in the cupboard so I don’t have to look at it every day!
Erin says
One of my favorite registry items was a set of stacking ceramic bowls from Crate & Barrel. I also loved a $15 kit of OXO tongs, spatula and bowl scraper – it sounds so simple, but I use all of it every day! And although we don’t use it all the time I really love the serveware we got – wooden, glass, metal platters and bowls, mostly from Crate & Barrel.
I regret almost all of the sheets/towels we registered for.
Jennifer says
We combined our two apartments when we got married. Who needed anything?! We had double of everything we needed. We went through everything, kept the better one of the doubles and sold everything else in a garage sale. When we said we weren’t registering and that we just wanted people to be a part of the day (so many people had to travel in for the day, we didn’t want them spending even more on a gift) they wouldn’t hear talk of it. So we registered for a great honeymoon and sent thank you cards telling them how thankful we were that we could have the experience.
gina says
Wedding Registry….. Gift Registry…. What is that?
I am sitting here, reading yours and everyone’s little gifty’s list, what yall got, what yall loved, and what you hated… and I am thinking… I would have loved what yall hated… because when I got married.. I got nothing…I would have loved to get a set of towels, or even a mustard coloured paper clip.
And don’t even get me started on Baby shower… lol really, what IS a baby shower?
You and John are the luckiest people.. you both have loving, caring, Supportive families… and I can only assume that when you are blessed.. and or have always had a ‘great’ life.. that it is sooo easy to forget, or even think that somebody else has nothing..
I am not trying to make anyone feel bad, I am just astonished at all the gifts, and some folks who are actually complaining about something. I just know for me, I would have been happy just to get a used set of glass ware.
Love yall, and your blog.. but please don’t forget about the small people.
hugs
gina
YoungHouseLove says
Oh Gina, hugs right back! We definitely tried to make it clear that we feel very blessed and grateful for our generous family and friends, all of whom showed us so much love. So sorry if that didn’t come through for you! Many folks have mentioned here in the comments how they also asked their relatives to give money to charities and we think that’s an awesome idea! We donated some of the cash that we got to charity that’s dear to our hearts after the wedding, and also paid for some relatives’ hotels who came to visit for the wedding and couldn’t afford it. It’s definitely not all about receiving, but sometimes for a big event like that it can be a tradition (depending on where you live, and how things go in your family) for people to ask you to make a list, so that was something we did (we put it off for a while and got countless calls and emails from friends and family telling us to get on it!). Hope that makes sense.
xo,
s
Dusty @All Things G&D says
Love this post Sherry! Registering for Sonicares is a GREAT idea – I wish I had thought of that, too!! I forgot to tell you about one of our funny registry stories: Our wacky friend “Tesch” bought us the toaster we registered for. After the wedding as we were trying to decide what to keep and what to return we decided our old toaster worked just fine so the new one would get returned. Just before return day I pondered the new toaster and said to G, “This really doesn’t seem like a “Tesch gift” to me…maybe we should open the box to make sure that’s really what’s in there.” So we opened the box, and sure enough it was the very basic, very boring, plain ol’ white toaster we registered for…complete with our names and wedding date etched onto a silver plate screwed into the side of it! He had our toaster monogrammed! Can you imagine if we had returned it and someone else would have bought it? LOL! We still use that very basic (yet not-so-boring!) toaster to this day.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- that’s so cute! Glad you looked inside!
xo,
s
Lil says
We’ve been married…13 years? We still use our white towels, Wustoff knives, All Clad stainless steel pans, and set of glass nesting bowls from Williams Sonoma. Register for individual pieces (knives, pans) and then return them and buy the set (cheating a little, but makes it more affordable for friends and family…who’s going to buy a $500 set of pans!?!). Don’t overlook tools…screwdriver sets, wrench sets, ratchet sets…all things you’ll likely need sooner or later.
Jenna says
One of my faves is the beautiful and classic stainless flatware we registered for at Macy’s. It’s sold by the place setting, so it’s not something we would ever probably buy again. It’s nice and heavy and is going strong after 7 years. People comment on how “heavy” it is, which really means sturdy and not flimsy. ;) I doubt I’ll ever replace it.
Elise says
Another vote from me for simple white dishes, a good knife set (we love Wustof), a pyrex set, and nice white towels. I also love my kitchen aid stand mixer and our toaster oven, I only wish we hadn’t registered for them in red. Stainless would have been so much better.
Probably could have done without the expensive calphalon wok. We hardly use it and it takes up a ton of space.
Jacquie says
My favorite items we registered for: plain white dishes (cb), plain and sturdy flatware (cb), a cute tea kettle (cb), french press (bodrum), super awesome sturdy cookie pans that clean up beautifully (cb), plain white bathsheets as regular towels (dri-soft from BB&B. All of our guests love them, and all of the engaged visiting couples have gone on to register for them themselves. Phenomenal).
Things i thought i would love but haven’t really used: teapot (although I do put the cream and sugar set to good use), le crueset dutch oven (i had imagined pot roast and roasting a whole chicken… then my husband decided to go vegetarian), massive plain white casserole dish (cb- what in the hell did I think i would be cooking for twenty people??)
Things I wish I would’ve registered for: waffle maker (i know, one trick pony, but i love waffles), shower curtain, a nice set of sheets (i had good set, so i let my husband register for the jersey ones he liked and figured two sets, i’m good. but we put a hole into the fitted sheet of the good set, which turned into a two foot rip, and now I am stuck with jersey. yuck), planters, outdoor chairs
Bryony says
I think my favourite things from our registry are the big Le Creuset pot that my husband’s uncle bought us and some gift cards we used to get our awesome Dyson vacuum. The Dyson was a floor model in the store that they were selling, so we got it incredibly cheaply, which felt great. The Le Creuset pot was an excuse to have a nicer version of something we needed and it’s held up so much better than any of the cheaper pots we bought for ourselves. It also made sense for us since I make lots of curry, chili, and soup.
Ulli says
thanks for the tipps!! my wedding is in 2,5 weeks, and we just wished for money…its not very personal, true, but its what we need most ;-)
Lori @ Lighten Up! says
We just celebrated 20 years married, and I found my thank-you note list a couple of months ago. It was fun to see who had given what, and what we were still using:
– Waffle iron (still in regular use!)
– Plain white dishes from Crate and Barrel
– “Crumb catcher” bread cutting board which we were ridiculed for – still in almost-daily use!
– Set of mixing bowls
– Pyrex measuring cup, square pan, lasagna pan
– Cannon bath towels (not my fave colors anymore, but still going strong in my daughter’s bathroom)
Some things that I did not register for, but have gotten years of use out of:
– Silpat and perforated baking sheet to go with it
– Pyrex baking dishes with lids (also good for microwave)
Should never have registered for:
-Hamilton-Beach milkshake maker! (Though my daughter uses the milkshake glasses for root-beer floats…)
Emily says
I def second the immersion blender! Esp if you plan on having kids in the future (easiest baby food maker)! It’s my go-to babyshower gift!
Jen says
Love all your tips of keeping it simple! Totally agree with you even though my husband has a fit with all the white sometimes:) any suggestions on some sheets, towels and pillows? I am not crazy about the quality of mine after time even though I tried really hard to buy nice ones. Also, what is the pattern of your silverware from crate and barrel? Looking to change ours but want to keep it simple. Thanks:)
YoungHouseLove says
I wish I remembered the name of the Crate & Barrel silverware – it’s just something simple that we saw in person and liked. Clean lines, yada yada. Haha. As for towels and sheets and pillows, we just were sure to check them out in person before registering to make sure they were soft and not crunchy. Again, I don’t remember a specific brand, just touched them all to see what felt nicest. Haha.
xo,
s
Anna Kristina says
Ooo… just saw this – I put it in my comment. It looks like our silverware from C&B, which is Oona. I love ours!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! That sounds right!
xo,
s
Emily says
We’ve been married about two and a half years. Probably the things we use the most from our wedding are our Henckels knives (which we didn’t know enough about knives to register for, but my in laws bought us) and our paper shredder (which we did register for).
I am really glad that we registered on Amazon.com. I’m all about buying quality things that will last, and especially for kitchen electrics, Amazon offers a great selection. Plus, it let us register for things like a circular saw and a drain snake (my parents, ever the practical ones, bought those for us). I’m also glad that we went ahead and got 16 settings of everyday, fairly inexpensive silverware and no fancy silverware. We occasionally have large groups of people over for a meal and it’s nice that we never have to pull out plastic forks.
I wish we would have been a little more minimalistic in our registry. We thought a lot about what to put on our registry, but we still have a couple things (like special dessert bowls) that we won’t use often or ever and other things that were so specific (like a grill pan and a panini pan) that overlap too much for them to both get used much.
Leslie says
I have never regretted registering for very simple fine china (Lenox, white with a platinum band around the edge) instead of two different sets – plain everyday dishes and formal china. We use it like everyday dishes, but they work for special occasions as well. I would also second good knives, a hand mixer, and good towels. One thing I still love 7 years later are my Pyrex portables for taking food to family potlucks!
Georgia says
I got married when we were both still at univeristy (in Australia) and we knew none of our friends had any money. So we didn’t register as such, just made a list when people asked. I ended up with about 12 vases (I rarely buy flowers and even more rarely get given them). We did get given some lovely stuff; hand made pottery platters, glass serving bowls, a dinner set etc, however mot of the breakable stuff didn’t last past my second son learning to walk and climb . An ex boyfriend of mine gave us a scrabble set which we still have, and my husband’s granparents gave us a lovely flat ware set. When I look back though, after nearly 20 years, it’s the quirky or more special things I remember, although at the time the kitchen stuff was useful.
lesli devito says
Okay//and as someone who was married almost 18 years ago, I am going to tell you what we STILL use:
the kitchenaid mixer
the food processor
the iron
Things that become “traditional” like special tablecloths we only take out once a year, BUT cherish the memories they they have collected.
over time we have had to replace or GO OUT AND GET
the pots and pans, pyrex dishes,
10 tea pots
measuring utensils and cups
TOOLS!!!
DYSON
but it is all good…sometimes you just can’t know how you are going to live your life…until you live it!
ENJOY!
lilcg says
my big suggestion is to talk to the people at the stores when you choose your basic white dishes about whether that set will still be around in a couple of years or how often they change it. I went with crate and barrel white porcelain figuring that when a piece broke here or there I would be able to easily replace it. unfortunately they seem to change their style and even shade periodically. now I am waiting for my last 3 lunch plates to break so I can switch over to williams sonoma. one of my cousins went with williams sonoma to begin with and 12 years after her wedding she can still pick up the exact pieces easily.
Ashley says
Our big registry item was our honeymoon. We registered our trip with AAA and people could make contributions to it instead of giving us stuff that we didn’t need. We already had the basics so our registry was pretty small. My favorite tangible item though was our Dyson Animal Ball Vacuum. I am not a fan of cleaning, but that thing actually makes me want to vacuum. I LOVE it!
Marian says
Sherry,
tell Heather not to ditch that electric knife just yet if she’s a DIYer. They are the best way to cut upholstery foam. I keep looking for them in thrift shops.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that’s so funny! I’ve heard that too!
xo,
s
Liz says
Thanks for sharing, guys! I hate to add more to your plate, but would you by any chance be willing to do the same thing for a baby registry? I find that I had the same opinions as you on your wedding registry (I really regret registering for a ice cream maker!!) and I’d like to know your baby registry do’s and doh’s before we finalize ours!! Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
We’ll add that to the list for sure! Sounds like fun!
xo,
s
Anna says
You should do one on a baby registry too!
YoungHouseLove says
A few folks have requested that so I’ll have to work on that!
xo,
s
Rebecca says
One of my favorite items in my Kitchenaid mixer. I actually had two others before but they never whipped up my icing for cakes as well (as in would start overheating). So this was definitely a must for me. One of the worst was an off the registry item of a knife block with only two knives included. The knives are from a fantastic famiy knive company but the block completely clashes with our kitchen cabinets (which are a weird builder grade color) and it’s only 2 knives so not very useful.
Laurie says
We had a very small, informal wedding (my parents didn’t even attend because they were sure it wouldn’t last and said they would come to my “next wedding”….25 years later who’s laughing now?). But I digress…. small wedding equaled no registry. Years later when we had money I went to a Crate & Barrel outlet and bought the things I was missing most when we entertained or hosted holidays: basic white serving platters and bowls and serving utensils. White every day dishes from Ikea, cheap, no tears when they break and easy to replace. I dress them up with chargers or pretty napkins and rings but my plain white stuff is the best investment I made and I am never sick of it. On the other hand, the fancy hand painted dishes I invested in haven’t seen the outside of my buffet in years. This was a great question by your reader and an awesome post by you, by the way. I loved it.
Amanda says
We’re getting married in May and my one registry tip is to register for multi-use items. We already own a KitchenAid mixer so we registered for the ice cream maker attachment rather than just a seperate ice cream maker. We also already own a Griddler so rather then registering for a waffle maker we registered for the waffle plates for the Griddler!
I did feel a little guilty putting the All Clad pots and pans on the registry that I’ve been wanting for years since they are so expensive. BUT I’d rather not get any pots and pans then be gifted a set/brand I don’t care for!
Great tips Sherry! And YAYAYAY for the pre-order status on Amazon!! Any plans for a book tour???
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! We’re not final on where we’re touring but we’ll share all that info when we know!
xo,
s
Kathy Z says
We got married at 33 and like a lot of the posters – we had a lot of stuff already. We also had a super small wedding and no showers, so we didn’t create a registery. So freeing! :)
I like the advice to know who you are and not a romantic version of yourselves. :) We make a big breakfast with my stepdaughter on Sunday – so we love our waffle maker, coffee maker, and griddle. I love my Kitchenaid. We don’t own wine glasses – because we don’t drink wine. I would love a rice maker – I love rice as part of dinner and after using my dad’s once, it’s so much easier to make in there. But my mom bought me a steamer – and it’s just not the same.
Jessie H. says
Next week will be 4 years of marriage and I wish I could go back and re-register! What you think is pretty in the store and what you would actually love to use are sometimes completely different. I’ll be dropping hints for simple, white dishes and servingware at some point in the future…
Jenn R says
My husband and I each had a fully furnished living situation before we got married so we used our wedding to upgrade on several items. Our favorites were the cutco knives, garlic press (simple one by oxo but we use it all the time!) giant crock pot (I make soups and stews several times a year and this thing is a lifesaver) and our “good china” which was actually a very inexpensive set from JC Penney. I think the entire serving for 12 was around $80, and we only use it on holidays but it’s been about five years now and I still love the classic white and silver look of it (even if you can’t put it in the dishwasher). Things I regret: table cloths, toaster oven (the one I had pre-wedding could roast a small chicken, the one we “upgraded to” only makes toast) and the flatware, we’re still using the set we had pre-wedding and never opened the new set, but also couldn’t return it.
Lynn van Slyke says
I sold my plain white dishes at a garage sale in 2004(after 12 years of marriage)and as soon as I did it I regretted it and went the following week and replaced the set. I have been married 20 years this year and I have to say with out a doubt the best items are plain white dishes, a crock pot, good set of cookware (I had my first set for 12 years), good quality serve pieces in white (still using today), and simple elegant glassware(lasted about 10 years). These are the things you will use over and over again. They go with everything can be dressed up or down depending on the season or occasion and they will last forever!!!
Amy says
Since my husband and I were in the process of buying our house before our wedding, we didn’t actually do a registry since we had no idea what we were going to need and we had a LOT of projects to tackle.
Basically, we left it open-ended. Since all of our friends and family knew we bought our house just under a month before our wedding, we got a lot of cash and gift cards for hardware stores and some DIY books. A few of our friends make wine and they gave us some of their best vintages for us to save for a special occasion.
One of my husband’s relatives gave us a huge gift card for Pier 1 and we were able to replace all of our dishes and tableware (we bought classic white square plates and simple glasses and a few quirky pieces like wine stoppers, coasters, white lotus cereal bowls, and a pair of pretty wine glasses).
We personally didn’t feel like registering or even asking for gifts was appropriate for us. All we wanted was for people to be there to have fun with us (we had a lot of friends that were unemployed at the time). In the end, we were surprised by everyone’s generosity and have really put their gifts to good use.
Gaidig says
I am so with you about not needing fancy china or silver or crystal glasses. I don’t want to own stuff I barely ever use.
Lindsey d. says
I hate reading all these comments about being older and therefore not registering for much stuff. I’m 31 now and will hopefully marry at 32 or 33. I want to be feted just as much as my friends who got married five years ago! Why are my life and my love less valuable just because it’s happening a few years later than “traditionalists” would like. Screw them! I want my friends and family to celebrate with me! I will definitely be creating a registry and I hope I get stuff off it! God knows I’ve spent enough on wedding gifts in the past ten years!
Sarah@SBrandesDesigns says
I think they simply meant that they have already spent several years acquiring the things they needed for there homes and just didn’t need as much “stuff”… If you already have stuff you *love* why replace it? I think in these instances registering for a few upgrades is probably all they wanted.. I’m sure people still gave them gifts, just more likely money than a registry item. I think its a super cool idea to do like the honeymoon registries if you already have the stuff you need & want for your house.
Lindsey d. says
Yeah, I’m sure that’s what it is. I read six pages of comments and definitely felt a little emotional (jealousy of people who have had their registry moment and now own nice towels and anger at people who diss the registry idea). I got a little carried away!
Meghan says
A crock pot is an awesome thing that some people will NEVER use… but if you do – (esp. once you have kids) – your life is just sooo much easier! Also – family friends told me to take my Mikasa silverware off my registry and they bought it at the outlet (with the serving pieces!) and got a great deal on it! And therefore were able to buy us all of it. I was so so so appreciative of that and practically stroked each piece before I put it away for the first 3 months.
Meghan says
oh yes – also – we registered for every day china! Which I loveeee! So we use it every day but it looks fun and fancy when we (occasionally) have a dinner party!
Sarah@SBrandesDesigns says
I totally don’t for a second regret not registering for fine china and instead picking out a quality, neutral set of everyday dishes I wouldn’t mind serving a formal meal on if/when I ever need to (I don’t see it happening anytime soon ha!). We never would have used fine china, it would have taken up too much space, and it would have inevitably gotten broken over the next 15 years of moving every 1-3 years.
There are definitely a few things that I loved the way they looked, but they just did not hold up, so I wish we had picked out something nicer that we wouldn’t have already had to replace within 2 years.
I totally use my kitchen aid blender so much more than I thought I would, but it might still fall into the regret category purely because we are a military family who moves A LOT… a. its heavy and b. our current kitchen is so tiny it is still packed away because there just is not any. room. for. it.
I must say some of my favorite items were things we didn’t register for at all, like a set of gorgeous handmade pottery mixing bowls or a crystal vase I never would have picked out for myself in a million years, but once I got it with the rest of our stuff realized how charming it was (now hopefully one of many movers to come doesn’t break my poor beautiful vase!).
From time to time I wish we had a waffle maker, but then I remember we have NO PLACE to store it and become quite content with walking across the street to IHOP and calling it a day haha
Laura says
We received a Griddler and absolutely love it-it makes the most phenomenal sandwiches!!!
Sydni Jackson says
your registry choices sound like ours! we got white dishes, clear glasses, and heavy silverware from crate & barrel. we didn’t get any china because we just aren’t fancy like that. we also strayed from those super specific kitchen gadgets, like an avacado peeler or whatever that you only use like once a year. instead we got great bedding from pottery barn and even got a wii and blu-ray disc player! register for fun stuff, people will buy it for you!
Camilla Brown says
I disagree with getting a knife block set. If I could do it over again, I’d register for a top of the line chef’s or santoku knife, like a Wusthof or Shun, and a sharpener. My current knife is a handmade Misono and it’s the only knife I use. Paring/bread knives you can get cheaply, so you can buy them yourself, but it’s nice if someone splurges on a really good chef’s knife for you from your registry. And knife blocks gross me out. A magnetic strip seems so much more sanitary.
And yes, white dishes!
Paige says
I might suggest a french press as opposed to a coffee maker. Even if you don’t drink coffee. It makes a small amount of coffee, depending on the size. We have a one liter Bodum press and it is the best purchase to date. And it takes up very little space, so it’s perfect to keep on hand when you have java drinking guests. :)
Ashley says
Any recommendations on what kind of white dishes to get? Do you have problems with yours getting those gray scratches? Looked at some at BB&B and Target, but not sure which ones will hold up best. Curious what yours are and if you are pleased with how they are looking now?
YoungHouseLove says
Ours were from Linens N Things (still looking great!) but we hear BB&B has really similar ones. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
eileen marie says
Crate & Barrel has fab white dishes -beautiful & durable.
Cara says
Some people will complain no matter what you put on your registry. So don’t feel guilty about adding what you need. I had a pretty traditional wedding registry – china, crystal, pots & pans, etc. – because it’s what I needed. I will be expected to entertain family and friends and my old pots and pans were worn out. That being said, make sure you include a bunch of things in the $10-$25 range.
I know some people think china and crystal are silly and frivolous but if you’ll need it in the future and you don’t expect to inherit (or you hate grandma’s pattern), your wedding is the time to get it. It will be much harder to justify purchasing 12 place settings of Wedgwood when you have a mortgage and kids.
Sara says
Its been 8 months since my husband and I got married, and it’s crazy how you notice things you’re so glad you received and stuff you would rethink. We absolutely love out pits and pans and our knife set as well as out beautiful quilt. We would rethink out memory foam rug in the bathroom…its nice and comfy but takes forever to dry. We would also go with white everyday plates…after two months a few of ours broke :( Most importantly we truly loved the hand made items/personal items we received like art work, and a hand made 15″x20″ window stained glass piece. So timeless!
maggi says
Bissell Helix Bagless Upright–on sale today at Target, read your post this morning and was at target to buy filtered vacuum bags for my Hoover and looked over and saw this one on sale for 60, so i bought it.
figured i spend around 60 for bags every year so its a savings regardless.
K.E. says
Great post! A few regrets from our registry:
1. Cappuccino maker – I adore coffee, and my husband likes cappuccino – seemed like a great idea. However, as it turns out – cappuccino makers only make one cup at a time! Apparently this is common knowledge. We used it once and now are trying to sell it online. Oops!
2. Fancy towels/sheets – Maybe it’s just us – but the “fancy” (high end department store) towels and sheets we got started fraying and wearing out after about a year! We replaced sheets and towels with new ones from Kohls and never looked back.
3. Martini and Margarita glasses – As much as I love them, I have to admit that they have *yet* to be used. Sad panda. Turns out we’re just beer people. Who knew?
And a few items from our registry that live on:
1. Classic items like white dishes, silverware, simple glassware – We use it every single day and love how they are a beautiful, classic backdrop to whatever table setting/theme I dream up.
2. Crate & Barrel mini parker bowls – They are these perfectly sized little bowels (we got 6), that get used daily. We always manage to have at least 2 or 3 in the dishwasher at a given moment. Perfect for snacks, ice cream, fruit, anything – they were a random scanner-happy registry item that I now absolutely adore!
And… can I add a random fun fact? My parents got a set of wooden salad bowls for their wedding (about 40 years ago), and now my husband and I use them! I love them and will use them until they fall apart… which might be never since we’re going on 40+ years now :)
Ruth says
This takes me back. After we’d been married a few years and had a few kids and less than a few dollars, we started joining forces with some other friends for Valentine’s Day. It was so expensive to go out to dinner and get babysitters that we would have a fancy potluck dinner and split the cost of a couple babysitters to watch all our kids at someone else’s house. The food was amazing, the conversation entertaining, and when we started the Wedding White Elephant Tradition, the event became unforgettable. We basically asked each couple to show up with a white elephant gift to exchange at the Valentine Party–with the requirement that it must be something they were given as a wedding gift. It was hilarious to see what everyone opened and hear the stories about what they thought as newlyweds when they opened, for instance, the 3′ macrame owl from Aunt Mildred. The exchange became massively challenging after we all hit 10+ years of marriage…it got harder and harder to find white elephants from our weddings!
Melissa says
KNIVES! Really, really good ones. We received a fantastic Henckles knife set in a wooden block from my uncle and we love them and use them everyday. Don’t forget the Santuko knife – it’s a Japanese-style knife that you will become totally addicted to, and good steak knives.
Another thing worth registering for is simple table linens. Good quality linen tableclothes are crazy expensive, so register for a few, white or cream and a darker color like burgundy because it doesn’t show wine!
Anna Kristina says
One of our favorite gifts was seasons 1-3 of Arrested Development. Our friends got a kick out of getting us the fun things on the registry like movies/tv shows and games we wanted. We also registered for basics because we still had all our mismatched college things. Five years in, we still love and use our white basic dishes and silverware (we might have the same: C&B Oona?).
I also cherish our KitchenAid, which came from my Grandma whose baking I grew up adoring. The sentiment makes it extra special, and we’ve added a few attachments since (ice cream maker, pasta extruder). I like that there’s still only the one machine, because attachments take up less space than separate appliances.
If we could go back, I’d probably register for fewer(box store) art/decorative things and fewer kitchen gadgets. We got almost all of that from our registry, but only half our dishes which we ended up having to buy to finish the set. Between changing tastes and realizing you can do a lot in the kitchen with just a few basic knives and cookware, we’ve downsized a lot of it out of our life.
Andrea B says
I gotta disagree on the George Foreman grill. My husband owned a fancy-pants one that has removable/changeable plates for grilling and easy cleaning and it is fantastic. We grill almost all our chicken and steak and even fish on that sucker (especially when it is cold outside or we don’t want to fire up the big boy grill). Money well spent, and I don’t have to use another pan.
Otherwise, I’m glad I registered for simple white serving dishes. They’ve been great for casual get-togethers. Also, I use my PUR water filter on my faucet every.single.day.
Sara says
IF i were to make a registry today, I would have the Eileen Fisher Washed Linen Bedding on the top of my list, well they are, my wish list. I also love my bright yellow canister for my mixed wooden spoons from Anthropologie. A good set of cutlery. A couple over-sized bathtowels in white.