Setting up your wedding registry can either be kid-in-a-candy-store exhilarating or completely overwhelming … or both. You want to cover your bases, making sure you fill your wedding registry with what you need, what you might need, and what you totally love but would never buy for yourself. But for every couple that nails the perfect balance, there are 10 more who end up with pasta makers, ice cream machines, juicers, and fine china sitting in boxes in the backs of cabinets, collecting dust.
While every couple is, of course, different (some use their wedding china all the time!), there are general rules of thumb to keep in mind while wielding the scanner. First, if you haven’t yet used an item or had a need for it, it’s probably best to leave it off your wedding registry. As one woman says: “If you haven’t ever made ice cream, you’re probably not going to start just because you’re getting married.” (Same goes for the pasta maker.) Second, be realistic. How do you actually live? If you find yourself tossing everything into the dishwasher, don’t register for everyday dishes that are hand-wash only. But — and this is rule three — also plan ahead. Just because you don’t use crystal every day doesn’t mean you won’t someday want it, or want to pass it down. A few nice heirloom pieces are always good to have.
We asked real-life couples to weigh in on their wedding registry do’s and don’ts: what they loved, what they learned, and what they could’ve left off. Here, their wisdom:
Wedding Registry Musts
“I think really nice pots and pans are a great thing to register for, because if you get the good ones, they can last forever.”
“I’m a believer in the Le Creuset dutch oven, which is a piece I adore, and I suspect I’ll have until I die.”
“I’m so glad I put luggage and nice bedding on my registry. The bedding was really nice and lasted for years, and we still use the luggage.”
“Very nice kitchen knives. We have a set of Japanese knives — one is boning, one is slicing — and they are some of the best things I own. I use them literally every day.”
“I am in favor of registering for crystal—that’s something you’ll have forever, possibly even pass down, and you’ll never, ever buy yourself. I am so glad to have my crystal wine glasses; they are so special. And there’s simply no way I would have bought them myself down the road. Like, zero.”
“Our grill! We registered for it and still have it!”
“One of the best things I put on our registry was durable, everyday place settings. They weren’t cheap, but not as much as china, and they’re still going strong.”
“I love my big griddle. You can make 10 pancakes or grilled cheese sandwiches at once on it, and I still use it all the time.”
“A top-of-the-line coffee maker. But only if you’d use it daily — and we certainly do.”
“I’m happy we registered for really nice towels that were far fancier than anything I’d buy for myself. It makes our bathroom feel like a spa.”
What Could’ve Been Left Off…
“I never used my waffle maker.”
“Skip the KitchenAid mixer unless you have an expanse of counter space and really use a mixer a lot. It’s like a requisite on those registry lists, but totally shouldn’t be.”
“My china! Mine has been completely useless. Eleven years later, it’s all still in the original boxes.”
“I don’t use the huge food processor we registered for. I do use a smaller, more portable and versatile one.”
“You do not need too many kitchen contraptions. I registered for an electric skillet for some reason and have never taken it out of the box.”
“I never, ever use the big fancy salad bowl and accessories I registered for. However, I do use my not-so-fancy bamboo salad bowl, which I also registered for. But the bamboo oil I registered for to use on said bowl was indeed a waste.”
If I Was Registering Now…
“I would definitely register for an Instapot and Vitamix if I was getting married now.”
“I wish I had put a wine fridge on my registry! Some of my friends did, and I wish I had one.”
“If I were doing a registry now, I would add a robot vacuum. I bought one a few months ago and I use it every day.”
“I wish I added well-made folding tables to easily drape with tablecloths and decorate for extra space while entertaining.”
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