I can barely believe it. My little sister, Katherine, gets married in just two weeks. TWO WEEKS. How is that even possible?! When she got engaged over a year ago, it felt like her wedding was so far in the future, and here we are, just a days away from her big day.
A few months back, Katherine called me to get my two cents on wedding registries. They had plans to go register that weekend and she wanted to know what I used most, what to definitely get and what to skip.
If you’re married, then you already know that going to pick out stuff for your registry sounds like a total blast, but is actually kind of tough. I remember when Rob and I went to register. I thought we’d be out shopping for an hour or two, but before I knew it, four hours had gone by. We were completely exhausted and no where near finished!
Now that we’ve been married for two years, it’s clear which pieces were necessary and which pieces I could have done without, so for any of you who are about to go register, read this before you head out!
My Top Ten Pieces for a Wedding Registry
1. White Dinnerware: Why white you ask? Because white is classic and timeless and food always look beautiful on a crisp white plate. If you want something more interesting, find one with a simple design imprinted on it.
2. Silverware: Duh, you gotta eat, right?! One tip my mom gave me when I was shopping for silverware was to hold it in your hands as if you were eating to make sure it feels good. You’d be surprised that many spoons and forks are actually really difficult or uncomfortable to hold.
3. Good Knives: I went to culinary school for a semester after college and I stay true to the lesson I learned there—you really only need three knives. A Chef’s knife, a paring knife and a serrated knife. Those three will do almost every single job in the kitchen. Tip: When shopping for a chef’s knife, make sure to hold it in your hand, they all come in different sizes and you want to pick one that’s comfortable for you.
4. Pots & Pans: Every kitchen needs a sauté pan, a sauce pan, and a big pot for boiling pasta and making soup!
5. Baking Sheets: These are one of the most versatile pieces in our kitchen. You can bake cookies, roasted chicken or veggies, or even make homemade granola on these baking sheets. Every house needs at least two!
6. Cast Iron Dutch Oven: This is my number one most loved piece in my kitchen. I use it for nearly everything. It’s super easy to clean up, looks beautiful and cooks evenly. It’s perfect for slow and low simmering, roasting a whole chicken or making a big pot of sauce, soup or stew!
7. Mixing Bowls: Not the sexiest thing to add to your registry, but we use them like crazy. Whether it’s mixing ingredients or making salad, they’re super versatile. I like stainless steel, but glass or plastic works perfectly too!
8. Cutting Board: Personally I prefer a big wood chopping bock, but plastic is great too.
9. Mixer: I don’t bake a lot, so I opted for a simple and less expensive hand mixer, but if you love to bake, a stand mixer is a must. You can also make mashed potatoes in it too—hello Thanksgiving!
10. Coffee Maker: Whether it’s a Keurig, Nespresso machine or a traditional drip coffee maker, make sure you have one! Unless you don’t drink coffee, in that case, a teapot is a must!
What to Skip
Having someone else gift you bedding, towels and décor may sound like a good idea, but remember your style changes constantly. Any bedding or décor that we registered for and received, I ended up exchanging for something else.
I also recommend skipping specialty items like an ice cream maker or waffle maker. They might seem fun, but you’ll rarely use them!
What’s Important to You?
Are you big on entertaining? Make sure you get enough table settings for the size of crowds you plan on regularly hosting.
Do you love to bake and cook? Make sure to register for the pieces you use a lot.
Live in a small space? Don’t register for multiple different sets of plates and silverware unless you have the storage (I learned this the hard way!).
While I had a blast planning my own wedding and doing our own registry, I have to admit that it’s been fun to sit on the sidelines and watch my sister make all of her own decisions, though I do get roped in for my opinion every once and a while!
What wedding registry items were must-haves for you? What items did you skip?
BTW, our wedding reception, our first look.
