I love to shop. Clothes, jewelry, shoes. Lately I’ve been really into shoes.
However, when it comes to kitchen supplies… not so much.
The wedding registry is one of the bigger tasks of wedding planning. You get to search home decor stores high and low for all kinds of goodies and gadgets to fill your home as a married couple. You get to pick out fun things like plates, pots & pans, glasses, towels, sheets, and all that fun stuff. I was super excited to register until I realized how overwhelming it was.
Some people may have too many things on their registry, but we’re struggling with the opposite. We don’t want to throw just any random thing on there. We want to have items that we’ll truly use on a regular basis. Another thing that can be difficult is when you already live with your fiancé before you get married. We already have a lot of the staples like a blender, knife set, nice wine glasses, and a crockpot which we rarely use.
As y’all know, I’m not huge on cooking so I struggled with a lot of the kitchen items. Luckily, we have Ryan’s mom to help us along the way. Some things were more fun to pick out than others- my favorite might be our flatware. I like the pretty, shiny things! I thought I’d share some of the top items on our registry and no, a Kitchen-Aid mixer is not on there because let’s be honest… I don’t bake! Maybe one day.
Wedding Registry Guide
No fine china for this couple. We knew we wanted good quality, white, porcelain dinnerware that would go well with our new modern townhome. We’re not going to have the biggest kitchen, so practical items are the most important. This was actually one of the hardest items to decide on, but ultimately we went with the Roulette dinnerware set from Crate & Barrel.
POTS & PANS
We weighed the options between nonstick and stainless and ultimately decided on this nonstick set from Analon. Ryan’s sister has the set and has nothing but good things to say about it. My favorite thing about these is that the rivets are flush, so you won’t have to worry about food getting stuck around them. And the stainless lids are nice because glass ones are a pain to clean.
COFFEE MAKER
After Meghan posted about this Hamilton Beach coffee maker, I knew I had to have it. 12-cup pot AND single K-cups? Sold. This will definitely find a permanent home on our kitchen counter.
BATH TOWELS
These are a must, especially for a new house. Our towels are looking quite ragged these days so I can’t wait to get to get some fresh, white ones. Do y’all have any recommendations for a brand? We were looking at the Wamsutta collection from BB&B but are still undecided.
So long, days of the mismatched silverware drawer. I love the unique look of this hammered flatware set. Since we are getting simple plates these will add a little fun to our place settings. And don’t forget to get extras like salad forks- we go through those like crazy!
STEAM MOP
Right now, Ryan & I use Swiffer wet mops to clean our place and while they’re convenient, they just dry out so quickly. We need to find a new method when we move into our new place and I think a nice, steam mop might be the way to go. What do y’all use to clean your floors?
CUTTING BOARDS
We currently have two of these, but I’m often wishing we had more (especially when I’m cooking our Hello Fresh meals). I just picked up the tiny Epicurean board a few weeks ago and love it- it’s thin, lightweight, and cleans easily. I definitely plan on adding some of the larger ones to our registry.
COPPER MUGS
Moscow Mules are all the rage these days and for good reason. They’re so refreshing and just aren’t the same without the customary copper mug. We registered for the hammered version of these and they would look super cute on a bar cart!
Now, here is my question for all of you lovely readers- what was your favorite item off of your registry? What gets the most use? What can you just no live without? This bride would love to hear any and all recommendations and thanks for reading!
Just told Stephen we need that coffee maker when we get married! Pot of coffee AND k-cups?! Yes please. Such great picks!
Zelle
Southern Style
I totally went overboard on our registry but it has been so helpful because with all the holidays right after our wedding it was easy for friends and family to shop for us!
ugh towels. always. and i hate almost the same plates but in a dark slate gray. obsessed. all good choices!
xoxo cheshire kat
The wedding registry was my favorite part of my getting married experience! I put the staples of course on it like you have and then I looked around my kitchen and reviewed items I've had for ages that need to get thrown out. So, I threw out all my old cupcake pans, the waffle iron that has seen wayy too many waffles, the kitchen scissor that is a little too rusted to use, the vase w/ a crack in it…and put new & better items on my registry that will surpass the time. =)
Melanie | Blog: Toots + Dill
The wedding registry is SO overwhelming, especially when you don't live together beforehand. We need so much stuff since we're basically starting from scratch. Glad you got yours knocked out!
YOU NEED A NINJA CROCKPOT! Seriously, the best thing we registered for and it was on such a whim. We use ours at least weekly, if not every other day. Such a great item. Also, make sure you register for something fun and name related. You'll enjoy the special gift for years to come.
All very good choices! I would have to add that I LOVE our china, something that you would NEVER buy yourself, and are probably going to want when you're older…and of course I made sure ours was dishwasher safe! I knew I wouldn't use it if it wasn't…but I highly recommend registering for it. People always buy china too, it's something special that should last you a lifetime 🙂
I would also make a point to not get a pots and pans set with any non stick coating. It's being found more and more that the non stick is not healthy. We actually upgraded to stainless steel(I really wanted copper, but couldn't find a set in the US I loved and was reasonable) and I'm so happy that I'm eating off something safe. Yes, it's a pain in the butt to get tough spots off(I use vinegar) and I can't use spray for oil(it ruins the pans), but hands down the best decision we ever made in our kitchen. They were also on our wedding registry (we just got married is past summer).
I do agree with your other things on the list. Oh, and do out things on your list you wouldn't buy for yourself or you may need. We put some things on for holidays(yes, it will be in storage or whatnot), but it was nice to get gifts we otherwise wouldn't have bought for ourselves.
I actually had so much fun with the registry, my husband, not so much. LOL! We didn't live together when we were engaged so we literally needed almost everything. That coffee maker sounds amazing, can't go wrong with that! Oh and a really good, good blender is always nice!
xo, Lily
beautywithlily.com
These are all really great starting points!! I actually wish I would have registered for a kitchen aide mixer of all things LOL! We basically registered for things that we wanted to upgrade from already living together. xo, Biana – BlovedBoston
There is no wedding in my future (#singlegalstatus) but I long for the days of creating a registry! I love kitchen and home goods that this would be so much fun for me!
Christina :: Simple and Delish
I think you're taking the right approach to register for what you think you'll use according to your lifestyle. I would say, if you're not sure about something, you've got nothing to lose by registering for it, because you can always return things if you change your mind!
I can't wait to register one day! I would say… don't discount the power of a crockpot!! 🙂 They make "cooking" the easiest since you can throw everything in and leave it all day. Love the idea of simple dinnerwear and updated cookwear. So fun!
The majority of our wedding registry was kitchen related. We're still renting, so I didn't want to register for too many home items knowing they might not have a place in our next location. My fave registry items were a really nice wood cutting board, a big metal rack to store all of our kitchen appliances (we live in a place with minimal storage), and Pyrex glass storage containers – they aren't fancy, but they get a ton of use!
Pyrex and Corningware were and still are a must for me. Great for everyday as well as dinner parties. Couple of sets of nice Sheets are great to add. Maybe one waterford crystal vase or piece, and wilton Armetale pieces are great classic and there are uses for them with decorating as well and serving food.
You have some awesome items on your list girl, I need to add that steammop to my registry asap because that is totally necessary! I was clueless when I went for my registry, luckily my mom was super helpful and helped make sure I got everything I could need!
Meg posted this on my blog a while back and it talks about the best items for your registry, you should check it out to get more ideas!
makeupHER
The Shark steam mop is the best!! We also registered for those cutting boards and love them. I wish we registered for better pots and pans – we kept the ones I had from ikea which are alright but I wish we had better quality ones. I also didn't register for the giant kitchen-aid mixer and opted for a hand mixer which is just as good. We also just invested in a really good Shark vacuum which I would highly recommend if you don't have a good vacuum.
Ohhh registering! I loved it…but it is overwhelming! One thing I have to recommend is to register for a vitamix! It's literally been the best wedding gift! I can make smoothies, hummus, soups, and more! Oh…and it has a self cleaning option, add soap and water and boom, it cleans itself!
I have Wamsutta sheets and love them! I'm sure their towels are fabulous. We were in the same boat with already living together so we just registered for a lot of upgrades to our current products. And we skipped the fine china, too!
We tried to be very good about registering for select things we would actually use too! I hear so many people say they registered for so many things they never use so I tried to keep that in mind. Glad you had fun doing your registry!
Kelsey
http://www.thepeacockroost.com
I like the simplicity of the all white dishes and some cook pots and pans are a must!
How gorgeous is that flatware?! And I need that steam mop! Awesome list, you're going to have so much fun opening these at your bridal shower <3
Green Fashionista
We registered for white plates as well! WE had no use for china, so why ask for it!?
http://www.amemoryofus.com
Ninja blender hands down. You can do a big batch but it also comes with individual serving containers. Perfect for smoothies, protein shakes, baking, making bread crumbs, and SO many other things. We use it every single day! I'd recommend some good Tupperware or Pyrex dishes.
These are great!! That coffee maker looks perfect. Love the fact you can do both a pot or a cup.
xo,
Sara Kate Styling
we went with all white plateware too and LOVE it. can't go wrong there. yes to the nonstick. my parents got us new pots and pans and it's life changing.
I regret not taking the plunge with PB towels when we got married. We just recently stocked up on their light gray (because not matter how often I oxycleaned and bleached my white towels- they always looked dingy) and I haven't regretted spending that money yet!!
I will also say (as an oncology nurse at the main hospital in CLT) I would look into getting stainless steel pots and pans. The non-stick will eventually wear down and the material it is made out of absorbs into your food, etc. We have Sur La Tab's stainless steel pots and pans and love them!!