Four of my super-amazing and totally-awesome friends are getting married this fall, so I’ve been spending a lot of time perusing wedding registries as of lately. It has really taken me back to the excitement and confusion I felt when I was thinking about what to put on our wedding registry (yes, I realize that I said “I” instead of “we,” but get real, the husband did not want to be involved with that stuff).
Back when I got married, I didn’t know how to cook. I mean, I could brown hamburger to make spaghetti with meat sauce, but I couldn’t saute a chicken breast or even make rice. I didn’t know what to put on a wedding registry, and what I really didn’t need.
I thought it would be fun to share with you the things I wish I had put on that wedding registry, and what I wish I hadn’t purchased. Oddly, all of the items that I wish I didn’t own were ones that I bought for myself!
After a wedding, you usually have the option to buy any un-purchased items on your registry at a discount, so I bought a few things that we didn’t receive as presents. In hindsight, maybe no one bought them for us because they knew they were a stupid idea.
But, hey, way to go friends and family! You picked out some super awesome stuff 🙂
I’ve split this post into three sections: What I wish I had registered for, what I really didn’t need, and what I couldn’t live without. Each of the affiliate links below will take you over to Amazon to see the tools I use and love!
What I Wish I Had Registered For
- A cherry/olive pitter, and an apple peeler/corer/slicer. Yep, two totally random objects. I’m not saying that everyone needs to own these two items, but I spend a lot of time pitting, peeling, coring, and slicing, so it makes sense for me to keep these around. These wedding registry items are ones that you’ll use to accomplish the tasks you find yourself doing over and over again. Here are links to some good ones.
- Big, wooden cutting/carving boards. Nothing is as awkward as pulling the turkey out on Thanksgiving in front of your whole family only to realize that you do not own a cutting board big enough to carve the darn thing. Check out this one in the link below.
- Four sets of nice sheets. You’ll need a set for your room and the guest room, plus an extra one for each during laundry day. Somehow I completely forgot about registering for sheets, and my guest room *still* has really scratchy sheets that I bought from the Fred Meyer Red Tag store for $17.
- A Dutch or French Oven, preferably with enameled cast iron. High-quality stove-to-oven cookware is worth its weight in gold. If you feel like splurging, register for Le Creuset. A more moderately priced alternative is Lodge brand. I have one of each and love them both, see links below for each.
- Yard care stuff. Uh, yeah. There’s this part of your house called the “outside.” A lawnmower, weed whacker, and leaf blower would have really come in handy.
- Stainless steel cookware. I know that your first instinct is to go for the non-stick, but stainless is what will give you a golden brown sear on your food (plus it can go in the dishwasher). See the link below for an awesome set I use.
- KitchenIQ Zester. I seriously just got this last week (see link below) and it’s the best thing ever. I use my zester for grating Parmesan cheese, ginger, and garlic as well as zesting citrus. I love the KitchenIQ Zester because it has a reservoir to catch the trimmings with measurement lines to tell you how much you have already grated. When you slide the reservoir off, the attached squeegee drags alongside the grater to pick up any pieces stuck in the tool. It’s a kitchen miracle.
- Camping gear. An air mattress, tent, and outdoor dining kit would be an awesome thing to register for. I know that not everybody camps, but just register for items that fit your hobbies. Maybe you and your betrothed like to kayak, hike, bowl, or tailgate. Get creative!
- Storage and Organizers. Uh, yeah. You’ll definitely need somewhere to store all of the wonderful items you receive. Don’t forget to plan for shelf organizers and spice rack storage.
What I Really Didn’t Need
- Forty-seven different non-stick pans. I really could have done with just one or two. I love my Caphalon Jumbo Fryer, Anolon Wok, and Cooks non-stick omelette pan, but other than that I use cast iron or stainless for pretty much everything. See the links below for the ones I use.
- “His and Hers” anything. This includes monogrammed towels, beer cozies, pillowcases, bathrobes, etc. It seemed cute at the time, but now it’s just silly.
- A pizza cutter. Seriously, it’s the most useless gadget ever. Just use a good knife, or if you make pizza on a weekly basis you could invest in one of these crazy things in the link below.
What I Couldn’t Live Without
- My Lodge Cast Iron Skillet. Seriously, I use this thing for pretty much everything but boiling water. I even take it camping! It’s pre-seasoned, so you don’t have to do any crazy seasoning stuff to it before you use it. See link below.
- My luggage. A nice set of luggage might not be something you’d buy for yourself, but you’ll appreciate having it once you use it. You don’t want the zipper breaking on your rinky-dink suitcase when you’re trying to get through airport security on your honeymoon.
- My KitchenAid stand-mixer. Yes, I know it is cliche, but I just love it. I use mine for kneading bread (hey, that’s hard work!), slicing/grating/shredding fruits and vegetables, whipping cream, shredding chicken, and about fifty other things. It’s a bit of a right of passage for a bride-to-be. With that said, don’t bother registering for one unless you think you’re really going to use it! See the link below.
- My Wusthof knives. Oh, how I love my knives. It’s amazing what you can accomplish in the kitchen if you just have one good knife and one good pan. You can register for a set, or for individual pieces. I’d recommend getting a chef’s knife, bread knife, and paring knife to start out with. You can handle just about anything with those three bad boys.
Alright, so what do you think?
Did I forget anything? What wedding registry ideas would you recommend? What do you own now that you wish you had put on your wedding registry list?
I think I’m a few years late to the game on this post, but this has been so helpful as we start planning our registry, especially with the comments.
I would add two of my favorite kitchen tools that I don’t see previously mentioned:
A pastry cutter! I use it to cut dough obviously, but also to cut baked goods (think brownies, rice krispies) and even to scrape things off the counter or scoop up hot food if a spatula just won’t cut it. Mine even has a ruler on it which I’ve found very handy.
Also an immersion blender. I didn’t know what I was missing until I got this! When your dishes are piling up and you don’t want to pull out the blender, this bad boy is amazing for mixing soups and sauces and even blending things like batters and salsas.
Thank you for this list! I am currently building my registry and this was very helpful.
A step stool comes in such handy! We have a tall, 2-step one with a handle and another small, collapsible one.
These are definitely some great ideas and some I’d never think of. Also, I’d just like to say, thank you for calling it a weed whacker. I haven’t heard anyone else say that in so long! Lol
my top tips
some of these are low price point items for filling in the registry & must haves i use often,
go to a restaurant supply store (like ace-mart)
1- get 2 nice heavy sheet pans. you can use them for a wide variety of things.. i paid $4 for each of mine (i have 3)
2- a heavy duty muffin tin. with paper liners.
** add on item** they have pan handle covers to be used with the fajita skillets in a restaurant, i have 4 i use on the cast iron skillets that way don’t accidentally grab the handle while cooking. they were $3 for 2 !!
any BBB or good kitchen ware store
3- oil mist sprayer, comes i handy when i run out of no stick spray !
4- nice heavy measuring spoons and cups, glass measuring cups too.
5- a handled mixing bowl
6- cast iron skillet, dutch oven, grill pan (if you like to cook and will take the time to season it well- and care for it, if not stick to stainless cookware. non stick is not worth the money)
7- a good 6-8 piece stainless cookware set. i have a heavy bottom farber ware set with glass lids i got on clearance at a kitchen store for $68, with two sized pans, 3 pots and a steam pot with a removable basket)
8 – a neutral table cloth and cotton napkin set (12 napkins). do not get a poly blend as they do not adsorb anything.
9- an 8-12 place settings, neutral to go with any main event. (i have two sets of 6 white place settings- they do not match exactly but are very close) ditto on the silverware set of 12
10- whisk, good flat spatula, vented spatula, 4-5 piece bamboo utensils ( i use these most since they do not scratch the cast iron :), slotted & solid spoon.
11- glass or good pottery cookware and table serving items. i prob have way too much, but a good french white set (6-7 pieces) should last you a long time
from pampered chef
12- a good quality grater with a catch box on bottom , or a rotary grater
13- slanted measuring cups (3 sizes)
14- bamboo bagel tongs.. can easily get stuff out of the toaster
15- the set of 2 small paring knives.
16- i love their copper designed trivets, i have 2, wish i had ordered more.
17- invest in good dark colored kitchen towels, and oven mitts. hey hide stains better.
I am registering for my upcoming wedding and I was wondering what are the best cookie sheets/ cupcake pans ? Thanks!
I would add a coffee grinder and kitchen scissors for cutting up chicken. Happily, I received both of these.
Ooh, good ideas!
Thank you so much for this helpful advice! I am getting married in June and we are about to tackle the wedding registry process and I found your knowledge and experience so helpful! I didn’t even think of an apple peeler or corer but I am so glad to have read this post because I’m sure it will save so much time when making yummy pies! God bless you!
So glad to be of help, Bailey!
Am I the only one that finds it ironic that you found a pizza cutter to be completely useless, yet you really, really wanted a device to core/slice your apples for you? Apple corer’s are the epitome of a kitchen gadget designed for laziness.
You definitely have a point! The reason why I put the apple corer/peeler/slicer on there is because it’s a huge pain in the ass to peel, core, and slice a ton of apples by hand for pie or applesauce. Once you do a huge batch of apples by hand you’ll appreciate the peeler tool. I also use it for potatoes!
I am getting married next Fall and have been researching registries for weeks! This was the most helpful article I have come across, especially with everyone’s comments and suggestions. Thank you! I finally feel like I have a starting point for registering 🙂 Le Creuset and Wusthof knives, here I come!
I’m so glad to be of help, Gabi! Congratulations!!
My Wusthofs, cast iron, and Le Creuset are the great kitchen loves of my life.
Knives are one of those things you don’t really think much about until you use a good one, and then a whole new world opens up before you. I used a motley assortment of grocery-store knives most of my life, until one day I tried a Wusthof Classic chef’s knife and I fell in love.
If you spend any time at all cutting things in the kitchen, invest in a really good chef’s knife and then take good care of it. It’s one expense you will never regret.
Couldn’t have said it better myself, Katie!!