The wedding registry.

A memorable piece of the engagement puzzle—and one that’s equal parts fun and a little bit overwhelming.

There’s something so dreamy about curating the things that will fill your first home together—the dishes you’ll eat dinner on, the mugs you’ll sip Saturday morning coffee from, etc. It’s exciting and sentimental. But if you’ve ever built a registry, you know it can also feel like… a lot. With so many decisions already swirling in the wedding season, adding one more list to the mix can be both a blessing and a bit of brain overload. Especially when you’re guessing what you think you’ll want before building your home together.

Mitch and I have been married for just over a year, and in that time, I’ve started to narrow down what’s “nice to have” vs. essential and what I thought we needed (and actually use) vs. don’t need a ton in day-to-day life (simply due to our lifestyle and daily choices). 

Of course, it goes without saying that every single gift we received was an absolute blessing from our friends and family. This post is simply meant to help any brides-to-be who might be staring at their registry wondering where to begin. I would have loved to read this while building our list. Below I’ve broken down some of our most cherished (and used!) gifts in a few different categories in case it’s helpful.

If you’ve gotten married, what would you add to the list?! Let’s help our engaged sisters out! xo

Gifts We Use Daily 

— Our dishes (plates, bowls, pasta bowls, etc.). Over a year in and I still love the style we selected–Marin from Crate & Barrel. Classic and match with any table setting while adding an organic touch to every meal.
— Silverware. This style is the perfect weight, IMO! Mitch’s only request on the registry was that our silverware didn’t feel like holding a pencil (lol), and these deliver while also feeling stylized. 
— Wood cutting board. This is our go-to for chopping allll the veggies and produce to avoid plastic, and we honestly reach for it almost every day. We are so thankful for this!
— Cuisinart 4-in-1 Coffee Maker. We love this guy. It makes full pots on one side, single cups on the other, plus has options for espresso shots and steamed milk. We use this reusable pod with it so we can load our own ground coffee in the single cup side. 
— Wüsthof knives. Instead of going for a big knife set, we opted for a few nice pieces that’ll last us years and years, and I’m so grateful we did. We truly don’t need 15 knives; these few work perfectly, and, as they say, quality over quantity.
— There are more, of course, these are the first ones that jump out!

Gifts We Use Weekly or Bi-Weekly

— These plates. I pull them out fairly often, but they’re not our daily go-tos. I was overjoyed to get these from the couple who did our pre-marital counseling. It was such a sweet gesture, and if you’re getting married, I hope you put something on your registry just because it’s beautiful and you think it’ll spark joy in your life. These definitely do!
— Glass Baking Bowls. Not a daily use, but they are so convenient and make baking, cooking, and prepping a breeze. Glass > Plastic.
— All-Clad Pans. I am so grateful for these, too! The quality is incredible. Sizzling, sauteeing, and simmering any dish is easy as can be with these pans.
— Meat Thermometer. This has been a gamechanger in cooking (and serving!) any kind of meat, but especially chicken. Getting it cooked all the way through without overdoing it is an art, but this tool makes it more of a science and eliminates all my raw chicken fears.
— Pepper Mill. This just elevates every single dish, any day of the week. Yes, it’s great for hosting, but it also makes an ordinary meal feel a little more special. And who doesn’t love that?!
— Ruffle Serving Bowl. I smile every time I look at this piece—it’s just so pretty! Plus, it’s the perfect size for serving just about anything. Including, but not limited to, a bowl of popcorn for movie night. 🙂
— Cast Iron Skillet. This is what makes me reallyyy feel like an official Texan—cooking anything and everything I can out of this kitchen gadget (which is not something I grew up around in the Midwest). I love this and smile every time I use it. Yeehaw!

Gifts we LOVE for Hosting

— Salad Serving Bowl. This is both massive and beautiful! Perfect for serving a refreshing salad for guests, whether it’s the main event or a side dish. 
— Drink Dispenser. This is one of the best hosting hacks I’ve found. Setting up a drink station where this dispenser is full of water, iced tea, or a fun cocktail gives guests the opportunity to grab a refill on their own accord—which allows you to focus on everyone else. This base for the dispenser is essential. We love it!
— Ice Holder + Scoop. This also fills out the drink station and makes for ice cold drinks all night. We use it every time we have people over for dinner. 
— Wine Cooler. Beautiful and essential. It makes serving wine as easy as pie. 

Surprise Gifts We Got that We Love (AKA, Off-Registry)

— Staub Pot. This was seriously the best surprise and is one of our most-used pots. It’s the perfect size to cook for two, and the cast iron finish inside adds a mouthwatering seasoning to everything we cook. Love!
— Staub Roasting Pan. I was not expecting to cook so much in this, but we use it weekly. I roast chicken, casseroles, and more in it as it’s the perfect size for both coordinated meals  and meal prepping basics.
— Custom Cutting Board. This was such a thoughtful gift—a handcrafted piece from the talented carpenter Clay Aaronson (a nationally recognized talent who has a connection to my fam). It’s a nod to home and such a fun design. We love it!
— Estelle Wine Glass gift card. A pleasant surprise, indeed! I saved the giftcard until the Mousse color came out, and I’m so glad I did. So fun to pick our own colored wine glasses for a fun table setting, party theme, and generally just more fun!
— Anthropologie Butter Dish Holder. This one was so thoughtful… My aunt noticed we had this pie dish on our registry (which was another one of my favorite items) and gifted us the matching butter dish. Equal parts thoughtful and beautiful—the best kind of gift!

Gifts We Love but Don’t Use Often

— Allllll the wine glasses. Don’t get me wrong. I’m so glad we have them, and I love what we selected (especially these—I’m obsessed with this shape). And I know as we continue over the years they will come in so handy. But we don’t host big enough dinner parties to put them all to use yet. Hoping we’ll get there, though!
— Food Processor. This is a quality piece of machinery, and I know we will have (and use) it forever. But so far, I’ve mostly used our immersion blender when I’ve needed to blend or grind things up. I probably need to find fancier recipes, ha!
— These extra large platters. I seriously overestimated how many people we would be hosting at one time, lol. These will be so nice to have down the road when we host Thanksgiving someday, but that is someday, and today I can tell you we haven’t used much (yet!!). 

What I Wish We Would’ve Added (or Added More of)

— A Glass Berry Bowl. Pretty shortly after getting married I picked this one up from Crate & Barrel because I didn’t know what to put our washed fruit in. This is perfect, glass (read: not plastic), and this shade of green makes me smile every time I open the fridge.
— More storage containers. We got one set of these (which have been my go-to for years) and put them to work immediately. An essential for newlyweds wanting to organize. 🙂
— Different Towels. We went off the collective recommendation from friends and family that Pottery Barn towels are the GOAT, and maybe we are the minority, but we find them a little scratchy / not super soft. I wish I would’ve gone to the store to touch them before immediately adding to our registry.
— A Handheld Strainer. This is so handy and something I use weekly. Would have been nice to add to the registry.
— Battery Operated Candles. We would have used these daily from the moment we got them vs. a few other pieces we use once in a blue moon.

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Post Scripts

— What’s In My Makeup Bag Right Now
— My Packing Tips & Tricks & Essential Products
— My Favorite Pieces from the Gap this year (including these cheetah pants!)— If you love writing (or have a friend, daughter, or coworker who does), don’t miss my writing guide: Ready, Set, Write. It helps anyone take their creative desire and turns it into a practical, approachable, and consistent rhythm.