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Getting hitched this year? By now, you’ve probably chosen a super gorgeous wedding dress and taken care of the cake and wedding favors. But now it’s time to start adding a few items to your wedding gift registry that are essential for your newlywed abode. Because if there’s one thing more exciting than getting married to your partner in crime, it’s the fact that you get to build an entire home (and life!) together. Even if the wedding registry isn’t at the top of your to-do list during your wedding planning process, you will *definitely* want to consider these recommendations from real-life couples to make sure your list is packed with everything you two will actually use.
Picture Frames
“When it came to adding things to our registry, we were thinking about the basic bed, bath and kitchen items. But after the wedding, one of the main things we needed was picture frames! We felt like we were constantly running out to buy frames as our pictures came in from the photographer,” said Emily and Matt. Recommendation: Trixie Frames ($38+) from Anthropologie.
Waffle Maker
“We really wish we had added a waffle maker! We love brunch and always regret not putting one on our registry,” said Jaclyn and Matt. Recommendation: Breville No-Mess Classic Round Waffle Maker ($129) from Williams-Sonoma.
3. Experiences: “Honestly? If we could do a wedding registry all over again… We wouldn’t. Chad and I aren’t the materialistic type. And with us being so young we didn’t have the taste for sophisticated house decor or fancy matching kitchenware. We were thankful for all our gifts but didn’t really need them. We wish we thought of fundraiser for something we needed or something we could experience like a trip to different country,” said Min and Chad.
Serving Utensils
“As we relive our wedding and the happy memories that surround it, we think we would have asked for more serving utensils and place settings. We set up a traveling dinner with other couples and friends and as a new hostess, I can never be too prepared,” said Alexandra and Nyles. Recommendation: Teakwood Utensil Set ($108) from Anthropologie.
Hampers
“It was really easy to get caught up in all of the crazy kitchenware and appliances and forget to register for things outside of the kitchen/bathroom. We definitely wish we had registered for some nice hampers. It never even crossed our minds, but those would be much more useful on a daily basis than the knife sharpener we received!” said Jessica and Neil. Recommendation: Graphic Printed Hamper ($129) from West Elm.
Sheet Sets
“We put a ton of stuff on our registry and ended up getting partial sets of fancy napkin rings and other formal entertaining stuff that we probably won’t use as often. We wish we had put less items on the registry and stuck to the types of things we really needed in a new house like everyday dishes and linens,” said Stacey and Nick. Recommendation: Dot Sheet Set ($24+) from West Elm.
Basic Dish Sets
“When we were considering place settings we decided to register for pottery and stoneware from a local North Carolina art gallery instead of going the traditional route of registering for a china pattern. Although we love the handcrafted feel and rich colors of the stoneware, knowing now how often we use our dishes we would have also liked a simpler, more versatile china pattern,” said Lorna and Doug. Recommendation: White Pearl 4-Piece Set ($102) from Crate and Barrel.
Kitchen Table
“A nice, high-quality kitchen table would have been good to add to our registry. Furniture is often overlooked when creating your registry, but if it’s something you need, you should definitely add it,” said Laura and Matt. Recommendation: Kitchen Table ($399) from West Elm.
Holiday Linens
“We really registered for and bought a lot of things we wanted and needed. But we would have added more table linens and cloth napkins for special events like holidays. We hosted Thanksgiving and Christmas this past year so it would have been nice to have had a few things beforehand! It’s not for everyday use but it’s nice to have something to put out especially at family gatherings,” said Katie-Ann and Bryan. Recommendation: Modern Christmans Light Napkins ($34) from Izy and Oly.
Luggage Sets
“Looking back, we wish we had registered for a nice set of luggage! We travel pretty often and it would have been nice to start off with a fresh matching set,” said Cara and Max. Recommendation: TravelPro Hard Side Case ($150+) from Macy’s.
Vacuum Cleaner
“Practical, but if we knew then what we know now, this would have been one of the first things we registered for, especially considering we use the vacuum pretty much every other day,” said Mallory and Austin. Recommendation: Dyson DC50 Vacuum Cleaner ($399) from Target.
Fancy Pillows
“When registering for bedding, we covered all the basics: sheets, shams, duvets and pillowcases. It never crossed our minds to upgrade our pillows! Luckily we received some gift cards and treated ourselves to some sweet zzz’s,” said Laura and Dave. Recommendation: Therapedic Cooling Gel Pillow ($50) from Bed Bath & Beyond.
Board Games
“Register for some things for fun! Don’t get solely caught up on items you need for your home. Consider adding some board games for future game nights, sporting equipment (like tennis racquets) or camping equipment, or gift cards for good date night spots in your town (movie theater, mini golf, etc.),” said Hannah and Brandon. Recommendation: Portal: The Uncooperative Board Game ($100) from Amazon.
Serving + TV Trays
“We found out that TV trays (the mini table top stand you put in front of the couch) was a necessity. We learned that we needed it one night while having an at-home dinner & movie night, and it was extremely complicated to eat without a tray!” said Monique and Juan. Recommendation: Birdie Folding Tray Table ($42) from Wayfair.
Better Cookware
“We wish we would have registered for better quality cookware. By registering on the cheaper end we unfortunately will have to replace some pieces sooner rather than later,” said Jenny and Ryan. Recommendation: All-Clad Stainless Steel 5-Piece Set ($400) from Williams-Sonoma.
