I recently grabbed coffee with a bride-to-be who was struggling with putting together her wedding gift registry. She asked if I had any recommendations for what to buy and what might end up gathering dust, which got me thinking about what I would do differently if I were to register again (after almost nine years of marriage)!

Since you can add virtually anything to a registry these days thanks to Amazon and Zola, it is super easy to get overwhelmed. Stay true to who you are as a couple - if you like quiet nights at home, reconsider ordering 50 wine glasses. And vice versa, if you love hosting elegant dinner parties, go all out with crystal and china!

Don't forget that you can always borrow items from family and friends when entertaining if you are tight on storage space or happen to only need a certain item once a year. 

My husband and I LOVE to entertain, but keep things pretty casual when we do. We didn't register for china or crystal, and I haven't regretted that decision a single day of our marriage. 

Here are my thoughts on a few common registry items:

LINENS: 

Sheets - Register for the nicest sheets possible, for you will be sleeping in them almost 1/3rd of your day! I like to have one back-up set for each bed, but no more than that as it is much easier to wash your sheets and put them back on the bed, versus trying to figure out how to fold that darn fitted sheet. 

Towels - We went with a pretty limited number of towels for our bathrooms, based on how often we do laundry.  Hotel Collection towels are my favorite and something we replenish every couple of years!.

Tablecloths & Napkins - I love fun paper napkins themed with the particular event I'm hosting, so if I were to register again, I'd likely opt to skip the cloth napkins, napkin rings and tablecloths. Call me crazy, but I just don't like spending my time ironing these items. 

KITCHEN: 

All of the Makers, i.e. Waffle Maker, Quesadilla Maker, Popcorn Maker - This was something we chose to skip, and we have never bought any sort of maker since. As much as we cook, we have found our trusty crockpot and griddle to be multi-purpose and work for just about any meal we are cooking!

Servingware - I have gotten a ton of use out of the white serving pieces I registered for from Crate and Barrel (not to mention the fact that they are dishwasher safe). They can work for any occasion, dressy or casual, and any food display looks perfect against the white background.

Everyday Plates/Silverware - We chose to go with a single set of everyday plates and silverware. These were a bit of a splurge at the time, but we have used them multiple times every day since getting married. And today, I just had to toss my first chipped plate. It's definitely worth it to splurge on great every day place settings!

Stand Mixer - This was the #1 item on my registry and I was beyond excited to start baking the minute I received it as a gift. I skipped registering for the attachments and haven't really ever thought twice about them. 

GLASSWARE:

Glasses: The glasses list is seemingly endless, with goblets, flutes, margarita, martini, white wine, red wine, highball, juice and beer options. 

If I were to register again, I'd limit my glass selection to 6 white glasses, 6 red and 8 drinking glasses (and of course, two champange flutes for the big toast). We have found that we can improvise with other glass types if we have larger groups coming over to hang.  

I think the most important thing to think about here is how often you intend to entertain and whether or not you plan to pull all of the glassware out. Sometimes it's just easier to go with plasticware if you have a large gathering! 

HOME DECOR: 

This is a tricky one and we totally felt it as we bought our house just two months prior to getting married. We didn't have much furniture and didn't really know what we wanted the space to end up looking like. 

I was glad we waited to find things we absolutely loved, and thinking back am sort of surprised I didn't go nuts with the SKU gun at Crate & Barrel. If you don't have furniture quite yet, consider holding off on buying pillows, throws, and random decor until those major pieces have been purchased.  

OTHER: 

Experiences - Something that wasn't around when we registered is a honeymoon registry. We totally would have jumped on this! I love the idea of purchasing a fun experience for a couple, whether it is a massage on the beach, ziplining in the jungle or a wine-tasting in a vineyard. And what a FUN gift to receive!!

Let's help future brides out there, what is your favorite item that made it onto your registry? And are there any items that you listed that you just don't find yourself reaching for? 

The Baer Minimalist helps busy families create ORGANIZED + STYLIZED spaces and events throughout Indianapolis. 

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