as I mentioned the other day, our one year anniversary inspired a few wedding wednesday posts based on questions I’ve gotten from readers over the past few months about honeymoons, registering, wedding details, whatever!
Registering for wedding gifts is so much fun – what girl wouldn’t love shopping with a digital gun for things to start your newly married life with and having things you asked for arriving by the UPS man? – but can be overwhelming. My friends and I have discussed things with our weddings we would have done differently, and things with registering as well. So today I just wanted to share a few of the things that over the past year to two years we use and love, and things we didn’t need or don’t get as much use.
:: monograms ::
One tip a friend gave me that I thought was priceless, especially for me:
do not monogram every single thing on your registry.
me: WHAAAT? if it doesn’t move, I monogram it.
however, the idea is you may (will) change your mind on some things, and if it is monogrammed you can’t return it. I monogrammed half of the things, and if I had something I loved that wish I had monogrammed, I returned it and paid for it to get monogrammed myself.
lets be real and start with what is most important. if you don’t have a good wine opener, now is the time. people like those new fangled electric ones, but I like the rabbit the best. plus it requires a small amount of arm movements – so you get your workout in for the day and earn your pinot grigio.
:: DIshes and Flatware ::
Definitely register for great everyday plates and flatware that you love. You’re using it every single day and will see it more than anything else you probably register for. Make sure you love it. For us, it was classic white { We did traditional white pottery barn dinnerware } For you, it may be something crazy and printed. Just make it something you really love.
I meannnn you just have to and you’re crazy if you don’t and you’ll LOVE it.
ps. macy’s puts everything, but especially these, on sale a few times per month. so if you and friends are gifting one for a girlfriend, wait until the crazy sale (like right now, they are $200 off). that pretty much goes for everything at macy’s.
:: China and Crystal ::
our china is pickard from fragile gifts in atlanta
I’ve realized that not everyone does china (especially here in Chicago), and especially not everyone does crystal. I feel as though in the South china is still a standard must on the registry list, but I know “times have changed”. Ladies – when you’re fiancé tells you China and Crystal is silly, tell him so is (___insert pointless or ridiculous or hideous thing you watched him pick up in the store and you just smiled and nodded__) but if he wants to put it on the list, then so be it 🙂 I LOVE our china and crystal, and sure we don’t eat off of it everyday, but I have been using it as much as possible since it recently arrived.
annnnnnd obviously monogrammed is the way to go in my mind.
I’m sure there are a gazillion amazing brands, and many brands much better than what we have, but we have Wusthof knives and I love them. They were life changing compared to my $50 full knife block set from Target….. and when I sliced through an avocado with them for the first time and then almost sliced through my hand I realized DAMN these things are great. Almost cost me a trip to the hospital, but great.
sooooo, just sayin’, this is probably one of my and kip’s favorite things. it is so cute, has the two compartments, large enough to hold the INSANE amount of laundry we somehow go through every week…….love. this and our suitcases were favorites of ours.
again, I’m sure there are tons of great nice options, but the point is definitely register for nice pots and pans that will stand the test of time. We love our calphalon pans. and our le crueset.
I am obsessed with my mini-prep food processor, but for just the two of us, and for the city living small space, the full size is rarely used. I am still glad we registered for it because I know in the future when we have more space and more mouths it will get a lot more use (and I will fully become my idol Ina Garten when using it regularly). However, fine to just do the mini size if you ask me.
I also love our immersion blender, which takes up very minimal space as well.
SO, we have had mixed feelings with our Ninja Blender. The individual smoothie cups are much smaller than other brands and don’t fit much, and the full size blender isn’t as powerful as I feel it could be. (it makes kip crazy because the size is definitely too small for a smoothie for him)
I like it and we do use it often, however, if we did it again I would register for the Vitamix. I saw no reason for us to have such a fancy, expensive contraption. But I realize now, a few people could have gone in on it, and why not just put it on there and you can get it for yourself at the end of the day?! (many places like Macy’s give a big discount for any items left on your registry after your wedding) I’m now debating just getting a refurbished one (much cheaper) for us to use.
Kip and I have mixed feelings because he can’t stand it and I like it. However, I don’t drink coffee so my opinion isn’t as valid.
He doesn’t like how it makes tiny tiny cups and that the k-cups are expensive.
I love how I can just do a cup of hot water instantly for tea.
soooooo mixed feelings on that one…. if I were a coffee drinker maybe it would bug me too?
:: going off the registry ::
just my opinion, but if it is one of your close friends and you know their taste for sure, going off the registry is great. we got monogrammed tervis tumblers from friends and they are the cups I drink out of everyday. I LOVE tervis, add a monogram and its even better. it was such a thoughtful, personalized gift that is used constantly.
when buying for anyone that isn’t a close friend, I stick to the registry.
and to be honest I pretty much always stick to the registry for friends too and will add in something personal on the side for them in addition to it that I think they’d love. other people are super creative and much better at off-registry items than me though so what do I know 🙂
in all serious, my favorite things are always the $10 or less things that change your life. you realize you don’t know what you did without them before. (i.e. the tervis tumblers I just mentioned)
these little guys are used every single day.
its sad how much things like this make me happy.
and they’re so cute and tiny.
when kip and I were registering, a random married man came up to us and told us we had to register for this juicer because it was the best thing they got. he was right. it’s amazing.
I’ve posted about this before – get on it. life. changer.
no, but really…… I meant what I said about not monogramming everything,
BUUUTTTT
AND I HAVE.
most important, write genuine thank you notes and be gracious and thankful that your loved ones were so kind to gift you and your fiancé something. their presence at your wedding day is gift enough.
cough : great excuse for new monogrammed stationary too!
but not with married initials until married!
next week : honeymoon information. I’ve gotten lots of questions about st. lucia and hotel recommendations/what we thought/etc.
and you can click the wedding tab at the top for past wedding posts on our wedding!
Nice blog.
marathavadhuvar on Matchfinder is free. Register your bio-data for yourself or your loved one on Maratha matrimony.
I love love love your china- do you mind me asking where it is from? Such good ideas here, I can see how the don't monogram everything is a valuable suggestion, esp for someone as indecisive as me!
Thank you! Of course, I'll edit the post so it says it 🙂 Mine is specifically from Fragile Gifts in Atlanta but it is Pickard ! See the link below!
http://www.fragilegifts.com/store/product/62024/Pickard-China-Signature-Dinner-Plate-with-Monogram/