It can be hard to tell what you should really put on your bridal registry. If you aren’t experienced at running a household, it might seem like pre-assembled cookware kits and fancy, dedicated implements such as butter warmers and pasta cookers are a great idea.
In real life, though, these items tend to be wasted. Preassembled sets tend to have plenty of pieces that no one uses, and dedicated implements take up space, while rarely finding use. Instead of wasting your registry on items you will never use, consider these ideas.
1. A coffee maker or a juicer, whichever beverage you like a lot
If you love your daily shots of coffee or like juicing everything in sight for your health, registering for a luxury appliance for the job can be a good idea. You need to make sure that your love of these beverages is strong enough to justify the expense and the space on the countertop that these large appliances take up, though.
2. Plenty of serving pieces
It might seem sensible to register for fine china to be able to entertain your guests in style, when they come. In real life, the thought of hand-washing these delicate items will likely put you off using them, altogether.
Rather you will appreciate practical serving pieces. Look for simple, inexpensive plates and bowls in different sizes.
3. Get a rice cooker
Perfectly steamed rice doesn’t really need a special appliance – you simply boil raw rice in a pot of water on the stove. However, you need to know exactly how to partially cover the pot, how high to turn the heat up and other such subtleties. If you have a hard time with rice, getting a rice cooker that can do a perfect job in 10 minutes, will be a valuable appliance to own.
4. Food preparation bowls
Many bridal registries are full of large and heavy ceramic or stainless steel food preparation pots. While such items could be useful for heavy-duty kitchen projects, they aren’t likely to come in handy every day. You would do much better registering for many small- and medium-sized bowls to hold in all the ingredients of a recipe while you prepare to use them.
5. A quality thermometer
For anyone who doesn’t have a range with dependable temperature monitoring, an accurate kitchen thermometer is a valuable tool. If you live in rented apartments or homes, you can never tell what kind of kitchen appliances you’ll get. This tool will always help you when an oven’s inbuilt monitoring won’t.
More: 10 Wedding Items Worth Splurging On
6. Bar accessories
While most bridal registries include wine glasses, they forget the preparation accessories: shakers, decanters, pitchers, tongs, whisks etc. Boxed cocktail tool sets can be a great idea for the affordable section of your bridal registry. Many quality sets come in at no more than $25.
7. Items for your hobbies
Your bridal registry isn’t exclusively for the practical things that you need. If you have a hobby that you’re deeply involved in, such as camping, kayaking, skiing, art, music, car engine rebuilding or anything else, your bridal registry is the place to turn to. You can put important equipment that you’ve always wanted on this list.
8. Picture frames
Right after the wedding, you will be very interested in displaying your favorite wedding pictures all around your home. It’s a given that you will need to buy picture frames. With great picture frames selling for no more than $15 or $20, these are wonderful items to put on the inexpensive side of your bridal registry.
9. If there’s something that you’re embarrassed to ask for
Many people tend to be judgmental about the items they see on bridal registries. If what you ask for sounds like a luxury, rather than a necessity, they are likely to secretly feel that you’re indulging yourself at their expense. If you really want an iPhone, an expensive camera, or perhaps something naughty for the bedroom, it’s a great idea to ask for a gift card, instead.
10. Luggage for your honeymoon
This may seem like a bad idea at first. But think again and you will understand that it’s actually a great idea. You’ll need to pack your bags the day after your wedding to leave for your honeymoon.
If you don’t already have quality luggage, there’s no reason to spend on it. You can register.
More: 11 Ways to Plan a Super-Fast Wedding
Whatever you wish to register for, it’s important that you think about what your guests are likely to feel good about. Gift-giving isn’t just meant to make the receivers happy. It’s also supposed to make the givers feel good about themselves.
What things do you want to include in your wedding registry?
