You thought you didn't need it but now you love it (and other wedding registry ideas)...

[Ann.without.an.e]

DD was asking for more wedding registry ideas and it got me thinking about things that came to me in life that I ended up using way more than I thought I would. 

A large set of matching, quality silverware and serving pieces. When DH's boss got us the 12 place setting set and a serving set, it felt excessive. There were two of us!!!  Welp, I just ordered dd the 12 place setting and serving set of the set they registered the 4 place setting of 😆

A salad spinner. Especially since I like to grow my own lettuce and greens. Makes washing them so nice. When a friend gave me one, I looked at DH that evening and laughed "what do I need this for?" 

Tongs. I went years without metal tongs but then I got a few basic metal ones to serve an event and just had them in my drawer. I use those things for everything. They are great for keeping your hands clean, like when you're transferring putting meat into a hot pan, etc. 

Good knives. Enough said.

Pasta Bowls. Like the plain white, wide corelle ones. We use these for salad meals, making grain bowls, soups, etc but they also work great as serving bowls too.

The thin epicurean cutting boards. They take up so little room and work so well. I love them. I can also keep like 4 in the same depth of space that I used to keep one thick wooden one. 

A cake pan with a fitting lid

I recently got this batter pourer. Oh y'all, game changer for making pancakes but also putting batter into cupcake tins. 

Little bowls. Like the ones that hold a cup or so. Perfect for little hands, small desserts, sauces, etc. I love these. I got some to replace mine since my set has gotten broken over the years. Are these not the cutest things ever. DD dropped two from a tall cabinet the other day and they didn't break. I mean, they are breakable technically but they are pretty tough considering. 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083HCZ7WT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

What things would be MUSTS if you were making a registry now?

 

 

Edited April 25, 2022 by Ann.without.an.e

[Pintosrock]

1. Cake stand - Officially, if you turn ours different ways, it's supposed to be a veggie tray, punch bowl or cake stand. We just use it for cakes. Every birthday.

2. Ice cream making attachment for KitchenAid and a giant Tupperware container for storing the ice cream.

Clearly, we're dessert people!

[prairiewindmomma]

Someone gave us a pizza stone. Stoneware wasn’t super popular a couple of decades ago, and I didn’t really know how to condition the stone. I used it mostly to regulate my oven temperature the first decade. We started making our own pizzas a few years ago and it now not only gets weekly use, but we bought a second stone. It’s great for cooking free form loaves of bread as well, but I still don’t like it for cookies.

A good food processor and a good mixer are essential. I really wish I had asked for nicer small kitchen appliances.

[Tenaj]

A fireproof security chest.  We received one for our wedding and now that's my go-to gift for most weddings because we would never have thought to ask for it.

Another idea is a large cooler on wheels.  We received this, too, and it was so helpful!  (Our wedding was in the era before coolers had wheels but now I would get one with wheels as a gift and probably fill it up with something 🙂

Another idea I've seen on a lot of registries lately is games which I think is fun!

[popmom]

I totally agree with the salad spinner, but not just any spinner. It must be OXO. 🙂 

I actually gifted this to a bride awhile back. She hadn’t registered for it. 😂

[Ann.without.an.e]

15 minutes ago, Pintosrock said:

1. Cake stand - Officially, if you turn ours different ways, it's supposed to be a veggie tray, punch bowl or cake stand. We just use it for cakes. Every birthday.

 

I have one of these and love it 🙂  DD picked one up at a consignment shop and was so excited. 

 

12 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

 

A good food processor and a good mixer are essential. I really wish I had asked for nicer small kitchen appliances.

 

ok so funny, those are two things I was going to add to the list above but didn't want to make too long of a list. 

I was like 15 years into marriage before I had a food processor and I don't know why I waited so long!

[Katy]

Two of those cheap roll up stainless grills that go over the sink. Great for dish drying, food prep when you want to be near the sink, even leaving the colander full of pasta on to finish draining for a few minutes. Or to keep family members with ADHD from pouring something gross into the clean colander when you’re cooking pasta. Throw it into the dishwasher every night and it’s perfect the next day. 

Elbow length oven mits with silicone over the palm side of the hand. Not only protection from inevitable distractions when you’re pulling something hot out of the oven, the silicone increases grip strength and allows me to open cold jars of pasta sauce that I ordinarily need to run under hot water first or have DH open. 

[Ann.without.an.e]

1 minute ago, popmom said:

I totally agree with the salad spinner, but not just any spinner. It must be OXO. 🙂 

I actually gifted this to a bride awhile back. She hadn’t registered for it. 😂

She'll probably be like "Why do I want this?" and then wonder how she lived without it 🤣

Older dd got three as wedding gifts though 😆  The idea must be catching on 

[Katy]

Oh and I’d get her a second 12 place settings of the flatware… she can leave it in the box until she has kids or a big party, but the pattern she chose might no longer be made and 12 spoons isn’t enough when you have more than one kid & everyone gets the flu. 

[Bambam]

Immersion blender.
Good knives.
wooden spoons - we have two sets from PC - one set is spoons, one has flat ends. Both are very useful.
Chopper. I got a chopper that you just press down on to cut up onions/whatever as any more, my hands get very tired/cramp if I cut up very  much of an onion. This was a nice glass bowl and you control the size of the stuff by how long you press down to get it to chop. It isn't great, but it is so useful. I could use my food processor, but this is small, stores easily, and cleans up easily.
Stand mixer - I did without one for years, but when I started making bread and pizza dough regularly, it has been very handy. I could get along without it, but I'm thankful for it now!
I like my plain white Corelle plates/bowls - easy to replace if you need more, you can find it everywhere, and I prefer something that isn't patterned (because I would get tired of it)
Brownie spatula - this thing is so nice to get brownies out. 
Pizza Stone if someone makes pizzas or cookies. I really only make pizzas though!
A good peeler. So essential to have a good one that doesn't hurt your hand. 

[LifeLovePassion]

Rubbermaid toolbox step stool. We have used it constantly. 

[vonfirmath]

The two wedding gifts we got that get used ALL the time are:

A good set of knives (Wustoff I think -- but this is very personal to each couple. We went and tried them out until we found a set that both my husband and I liked the feel of) 

Our All Clad Dutch Oven

We didn't get it for our wedding because I already had one -- but I'd advise a Kitchen Aid if your bride does not. It also gets LOTS of use.

 

[Mrskitty76]

An immersion blender!

[Carol in Cal.]

In the "I didn't know" category:

Krups ice cream maker

A BIG Pyrex bowl, with a sleek pattern, with a snap on lid and hot and cold inserts for the cloth case that went around it.  I was actively insulted by this barely above Tupperware, boring present, but it became useful.  I guess that means we got boring, LOL.

Little 1-2 person syrup pitchers.

A nice folding card table

In the "I knew, and I'm really glad we got this" category:

Belgian waffle iron (nonstick)

Sterling salt spoons because they are just so CUTE!

Demitasse cups in our China pattern, ditto

 

 

 

[Kareni]

We were given a tempered glass counter saver that gets used daily. (You can think of it as a large glass trivet that sits next to the stove.)  Ours is similar to this.

Seconding some nice wooden spoons. I like olivewood like this or these.

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

2 minutes ago, Carol in Cal. said:

I was actively insulted by this barely above Tupperware, boring present, but it became useful.  I guess that means we got boring, LOL.

Join the club.

Regards,

Another boring person

[Kareni]

We received three ice cream makers as wedding gifts. I would rather have received a set of stainless steel bowls. Our three bowls range from 3.5 to 7.5 quarts. I prefer a more upright bowl over a wider shallower bowl.

Regards,

Kareni

[BlsdMama]

We were really into camping.  An aunt bought us two really  nice sleeping bags that could be zipped together.  We celebrated 25 years last year - and just replaced DH's.  It was unique and great.  
Silicone sink mats - weird I know.  OXO everything - glass brush cleaner and toilet brush.  Spice rack is nice with spices if she cooks.  A nice basket because it's a catchall and because it's usefully decorative.  Stuff it with kitchen towels.  Really nice sheets if someone is so inclined: LL Bean

Coffee grinder or maker and these cups: Coffee Cups Because they scream morning after wedding Insta picture? 😉
 

[kbutton]

1 hour ago, LifeLovePassion said:

Rubbermaid toolbox step stool. We have used it constantly. 

And a Rubbermaid mop bucket. Those things are nearly indestructable.

[Bambam]

Came back to add my ThermoPro digital thermometer. I used it again tonight to verify the chicken was done. Anyone who ever cooks meat needs this thing.  I got my dd one for Christmas (less than $20!) - and it has a nice magnet on the back so you can put it on the refrigerator so you never have to look through a drawer to find it!

Edited April 26, 2022 by Bambam

[kbutton]

Storage containers for leftovers and/or reusable storage bags. Free of BPA and all the things, microwave safe, etc. I really like the Pyrex-style ones, though the lids are not really dishwasher safe (they break down if you don't hand wash them). 

Extra pillow cases and allergen covers.

Rotary grater for cheese with a handle that can be for left or right hand (we have a Zyliss one that is great). 

Regular box grater

Depending on whether they are moving into a house or apartment, and depending on the weather--snow shovel or other small tools. If they are in an apartment but do have bad weather, they have shovels that telescope down to fit in a trunk if you get stuck, etc. 

[Katy]

These are more of a luxury, but I also love:

- Glass lock food storage containers

- wide mouth canning jars with plastic twist on lids for food storage.

- pretty glass spice jars & a drawer insert

- glass jars for kitchen staples, beans, nuts, popcorn, pasta, etc. Pretty labels. DH says unboxing groceries and decanting stuff like cereal & pasta is a waste of time, but I love seeing food not labels when I look in my pantry. And when it’s pretty I’m much more likely to spend time there and cook from scratch.

-a silicone popcorn bowl so you can make microwave popcorn and control the ingredients 

[TechWife]

Plain white dish set - dinner plates, salad bowls, lunch plates, bread plates, coffee cups. Also: gravy boat,  sugar bowl, cream pitcher and a sweetener holder. All the plate sizes come in handy on nearly a daily basis. All white matches everything - all seasons, all party themes, it never clashes with the food. I finally chose a set with a pattern that has an indefinite life span, so if something breaks I can easily replace it and everything still matches. 

Plain white service pieces for a party. White for the same reason as above. These come out routinely and I don’t have to worry about having something on hand that something will fit in that also looks good on a table. Tiered plate stands, chip & dip bowl w/removable dip bowl, platter, silverware caddy, cold drink dispenser, cheese server, chill tray for cold items, catering dinner plates & silverware.  

[Ottakee]

Carbon monoxide/smoke detector.  After my sister almost died from CO poisoning that is a go to gift.

if they are both just moving out then basic first aid supplies, thermometer, etc can come in handy.

ditto for office supplies like envelopes, stamps, tape, paper clips,etc….all that stuff adds up.

anotyer theme is basic tools if they don’t have them.  I got a small kit as a shower gift but a larger set toils be nice if they don’t have tools.

[TechWife]

22 minutes ago, BlsdMama said:

OXO everything - glass brush cleaner and toilet brush. 
 

OXO products are amazing. I have some cooking utensils and cleaning tools. I’ve also done a couple of shelves in my pantry with their pop up containers- so easy to find everything now.  Their duster is very sturdy. Their toothbrush sized scrub brushes get into all the nooks in drains & caulk. 

[Resilient]

This spinning veggie chopper.  If I no longer did "big food" like for shelter groups, I would totally ditch my food processor. This thing is GREAT and it cleans up as fast as a knife (almost).  (Unlike a food processor...which I admit is useful when shredding 49 onions and 24 pounds of cheese.)

https://www.amazon.com/ZYLISS-Easy-Chopper-Manual-Processor/dp/B00UZEZ196/ref=asc_df_B00UZEZ196/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167142021489&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13895383175950767146&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9052182&hvtargid=pla-274075829648&psc=1

Extra spoons in the flatware set. 

A good Dutch/French oven.  If I had it to do over I wouldn't get a pan set.  I would get best of breed in each type of pan. It would have saved me a lot of money over the years.  2 quart saucepans, that sort of thing don't need to be extra special, but my high-heat 7-layer DeMeyre skillet is indispensable, and so is the French oven.   I just wish they didn't weigh a ton. Each.

Same with knives. Don't get a knife set. Get a best of breed in each knife you use, and you really don't need that many.  And Cutco knives are very good--the table knives are the best steak knives I've ever used.

How much fun is it to think about this!

[ScoutTN]

Seconding olive wood spoons, and immersion blender

Love, love my enameled cast iron dutch oven and Williams-Sonoma silicone spatulas (long handles). Also a salt cellar and pepper grinder for beside the stove. 
 

We were gifted a set of nice beach towels as newlyweds and loved them.

[DreamerGirl]

Instant Pot

Marble pastry board if she is into baking or making flat breads

Wooden rolling pin

Immersion blender

Butter bell

Stainless steel bakeware

Cookie sheets

Plain white plates

Knives

 

 

 

[El...]

A really decent blender

A good chef's knife

 

[Emba]

A set of good mixing bowls

 a set of good knives

 cake plate

 

[Emba]

Not a wedding gift, but early in my marriage my dad saw me climb on a chair to get something, thought it was terribly unsafe,  and bought me a folding step stool for either my birthday or Christmas. It was not a very fun gift but it is terribly useful. And safe.

[Tanaqui]

Rice cooker - yeah, you can cook on the stove, but you're more likely to screw it up AND you're taking up a burner

A whetstone - you really should hone your knife before you use it, every time. You still have to get them sharpened regularly but this keeps them usable between visits without a risk of nicking yourself

 

[alysee]

Silicone muffin cups and silicone baking mat if they like to bake. 

Step stool if your daughter is short. 

Scissors. Kitchen and regular. 

Not a necessity but it's a nice gift that people seem to love to give are Mason Cash mixing bowls. We have 4 of them and they are pretty and have stood up to 10 years of use. 

[Shoeless]

Silpats and cooling racks. I use both every week. 

Instant Pot and the little insert to do pot-in-pot cooking. Once I figured out how to make chicken and rice at the same time, I was like "Whyyyy have I waited so long to try this!?"

Silicone spoons and spatulas of various sizes, so you can get the last bit of peanut butter/ketchup/mayo/cake batter out. 

A digital kitchen scale. 

[HomeAgain]

I agree with all of these, but I'm also going to say a spot cleaner, like the little Green Machine.  Between kids and weather, ours gets so much use.

Silpats were mentioned.  I actually bought these for dh and he was like..."thanks??" 6 months later he was over the moon about them. 

And, while it doesn't get a lot of use, the dryer attachment for a vacuum is well worth it. It's great in cars, too.

[Elizabeth86]

15 hours ago, Tenaj said:

A fireproof security chest.  We received one for our wedding and now that's my go-to gift for most weddings because we would never have thought to ask for it.

Another idea is a large cooler on wheels.  We received this, too, and it was so helpful!  (Our wedding was in the era before coolers had wheels but now I would get one with wheels as a gift and probably fill it up with something 🙂

Another idea I've seen on a lot of registries lately is games which I think is fun!

That's brilliant! The security chest. 

I always like the idea of a small toolset for inside stuff. Even if the husband has ALL the tools one might need, I like having screwdrivers and what not in the house for changing batteries and such. 

[Murphy101]

Bella ceramic electric water kettle is my go to gift for anything house warming/first apt/wedding.  You’d be surprised how many Americans have no idea how amazing an electric water kettle is. I could live without a microwave easy but my whole house would throw a fit if we didn’t have that water kettle. All my grown kids say when people visit the water kettle is always ohhed over.

Instapot is another

Led electric candle set with a timer remote. I love these. I have mine set to come on at 8pm or 11pm and go off 4 hrs later. It’s like when we grew up we traded night lights for instant ambiance. No fumbling for a light switch when getting a later drink of water and there’s “always a light on” for late home comings.

the $10 food mincer we got at our wedding was used almost every day for decades before we had to replace it. Cut cooking prep by half. 

[Murphy101]

15 hours ago, Tenaj said:

A fireproof security chest.  We received one for our wedding and now that's my go-to gift for most weddings because we would never have thought to ask for it.

Another idea is a large cooler on wheels.  We received this, too, and it was so helpful!  (Our wedding was in the era before coolers had wheels but now I would get one with wheels as a gift and probably fill it up with something 🙂

Another idea I've seen on a lot of registries lately is games which I think is fun!

These are very smart gifts! 

[kirstenhill]

One thing I got so much use out of that I didn't register for was an insulated bag with an over the shoulder carry strap that came with two deep pyrex rectangle dishes of an unusual size (with lids).  They are something like 9x5x3.  I thought it was so weird because they weren't the typical size of pyrex.  But as it turns out, it was perfect for bringing items to potlucks and for family parties or for packing dinner on the go....and it was awesome that two dishes could fit in one insulated bag.  I was really sad when the insulated bag bit the dust. 

We registered for camping gear and used the cooler we received for many years until we could afford a very nice one. We are still using the same Coleman camp stove we got 20 years ago as a wedding gift.  

I wished I would have registered for more serving bowls and platters. That was something I had to buy later, as I discovered that when you entertain as an adult having things in serving bowls when you host a family Thanksgiving or other holiday really looks much nicer than everything being in a pan or in the package you bought it in! 

Edited April 26, 2022 by kirstenhill

[skimomma]

I second the folding card table and chair set!  We got a set that we did not register for and it gets use on a  regular basis.  The components last forever (ours are 25 years and going strong) and if they are of no use to the recipient, they for sure can be passed along with no risk of ending up in a landfill or lingering on a thrift store shelf for years on end.  I say this because we also got several fancy crystal serving pieces that we did not register for.  We never ever used then, moved them across the country twice, and continually got annoyed at the space they were taking up in our cabinets until I finally donated them.  I am sure they are sitting on the same thrift store shelf that they got put on 5 years ago!  So much guilt!  I am sure they were expensive but anyone who knew us had to know we are not fancy crystal people!

 

[HS Mom in NC]

Floor jack.  My brother rightly points out that most wedding gift registries are for the bride, and it's 2 people getting married, so his go to wedding gift is a floor jack.

[ScoutTN]

Pretty trays, large and medium sized.

A couple of pretty glass pitchers.

Medium sized whisk.
Electric griddle.

Extra serving pieces to go with my flatware. I have four spoons and two forks; only one of each came with the set. 

[ScoutTN]

1 minute ago, HS Mom in NC said:

Floor jack.  My brother rightly points out that most wedding gift registries are for the bride, and it's 2 people getting married, so his go to wedding gift is a floor jack.

The best one Dh got was a grill, from my aunt who had only sons and knew the groom’s perspective well. 

[Murphy101]

A BBQ grill. We got a small one for our wedding and used it for many years and Dh was happy About it. 

[Clarita]

Ratcheting screwdriver

Immersion Blender (people who make good blenders also make good immersion blenders)

Kitchenaid Stand Mixer

Pressure Canner (Can also be used as Pressure Cooker). I guess Instant pot are popular now but I think Pressure canner does what I would want Instant pot to do.

Slow Cooker (or a crockpot)

Cold Hard CASH. My husband had already lived by himself for a while and so actually had a bunch of stuff like the stand mixer, immersion blender, dishes, etc. What we really needed was remodeling our house. Alas, doorknobs, electrical outlets, switches, drills were not what people wanted to get us as wedding presents. So I got a whole bunch more plates, flatware, cups, serving dishes that I honestly didn't "need" (they were nice but, I had to put enough to serve like 20-30 people - people complained that I needed more stuff on my registry). Just saying every couple needs different things to start out. Seriously most of the newly weds I know really just need rent money or money for down payment on a house or car or something.

[DreamerGirl]

Carbon steel pans.

I love cast Iron but it hates me. so carbon steel it is.  Seems easier to take care of.

 

[AnneGG]

First time I was sick without my mom I realized I didn’t own a thermometer. So I’d say, First Aid kit. 😂

All their favorite family recipes passed down in a nice box or tin. 
 

Compost bin.
 

Doorbell cam.
 

Command hooks. The big pack. 😂
 

Wood chip/color repair kit. That first move was brutal. So many dings in our nice, new furniture. Repair kit for the win.  

Edited April 30, 2022 by AnneGG

[cintinative]

A thermapen. Seriously so worth the money.

Our LeCreuset dutch oven.

Really good chef's knife

I love the fire safe idea.

[wintermom]

It makes a big difference whether the couple will be living in a small place,  moving or traveling a lot,  and their likes and dislikes. What works for some people could be utterly useless for others. 

I had a salad spinner, bamboo steamer, 12 place settings,  and never used them or had space for them. I felt bad, but I ended up ditching a lot of stuff and wished that people just gave cash. 😕 

Edited April 30, 2022 by wintermom

[BlsdMama]

On 4/26/2022 at 7:40 AM, Murphy101 said:

Bella ceramic electric water kettle is my go to gift for anything house warming/first apt/wedding.  You’d be surprised how many Americans have no idea how amazing an electric water kettle is. I could live without a microwave easy but my whole house would throw a fit if we didn’t have that water kettle. All my grown kids say when people visit the water kettle is always ohhed over.

I asked for one for Christmas after reading about one here.  It broke after a year or so.  We got another immediately and use it daily.