It was pretty early in our wedding planning process that I realized there was a ton we didn’t know, and how to make a wedding registry was at the top of the list. I understood the purpose—after all, I’ve purchased gifts from registries—but I didn’t have a good idea of how my husband and I should create one for ourselves. With no clue of where to start, I did what my scientific training taught me to do: research. That’s how I found Crate and Barrel.
I was super excited when Maddie told me that APW was partnering with them on registry roundups (I may have squealed at the news). I’m a huge fan now… but I didn’t know much about the Crate and Barrel brand until I started looking at registry options for myself. When I say I didn’t know much, I mean I knew the company name—but that’s about it. Around the same time that I was researching registries, my friend Erin told me about the fun she and her fiancé had at a Crate and Barrel registry event. The only thing that means more to me than online reviews is a personal one, so after she raved, I went over to the website to check it out for myself.
I don’t really have a design aesthetic (does anyone besides interior designers?), but if I can use it, it’s cute, and I feel the price is worth it, I’m sold. And I found a lot of stuff at Crate and Barrel that totally fit my vibe. So off we went to Crate and Barrel to start a registry of our own.
We missed out on one of the private registry events (which I hear are awesome), but we made our own fun in the store starting a registry on our own. My husband and I spent a couple of hours looking at everything from flatware to bar carts to rugs. My husband is an amateur chef, and he spent a good chunk of time browsing through their kitchen offerings and pointing out what he liked. He deemed me “keeper of the phone,” which meant I got the fun job of scanning bar codes to add them to our registry via the Crate and Barrel Wedding Registry App. We used the provided checklist as a starting point, but we also added items that we liked, thought were cool, or that we thought we’d love to use. I was immediately drawn to the clothes steamer (I hate ironing!), while my husband decided on a fancy bar cart.
I know some people find the registry experience to be stressful, but it turned into a fun afternoon and an opportunity to learn more about each other. Even though we lived together at the time, comparing products taught us things about each other that we’d never discussed before. It turns out my husband is really price conscious and wanted to make sure we provided lots of options for our guests, while I wanted to use our registry as an opportunity to upgrade some of the items we already had in our home. I got to see more of his likes and dislikes, as well as what he’s passionate about—like a really good set of knives for the kitchen. All of this could have been stressful, but Crate and Barrel made it… fun. We had the space to walk around and try things out, and ask questions of the staff with no pressure or sales pitches. Our only source of stress was agreeing on what to add!
Since our wedding, I’ve been obsessed with the offerings at Crate and Barrel, and some cool stuff has made it into our home (like a pizza stone we love). Now that my husband and I are embarking on our next adventure and having our first baby, we’re shopping a ton to get our home ready. But the baby doesn’t get all the good stuff—we’re also using this time to upgrade our bedroom, because new parents also deserve a nice space to get (a little) sleep in! With that in mind, if I could create a “new parents need an awesome bedroom” registry, this is the stuff I’d make sure to register for.
A Comfy Bed That You Can’t Wait To Sleep In
1. Gia Upholstered Bed 2. Belo Grey Sheet Set 3. Siesta Grey Blanket 4. Union Square Duvet Cover and Pillow Shams
If I could have only one piece of furniture, it would be a bed, complete with the best furnishings I could find. Sleeping is a secret hobby of mine, but I do a lot of other things in bed too—read, write sporadic blog posts, surf the web, knit, and watch Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix. I’d gladly spend all of my time in my bed, only getting out for trips to the bathroom and the kitchen. For years I’ve been daydreaming about the day when I could afford to buy an awesome bed, and then outfit it with soft sheets and comfy blankets to keep me warm. My daydreams have been answered with the Gia Upholstered Bed, Belo Grey Sheet Set, and Siesta Grey Blanket. Cute bed? Check. Comfy sheets that get softer with each wash? Check. Thick blanket to snuggle under? Check. Now all this dream bed needs is the Union Square Duvet Cover and Pillow Shams, and it’s perfect. Try getting me out of it!
Classic Storage For Everything
1. Harbor 5-Drawer Dresser 2. Water Hyacinth Oval Baskets 3. Harbor 5-Drawer Chest 4. Harbor Nightstands
Confession: I have a lot of stuff. Like, a lot. My husband continues to be amazed at how I can take over an entire dresser and two closets and still not have enough space for all my stuff. Add his stuff to my mountain of stuff and you get a bedroom that is in desperate need of storage space. We’ve given up on us both using the same dresser (that ship sailed a long time ago), so getting both the dresser and the chest from the Harbor Collection is a good choice. Separate dressers means we don’t have to fight over who gets more drawer space or have to live out of laundry baskets anymore (yay!). For the rest of the random stuff that makes it into our bedroom, like pillows, blankets, and magazines, the Water Hyacinth Oval Baskets will come in handy, along with the Harbor Nightstands. With all this storage, I can finally get our bedroom organized and looking presentable.
The Right Window Treatments
Wallace White Blackout Curtains
Since childhood, I’ve been cursed with the inability to sleep unless the room is completely dark. Once I discovered blackout curtains, I finally learned the joy of sleeping in or taking a nap in the afternoon. They’re now a must in my bedroom. Normally blackout curtains come in dark colors like black, brown, or blue… which are, for lack of a better word, a downer. I mean, I love a pitch-black room when I’m ready to sleep, but during the day I need all the light I can get. These Wallace White Blackout Curtains are great because they’re white. Do they work? Reviews say yes. Clearly, I need them.
Fun Stuff, Cause It’s Not All About Sleeping
1. Hug/Kiss Pillow Cases 2. Bedside Alarm Clock 3. Glow Table Lamp
As I mentioned, I do everything in my bedroom; it’s my favorite place to hang out and relax. I like the functional stuff, but my favorites are always the little extra things that make my bedroom a great place to hang out. I’m totally going to use these Hug/Kiss Pillow Cases as a subliminal message for my husband. We may be having a baby, but we’re also still newlyweds. Speaking of my husband, he always complains about the lights and my alarm in the morning, so a Glow Table Lamp and a Bedside Alarm Clock seem like a good idea. Though word on the street is that babies are their own alarm clocks, so… that’s one thing I might not need to worry about when outfitting my “I’m a parent now” crib.
This post was sponsored by Crate and Barrel Wedding Registry. Crate and Barrel understands that a registry isn’t just a shopping list; it’s an opportunity to define what home means with your partner. Whether you’ve been together for years and already have most of the basics, or you’re just getting started, Crate and Barrel has registry options for every relationship. Plus, get like-price guarantee, free shipping, and exclusive pieces from Crate and Barrel’s artists and designers when you sign up for a Crate and Barrel Wedding Registry today. Click here to learn more or sign up for a live Crate and Barrel registry event near you.
