I got married when I was twenty-two. While Michael and I had been living together for a few years, the majority of the items in our house were a combination of hand-me-downs and college purchases from Target or Walmart, most of which were showing signs of our half-dozen moves and many of which only worked… some of the time. So when it came time to build our registry, it wasn’t just because we were supposed to. We were exactly the kind of couple that registries were made for, in that we were really just starting to build our life together (both physically and emotionally). What I didn’t expect (and probably should have) was that all the registry websites would insist that every item was essential, so figuring out which things would become part of our daily routine only happened through a combination of diligent research and five years of married life.
There’s a lot of conflicting information online about what should go on your registry. (You must have fine china! China is a waste of cupboard space! Register for expensive stuff! No, keep the registry small! You have to have a registry! Don’t even bother!) At the end of the day, registries are a personal choice and there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to the things you must have for your marriage (because I have it on good authority that no two couples are the same, and that it’s hard to predict what you’re going to need in your home for the next fifty years). And if you have next-to-no experience in homemaking, it can be really hard to parse out what’s actually important from what’s supposed to be important. So today, in partnership with Crate & Barrel (where I actually did register), I’ve rounded up the fifteen household items that have become the essential building blocks of our daily routine. These items have not only held up nicely against my less-than-gentle approach to housewares, but they’ve also made my life (and subsequently, our marriage) easier in very real, “Yay, our breakfast doesn’t have flakes of non-stick coating in it,” kinds of ways. Which I think is exactly what registries were designed for, before the Internet took hold of them.
1. A Burr Grinder: Our home runs on coffee (it’s the first word spoken in our house most weekends). Michael and I have more coffee appliances in our home than we know what to do with, but the one that gets the most use by far is our burr grinder—partly because it’s so easy to use, but also because it’s genuinely a better quality cup of coffee than pre-ground. (Burr grinders give a more even grind than blade grinders, and you can adjust the coarseness of your grind to your liking.) For the less spacious kitchen, there are hand-held versions that do the job just as well but take up less counter space. (A. Baritza Encore coffee grinder and B. Hario Skerton Grinder)
2. A dishwasher safe cutting board: Food blogs have given me a serious case of chopping-block-envy. (They’re so pretty in pictures!) But most chopping blocks are hand-wash only. One of the perks of living in the middle of nowhere is that middle-of-nowhere homes typically come furnished with dishwashers, which have made Michael and me… lazy. So in my experience, hand-wash only items more frequently end up used as decor than regular use. So we keep an inexpensive dishwasher-safe cutting board in our house for the heavy duty cooking. Bonus: these Epicurean boards (which come in non-animal shape varieties) are eco-friendly and handcrafted in Minnesota. (Epicurean natural dishwasher-safe pig board)
3. A Good Chef’s Knife: Unless you or your partner is a serious cook, you don’t need a $1,000 set of cooking knives to get you through weekly meals. But a good chef’s knife is one of those things that makes kitchen prep easier not just for experienced chefs, but for novices alike. (In fact, maybe even a little more so for novices, because a good knife can make up for lack of experience when it comes to speed and accuracy.) And since seasoned chefs are passionate about their knives, this is one of those gifts that will make someone on your guest list very happy to purchase. (Robert Welch Signature 5.5″ Santoku Knife)
4. A good set of pots and pans: I grappled with some of the more expensive items on our registry. I internalized the messaging from indie wedding media that if you’ve been together forever, you shouldn’t use your registry as an excuse to get nicer things. I was afraid to register for super expensive pots and pans if I was never going to use them (we were on a strict Ramen budget at the time), so I did a ton of research comparing All-Clad to Multi-Clad to Stainless to non-stick, and eventually settled on a set of stainless pots and pans. If you’re a serious home chef, you may opt for All-Clad, but for us, the less expensive stainless version (which is cheaper by about half) has done the trick and barely shows any signs of our five years of daily use. Bonus: Crate & Barrel offers free shipping on all of their cookware sets, so you don’t have to worry about the cost to ship heavier items like this. (All-Clad Stainless 10-Piece Cookware Set with Bonus)
5. Non-stick pans: I refused to use non-stick pans for the longest time, because I thought they were all like the five-dollar versions I bought in college, which would fall apart the second you tried to cook with them. But good non-stick pans are actually a godsend that make eggs and pancakes a million times easier. (The first time I used our nice non-stick pans, I think I started singing.) And everyone knows breakfast is the meal of champions. (2-Piece Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick Frypan Set)
6. A pot rack: All those pots have to go somewhere, and despite living in the middle of nowhere, Michael and I have never been blessed with particularly spacious kitchen storage. Our kitchens have always been big on square footage and low on cabinets. Installing a pot rack saved us tons of storage space, and served the dual purpose of being functional and pretty at the same time. There are a ton of different pot-rack options for various living scenarios, from wall-mounted pot racks with shelves, to free-standing racks that won’t put holes in the wall, to low-profile bars that you can hang various kitchen utensils from. (J.K. Adams Grey Wall Mounted Pot Rack)
7. A solid vacuum: If you ever plan on having pets (say, a 170 lb. English Mastiff, for example), do yourself the favor and register for a good vacuum. Future you will thank you. (Miele S6270 Onyx Canister Vacuum Cleaner)
8. Art Prints: It rarely shows up on registry checklists, but our wall art is what makes each apartment or house we move into feel like it belongs to us—especially the big statement pieces, which go to work making a home look more grown up. Bonus: wall art is the fun kind of registry item that people love to buy and will enjoy seeing when they come visit you. (Crate & Barrel Framed Art Prints)
9. Good Sheets: Before I moved in with Michael, I slept on $10 sheets that I bought at the $.99 store near Union Square. I thought thread count was a thing that marketers made up to sell you the same bedding for a higher price. Then I registered for a set of good sheets, and realized that cotton doesn’t have to be scratchy, or feel like a t-shirt. (Grace Sateen White Sheet Set)
10. And A warm blanket: Personal tastes change over time, which is what duvet covers were invented for. Well, that and not having to wash a giant comforter all the time. But a good down or down-alternative comforter will stand up against regular use and keep you warm next time New England gets another three feet of snow in one night. (Down-alternative duvet insert)
11. Bath Sheets: Know what makes for a successful marriage? Having towels you wrap around your whole body, not just to the edge of your butt. (Ribbed Seafoam Bath Sheet)
12. Quality Daily Use China: Afraid that my personal tastes might change down the road (one minute you love leopard print, the next you don’t), we opted for a basic white set of china with a modern design. I was surprised to find how much I enjoy using our wedding dishes every day. But I’m especially grateful that we opted for a set that you can swap out pieces in case they break or chip. Bonus tip: for the less impressive chefs, clean white china makes every meal look a little more put together. Side note: I promise I didn’t choose this set just because it has my name. Though that does make it a little more awesome. (Maddie dinnerware)
13. Serving Platters and Bowls: Serveware wasn’t exactly a staple of college living (do Solo cups count?), so we didn’t have any until we got married. Now they’re some of our most used kitchen items due to their functional versatility (gotta put fruit somewhere). Bonus: this exclusive design is part of Crate & Barrel’s artists and designers program, which supports indie designers and makers. Fun fact: I was actually friends with this designer‘s brother in college. (Divided Server and Dark Clay Serving Bowl)
14. Versatile Furniture: I know furniture is an old school registry staple that hasn’t exactly carried over into the twenty-first century. But when you’re a young couple getting married, older relatives (especially the ones who are sticklers for you having a registry in the first place) are often willing to go in for group gifts on bigger items. Since marrying young can mean moving a lot before you settling into a long term living situation (or at least, it did for us), a versatile piece like this small kitchen table can easily transition from dining in a small apartment to functioning as a desk in a bigger home. (Strut 70″ Table)
15. Fancy Drinkin’ Glasses: When you’re building a home, the best items are the ones that can do double duty: form and function. So while most registry checklists include line items for fancy wine glasses (and I won’t begrudge them, though ours are stemless because I’m clumsy), I vote for fancy drinkware that doubles as decor, like this decanter. (Gala Decanter)
Fellow marrieds, what registry items do you use every day? Did age play into what you ended up registering for?
This post was sponsored by Crate & Barrel Wedding & Gift Registry. Get exclusive registry perks from Crate & Barrel, like price guarantee, free shipping, and exclusive pieces from Crate & Barrel’s artists and designers, when you sign up for a Crate & Barrel Wedding Registry today. Click here to learn more or to join a Crate & Barrel wedding party near you. Thanks Crate & Barrel for helping make the APW mission possible!
