Registering for the baby reminded me of registering for our wedding. After providing you with a gigantic list of every possible thing they could convince you that you need, the big box store employee hands you the gun with the earnest reminder that you should register for at least 3-5 gifts for every 1 person attending your event. Uh, sure.
This time I was more confident and accompanied by my minimalist husband, so that absolutely did not happen. When I registered for our wedding, however, it was just me and my brother's timid fiancee, and we were so intimidated by the clerk that we spent a couple hours trying to come up with more stuff to put on the list, so she wouldn't get onto us. I still didn't register for enough stuff to meet their inflated quota, but we took so long that her shift ended and we didn't have to deal with her again - phew!
Anyway, with our second wedding anniversary coming up, along with four wedding invitations for the month of October, I thought I'd take a quick look back and reflect on some of the gifts we got and how they've worked out.
China
This seems to be one of the biggest registry concerns: do you register for fine china? I waffled back and forth on the issue, from "But this is the only time in our entire lives that someone will buy this for us" to "But we'll never use it." I also couldn't find any that I loved more than my grandmother's china, which I was pretty sure I could get when she passed away (hopefully not for a very long time, of course!). I ended up registering for a fairly inexpensive set of china. I went to the store with my husband and mother-in-law to look it over again. And two days later, I decided it was unnecessary and removed it from the registry.
Too late. My MIL had already decided she would be buying it for us. Let me tell you how surprised I was to unwrap that box!
I do like the way it looks in our china cabinet. (Although, we wouldn't have had to buy a china cabinet if we didn't have the china, but we got it for a steal from a garage sale so I'm not complaining.) In two years (during which we have hosted two Thanksgivings and a Christmas), we've only used these dishes once, and that was because one weekday I said "We have to at least use this once!"
Practical Conclusion: We should've left it off the registry and waited twenty years to inherit my grandmother's.
Sentimental Conclusion: Now that my MIL has passed away, I'm really glad to have it as a gift from her and a way to remember and share with our children her generosity.
Good pots and pans
I like to cook. I don't like to scrub dishes. So I searched long and hard to find the perfect cookware. I found it: it was non-stick, dishwasher-safe, and so expensive that I was sure no one would buy it for us. Luckily my mother asked what one big thing we wanted, so my parents ended up getting the set for us.
Conclusion: Great decision. We use them every single day and will be able to continue doing so for years.
Good knives
I remembered one of my friends had always talked about the importance of having good knives. I didn't really think it mattered that much, but we put a knife set on the registry anyway.
Conclusion: I love my knives! I was amazed at what a difference it really did make. Cutting is a breeze! And I only chop off my fingernail once every other month or so.
But seriously, I didn't realize what a difference they made until I went back to my parents' house and used their old cheapo knives. They were horrible. Guess who got a new santoku knife for their birthday this year?
And guess who got her brother and new SIL the knife set for their wedding last year? What can I say, if you're going to be in the kitchen, it's a good thing to have.
Related: Good kitchen shears. I use these for everything, from cutting bacon to opening boxes. They're washable and wonderful!
Salad spinner
This is something I never would have thought of if I wasn't marrying my husband. But this is a man who could eat a salad every night with supper. And I am a woman who does not like wet lettuce. Therefore we have this cheap plastic contraption that has saved my sanity.
Conclusion: Know what you'll need for YOU as a family, and go with it.
So there you have it, some highlights from our wedding registry. I realize that they're all about the kitchen, but that's my main focus. I think the best thing to keep in mind is that focus, too - like I said, if you're going to use it, get it! And if not, then don't bother registering for it (because that is what you will inevitably get). For example, I love having a stand mixer, but if you really aren't going to bake a lot, it's just going to clutter up your kitchen. The point is not to replicate your mother's kitchen - the point is to create your own home.
What was your favorite wedding gift? What do you still use now, after however much time? Do you have any wedding registry wisdom to share?