The Simplified Approach To Creating A Wedding Registry

January 16, 2018

Educational

When I put together our wedding registry a few short years ago, I was overwhelmed. Living in a dorm I had no clue what my soon-to-be husband and I would want or need beginning our lives together. Being a planner and liking to have all my ducks in a row (it’s a blessing and a curse), I put together our registry waaaaay early because I wanted to make sure it was right before the showers my family threw for me.  Target, Kohls, and Bed Bath & Beyond obviously have their motives to sell anything and everything. The way that each person works in their own home is so unique, so something that might be a “must have” for one person might be a “dust collector” to another, which is why it is important to be strategic about what you add to your wedding registry. I’ve come up with 3 things that I think are the best practices to simplify your wedding registry so you and your soon-to-be husband can have a fresh start as a newly married couple!

Be intentional about what you register for.

I read the book, A Simplified Life by Emily Ley (seriously a must read for any woman!) in November and of my favorite things that she says resonates with me so much. She writes that you should only keep what is treasured, favorite, or necessary. For your wedding registry, be intentional about only registering for things that are your absolute favorite (although not everything can be your favorite! 😉 ) or necessary (something you actually need to function properly). You more than likely won’t purchase any “treasured” items, those things will be things like heirlooms or something that has an emotional significant to you. Each item in your registry should have a real, logistical purpose other than cluttering up space! So many items that claim to make our lives simpler and easier do the complete opposite instead. Do you really think you’ll use that panini press that you wanted so badly when you registered, or will it end up covered in dust and cluttering up space in the cabinet that you never use a few years later?

Choose items that are high quality and will be timeless.

Have you ever heard a woman wish that they got another wedding shower after making it to 35 years of marriage? I’ve been to countless showers and parties, and I don’t think that I’ve been to one where this hasn’t been mentioned at least once! So instead of choosing items that will be able to be with you for the long haul. Choose brands and materials that are durable, have great customer service, and are easy to use. Personally, I chose the Kitchenaid brand for my small appliances because they had great customer reviews and I liked their satisfaction guarantee and the fact that they will work with you to fix whatever Kitchenaid appliance is broken or malfunctioning outside of normal wear and tear.

Think realistically about the way that you’ll use each item you register for.

As I added, deleted, readded, and edited each item in my registry I tried to think through realistically how I was going to use each item and how that item would impact my life. How is a person supposed to make a decision on cutlery, flatware, plates, or glassware when there are SO many options? And exactly how many bath towels does a person need in their linen closet?! Instead of adding an over abundance of everything simply to make sure that you have all of your bases covered, think about how you realistically use your everyday items so that you don’t start off your marriage in a cluttered home with items you really didn’t need in the first place.

5 Items I’m Thankful We Registered For 

  1. My Kitchenaid mixer. I use this for EVERYTHING! It’s super handy to let it mix while I’m working on something else, I use it weekly to shred chicken, it saves my arm sooo much when making mashed potatoes… this baby has earned it’s worth!
  2. TWO sets of sheets. I thought this was ridiculous when I was told I should register for two sets by my Grandma Burkhart, but when I thought it through I realized she was a was genius. When you’re washing one set, put the spare, fresh set from the linen closet on your bed so you don’t have as much down time. Then when the washed set is finished, put it in the linen closet for next time. Such a time and sanity saver!
  3. Cast iron cookware. If you want something that will last you a lifetime, get cast iron cookware! Pans are SO expensive, so the thought of even replacing them once gives me the heebie-jeebies. My parents transitioned to using cast iron in our home growing up and they are the best nonstick cookware you can get! They heat well and evenly, and last practically forever with proper maintenance. We even use them in our camper because we can use it on our stove or put it on the campfire!
  4. Simple glassware. My sister gave me the advice on this one, and it makes sense for two reasons. She had purchased simple glassware in college and then registered for some glassware with a design on it, and almost every single one of the designed glassware shattered in the dishwasher or with regular use, but the simple, cheap Target glassware that she used in college was still completely in tact! I registered for the same simple, cheap glassware and they always clean well in the dishwasher and are durable. Plus, because they’re simple they won’t ever be out of style! Durable and timeless.
  5. Cake stand. I actually got this as a birthday gift after our wedding but it’s one of my favorite pieces in our kitchen. I love how using the cake stand makes whatever event we’re celebrating a little more special! They’re not for cakes exclusively, I use mine also for pies or cupcakes and it’s adorable!

 

5 Items We Didn’t Really Need When We Registered

  1. Electric griddle. I really didn’t need the electric griddle that I registered for and got as a shower gift. In the 2 1/2 years we’ve been married, I think we’ve used it twice (and I don’t even remember what we used it for!). Currently it’s covered in dust and mason jars in the back of the blind cabinet that we never go in.  It’s handy to cook pancakes for a crowd, but if you don’t plan on doing that regularly then I’d skip it and register for something else you’ll actually need.
  2. Pizza stone. I registered for a pizza stone because I was told that that was the way to go, but we rarely make pizza from scratch so it really just sits in the cabinet with our other baking sheets.
  3. Deep fryer. My family used this a lot when I was growing up in the summertime, we’d call it “Fry-Day” and we’d just slowly pick at and eat veggies and anything else we threw in the deep fryer. We have yet to use it and it’s sitting in our attic because we don’t fry food very often and if we do we’d rather just put them in our iron skillets than get out the extra appliance.
  4. Home decor. My home decor style has evolved a lot since we got married, and some of the home decor that I received as a wedding gift is sitting in our guest room closet unused. I’ve found so many unique finds at antique stores and personally I would rather decorating with those. Unless you’re registering for something neutral or something you’ll use often, I’d skip it and wait to find pieces you love to decorate your home with.
  5. Plastic measuring utensils. We registered for plastic measuring cups and spoons and they’ve slightly discolored with use and washing. I wish we would have registered for stainless steel instead of plastic because they would have been much more durable!

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