Wedding registries are a great way for engaged couples to begin building their married life together.
They’re also a fantastic way to invite the people that care about you to get involved—and believe us, they want to. Traditionally, wedding registries have consisted of a collection of household items the engaged couple need to ready their first home as a married couple. You’d choose several retailers, work with store sales reps, walk the aisles to scan physical items, and track it all on paper.
Nowadays online registries are breaking with tradition by allowing couples to list gifts that aren’t necessarily found in department stores. Better still, all your registries can be consolidated, and tracked, in the same universal registry. Chances are that together you and your partner already have a good amount of household items, so you can use your wedding registry to supplement, replace, or update things you already have. You can even have a little fun with experience gifts or create a cash fund for your future (e.g. home down payment).
That all sounds fine and dandy until you get down to the nitty gritty of it. By now you’ve decided you want to have a registry—yay!—but we know the process can be overwhelming. You’re here because you need a little inspiration, and we’re here to give it to you. Check out our favorite gifts for every room in your home, as well as some non-traditional cash and experience gift ideas.
Kitchen
Blender
A blender is so much more than a blender. Nowadays, you can find blenders that heat soups as you blend them, blend nuts so fine you can make your own nut milk, and some even come with attachments that turn them into an entirely new tool.
Knife Set
Any chef will tell you that apart from your hands, the most important cooking tool is a sharp knife. Better yet, a whole set of good quality knives will shoot your cooking skills through the roof. Remember, even inexpensive knives can be great if they’re kept sharp—so take good care of them!
Pots and Pans
Cookware is a great investment, and when cared for properly, will last for years to come. There’s no need to crowd your kitchen with a mountain of pots and pans—a few good quality pans that have a wide range of function are all you need to achieve your culinary dreams.
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Kitchen Tool Set
You could buy each kitchen tool individually, but if you could cover all the basics in a great kitchen tool set, why wouldn’t you? Spatulas, whisks, mashers, and ladles galore—they’re all here.
Stand Mixer
If there was one kitchen appliance to rule all others, it would be a sturdy and reliable KitchenAid stand mixer. We’re especially fond of the KitchenAid 5-qt. Artisan Design Series with the glass bowl. You don’t even have to be a baker to use it, either. KitchenAid offers tons of attachments you can buy separately roll and cut pasta, grind meats, case sausages, churn ice cream, and so much more. Plus, the mixers come in tons of fun colors to match your personal aesthetic.
Living Room
Frames
For your gorgeous wedding photos or favorite art prints, a set of frames brings any room to life. Get yourself a matching set, or mix and match your favorites to add some quirkiness to your display.
Coffee Table
Nothing is better than lounging on the couch with your loved ones… until you spill hot tea all over your lap. A decorative, but functional and essential piece of furniture, a coffee table will tie your whole living room together.
Bluetooth Speakers
The convenience of a bluetooth speaker sells itself. Bump your music, or subject your partner to your favorite podcast—they’ll be interested eventually!
Dining Room
You can never go wrong with a classic white dinnerware set, so that is always a great place to start. Consider more sets than you need on a daily basis because you never know when you may want to host a guest—or six.
You’d be surprised how often serveware comes in handy. Whether you’re hosting dinner for friends, bringing a casserole to a potluck, or just want to share an entree salad with your partner in front of the TV—serveware can handle all of it.
Because you’ll literally have a bar in your home. Need we say more?
Decorative and functional, linens for your dining room are essential. Bring your guests together for a great meal and protect your table—and their laps—at the same time.
Bedroom
Forget those worn out bed sheets you haven’t replaced in forever. Kick off your married slumber with bedding that you and your partner love.
A bedroom isn’t just where you go to sleep, it’s your personal sanctuary. Decorate it in a way that brings you peace and comfort, and you’ll fall asleep every night and wake up every morning in a masterpiece.
Furniture
From nightstands to dressers to The Chair that “mysteriously” collects all of your clothes, furnish your bedroom with all the essentials.
Bathroom
No more scratchy towels—give your skin the treatment it deserves and wrap yourself in the best towels you can find. And because we’re (supposedly) grown-ups, it wouldn’t hurt if they matched!
Decor & Accessories
A room often overlooked when it comes to decorating, we have a ton of ideas to spruce up your bathroom. You never know, maybe with enough love and attention, your bathroom will feel like your own personal spa.
We understand not everyone has a laundry room, but there are some household items that can still help you hack laundry day. For those who have pets—or those looking for furry companions in the future—it’s a great idea to include items for them, too.
Of course, not every home has an office, but there are great options to set up workspaces in other rooms in your home. Plus, we find that an organized work space helps us stay organized everywhere else.
Cash Gifts
The times are changing, and online gift registry websites like Blueprint offer elegant, easy ways to include cash gifts—like honeymoon funds—on your wedding registries. If you and your partner have decided that you’re not in the market for a bunch of physical gifts, consider having a cash fund that your loved ones can contribute to. Or have a mix of both!
Honeymoon Fund Inspiration
We recommend segmenting your honeymoon fund into smaller gifts. This way, guests on tighter budgets can still feel like they contributed something significant to your honeymoon, and so one large fund doesn’t seem so daunting. Blueprint also has the option to enable Group Gifting, so guests can contribute any amount to bigger ticket items on your registry.
Other Cash Gifts
Experiences
Last, but certainly not least, we strongly suggest you and your partner consider adding experiences to your wedding registry. Browse IfOnly and Enjoy Wishlist for local experiences, and take advantage subscription services like Blue Apron or Wine Club. You may not know it now, but that fresh produce delivery and Hulu subscription could make all the difference on a hectic week.
Care for a printable checklist? We’ve got your back! Simply click to download and print our handy PDF checklist.
Now that the inspiration juices are flowing, it’s time to start registering! Be sure to check out our wedding registry dos and don’ts, wedding registry etiquette, and our sample registries to get a glimpse into wedding registry styles.
Have you started or contributed to a wedding registry? We want to hear all about your favorite gifts and hacks! You can find and chat with us on Instagram and Twitter.