10 Wedding Registry Musts, According to The Food Network

When I set about my chosen registry stores this past fall, barcode zapper in hand and dreams of becoming Ina in heart, I felt like I had a pretty good handle on what I should and should not register for. I had been living on my own for quite a while and knew what kind of cook and entertainer I was and wanted to be, I had my mom in tow—and also, well, there’s this lil job I’ve also been at for quite a while, and I’ve talked to people who know what they’re talking about (see links below).

Now, a few months after the fact, there are definitely a few items I wish I had maybe added on there, but I have to say, with perhaps a little smugness, that I have not found that I registered for extraneous things. I’ve used a ton of my stuff in just the past few months, with nary an ice cream maker abandoned in the deepest, dustiest corner of my kitchen in sight.

It’s still one of my favorite topics to read expert advice on, however (I mean, the registry ship may have sailed for me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t just full-on shop), and so I was pumped to see this Food Network breakdown on the 10 items we all simply must be sure to register for. (In part because I wanted to see how well I did; in part because I wanted to see what needs to go on my shopping list.) My notes:

1. You know, I specifically picked one of these up at Williams-Sonoma, thought Eh, and put it back down. It’s one thing I actually was unsure about. Maybe I’ll go back and pick it up and put it in my basket.
2. Yes. Yes.
3. Already had one. I’m a lemon-water guzzler.
4. They got me here. I didn’t even think about it, and yet somehow, I found this recipe probably the week after we returned from our honeymoon and have made it nearly every other week since. My stainless steel All-Clad works just fine, but I keep wondering what it’d be like in cast iron.
5. Had started making the switch to glass before my wedding (tomato sauce-stained plastic Tupperware had started to skeeve me out), and registered for two sets—one round, one square—that I have been using basically every night.
6. This is probably what I stressed the most over—to the extent that I ended up straying from the stores I registered at when I didn’t find any I loved and just bought it myself elsewhere—and I couldn’t be happier. I actively think about how much I like our flatware while eating, which is maybe weird, but there you have it.
7. I was pumped to get these and end a decade of “cooling” my baked goods on a clean kitchen towel on my counter. Not ideal.
8. Few kitchen tools will make you feel like an adult as much as a grown-up set of knives. Do not skimp on these.
9. Yes! I got some lovely ones at my shower, and now I always toss some flowers in my basket at Whole Foods, and it’s just lovely.
10. So, in my mind, when I grew up I always wanted to have a homey home in which there would always be one of these on my kitchen counter filled with something homemade and delicious that people who lived there and who passed through on a visit could grab. Now, I do. I stack these up and cover ’em with this, and it’s been one of my favorite things.

In short: This is a good list. Use it. I’ll put more tips below—and if you have any registry lessons you’ve learned, please do feel free to share with the class below.

RELATED: Local Bridal Guide: Build Your Wedding Registry at One of These 8 Philly-Area Boutiques 

RELATED: How to Make Sure You’re Registering For All the Basics: A Checklist 

RELATED: Here Are the Top 10 Most Popular Items On the Amazon Wedding Registry 

RELATED: 3 Important Things to Keep In Mind Before You Register for Your Wedding 

RELATED: Ask the Expert: We Still Haven’t Received Gifts Purchased Off Our Registry—What Do We Do? 

For more registry advice and tips, go here. 

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