“What was I thinking?”
It’s generally not something you want to be saying about your wedding. But it happens. In my case, I don’t have regrets about the dress (still love it) or the groom (still love him). But if I could time travel back to 2002, I’d edit our wedding registry.
Sure, there were many gifts from the registry that I still use and cherish, like our set of Fiesta dishes and sunflower yellow KitchenAid standing mixer. But there were also some lapses in judgment.
Like silver-plated corn cob holders. And linen placemats I was never in a million years going to iron. And a set of goblets that would be at home on a Game of Thrones banquet table (what exactly did we picture drinking out of those?). Truth is, I think we temporarily lost our minds when the salesperson handed over that portable scanner-gun and let us have at it. We were still sleeping on two futon mattresses piled on top of each other. We had no business aiming that scanner at anything, except for maybe an actual grown-up bed.
So my apologies to the very sweet wedding guests who indulged us in our questionable choices. But if I could do it over, here are some of the kitchen items I’d register for instead:
5- Quart Dutch Oven: It took me many years to discover this versatile pot, which is ideal for cooking up everything from soup and spaghetti sauce to pot roast and roasted chicken. It’s a kitchen workhorse. On our imaginary wedding registry do-over, I’d ask for a LeCreuset in a beautiful color like Carribean blue or Hibiscus pink.
Food Processor: I would be nothing without my 7-cup Cuisinart, which I use to make pesto, hummus, veggie nuggets, energy bites, and other yummy things. I’ve had mine for years and it’s still serving me well.
Glass Storage Containers: Yes, kind of boring. But every registry needs some super-affordable items. We use our Pyrex containers every single day.
High-Powered Blender: The perfect splurge item for a wedding registry. A few of your friends could go in on it together, and you’ll have smoothies for years to come! You can’t go wrong with a Vitamix.
Stemless Wine Glasses: They’re way more practical (and fit more easily in the dishwasher) than stemware. Two sets of these shatter-resistant glasses, and you’re set.
Chef’s Knives: A really good one (or two) makes meal prep a thousand times easier. I was lucky enough to get a Zwilling knife for a work project, and now it’s my favorite knife in the drawer.
Nesting Glass Bowls: I remember a friend registering for these and I wondered, what are you going to do with all those bowls? Now that my kitchen is regularly strewn with all manner of bowls, big and small, I get it. I love how these Kangaroo bowls nest because our cabinet space is at a premium.
Cast Iron Skillet: I don’t know what took me so long to get one of these. You can make most anything in it and then pass it on to your children and grandchildren. And great-grandchildren! A Lodge 12-inch is a good size for a family of four.
I’d love to hear from you: What’s the strangest thing you registered for–and what would you put on a wedding registry TODAY?
(Here we are on our wedding day, just a couple of kids who thought we needed silver-plated corn cob holders.)
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I never made it down the aisle but on our registery, we had so many fancy serving trays. Like did we really think we’d have all these parties and be all fancy and sophisticated?
Ha! That’s hilarious. I think that about wine glasses. Did we really think we’d be happy big dinner parties? Turns out I like really casual (and small) get-togethers a lot more.