Wedding registries have taken on a new look over the last few years. For the most part, couples don’t walk through stores wielding a barcode scanner. Maybe you’ll step into the store for the fun of it; but more than likely, you’ll create an online registry at home. The benefit of doing your wedding registry online is that you can prioritize and organize a bit better—as opposed to meandering the aisles and scanning to your heart’s content.
However, putting together an online registry has its own challenges. So, we’re here to offer a few tips ideas for creating a registry that will help you set up your home the way you actually want it. If your living space has limited storage, fine-tuning your registry is an important but often overlooked piece of wedding planning! The goal here should be to outfit your home with the essentials—must-haves that you’ll use regularly over the years. (So, unless you’re a pastry chef, a crepe spreader may not be at the top of the list. That’s something you can get later if you decide to try it.)
Getting Started | Organizing Your Wedding Registry
Before getting started, determine approximately how many items you want on your registry. To provide guests with plenty of options, you can estimate by doubling your guest count. Or, if you’re not in need of 200+ items, take a look at some of the alternative registry items below. Many registry retailers recommend splitting the price range of your items equally*:
- 1/3 gifts under $50
- 1/3 gifts under $100
- 1/3 gifts over $100
*If you do your registry online, you should see a search-refining column to the side that lets you see how many items are in each price range.
The Essentials | Wedding Registry Must-Haves if You’re Starting from Scratch
All of these items depend on your lifestyle. So, if you like to cook, bake, or entertain, scale up. If you’re rarely at home, scale down (but have enough for a few guests just in case).
Kitchen
- Bakeware set
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups / spoons
- Mixer
- Cookware set
- Dinnerware
- Glassware / wine glasses / coffee or tea mugs
- Flatware
- Knife set
- Food storage
- Toaster
- Slow cooker
- Waffle iron
- Blender / food processor
- Coffee pot / system
- Cutting board
- Baking dishes / serving dishes
- Salt & pepper shakers
- Kitchen tools (spatula, spoon, slotted spoon, whisk, ladle, tongs, scraper, etc.)
- Kitchen gadgets (can opener, peeler, cheese grater, strainer, funnel, bottle opener, corkscrew)
- Kitchen trash bin
- Kitchen towels
- Kitchen cleaning supplies
Bath
- Full bath towel sets for you & guests
- Bath mats
- Shower or bath caddy
- Shower curtain & rings
- Shower liner
- Garbage cans
- Toothbrush holder & soap dish
- Soap dispenser
- Toilet brush holder
- Bathroom organizing system
Home
- Throw blankets
- Decorative pillows
- Picture frames
- Plants / faux plants
- Lamps & décor
- Coasters
- Vacuum cleaner & mopping system
- Storage system
Bedroom(s)
- Primary bedroom & guest bedroom sheet sets (fitted, flat, & pillowcases)
- Comforters / duvets
- Pillows
- Throw pillows
- Shams & bed skirt
- Mattress covers
- Bedroom décor
Outdoor & Patio
- Grill & grill set
- Garden hose & storage
- Outdoor storage
- Patio furniture / décor
- Lawn & garden supplies
- Tool set
What to Do When You Have it All or Live Minimally
Maybe you’ve already established your home and don’t need a full registry. Here are some popular alternative wedding registry ideas to consider:
Alternative Wedding Registry Ideas
- Airlines gift card
- Honeymoon excursions / honeymoon fund
- Date night gift cards
- Wine / liquor
- Whole foods or marketplace gift card
- Couple’s dancing or cooking lessons
- Lawn games / patio décor
- Amazon gift card
- VRBO / Airbnb gift card
- Contributions toward a big-ticket item
- A couple months toward a subscription service, like hello fresh
- Items for a hobby or pastime (like outdoor gear)
- Photography session or prints
- Technology items
- Charitable donations
- Luggage & travel accessories
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