Wedding Registry

Wedding Registry Must-Haves For Your Kitchen

  Today’s #livinginspiralized feature is a little different. Instead of a health topic, I’m answer...

 

Wedding Registry Must-Haves For Your Kitchen

Today’s #livinginspiralized feature is a little different. Instead of a health topic, I’m answer a question I get a lot from all of you, which is, “What should I put on my wedding registry?”

Since it is wedding season, I figured what better time of year to do this post than now?

And besides, even you’re not making a wedding registry, maybe you’re just looking for a little kitchen refresh!

 

Wedding Registry Must-Haves For Your Kitchen

Personally, my wedding registry look a lot different than a traditional registry, because I already had SO much kitchenware from running a food blog. However, I definitely refreshed some old pots and pans and registered for some items that I think are still crucial for newlyweds!

And by the way, if you’re getting married, congratulations on your engagement! What an exciting time. You can read about our engagement here, and our wedding recap: part one, part two, part three.

The Basics

There are certain items your kitchen needs to be fully-functional. Boring, but necessary.

I didn’t include the super basic items, such as:

  • spatulas, whisks, wooden spoons, ladles
  • vegetable peelers, julienne peeler
  • kitchen linens
  • zester
  • handheld citrus juicer
  • baking sheets
  • toaster
  • garlic holder
  • salad plates, dinner plates, soup bowls
  • measuring spoons and cups
  • oven mitts
  • stainers
  • olive oil pourer
  • salt and pepper shakers

1. Pots & Pans: I registered for this Anolon non-stick cookware set and I still use it to this day, along with some GreenPan non toxic pans (I love this 11″ covered everyday pan.) You can also go for a steamer, if you think you’ll need it based on what you cook.

2. Flatware set: My friends Doug and Lally got us this Nambé flatware set (not on our original registry) and I love having great flatware to use when eating dinner. It makes such a difference.

3. Food processor: This 8-cup food processor is absolutely necessary, but if you don’t have the shelf space, this mini-chop can get the job done, you may just need to cook in batches.

4. Covered baking dish: Once you get married, you become a casserole person. Casseroles save well and can feed you and the bae for days! I love this Le Creuset – 9 x 12 is a great size for a baking dish.

5. Roaster rack: If you think you’ll ever host Thanksgiving or roast a turkey, get a roaster rack. And you may as well get a gravy boat while you’re at it.

6. Stand Mixer: If you’re a baker, I can see how a stand mixer could be #1 on your registry list. I’ve had this stand mixer and I’ve used it a total of 3 times in the 3 years I’ve owned it. But, if you bake a lot, it’s a must-have and thus made ‘the basics’ list.

7. The Inspiralizer: Need I explain this one?

8. Slow cooker: If you don’t slow cook already, there’s no better time to start than once you’re married. Slow cookers made me lazy for awhile, all I did was cook in one, because you literally dump a bunch of ingredients in a pot, press start, and later that night, dinner’s ready. Or, at the very least, get a hand mixer.

9. Nested mixing bowls: I love glass mixing bowls, and I use them for everything – baking, whisking dressings, and even just tossing salads sometimes.

10. Quality knife set: This is so important. If you want to cook better, get a great set of knifes. If you’re a basic cook (like, you’re not going out, buying whole fish and fileting them for dinner), this Zwilling 7-piece set is perfect and is what I have in my office. I also have the steak knife set (4 piece and then I got an additional 2 to make it six total) to get along with it, which is necessary.

11. Vitamix: This is the Vitamix I got, almost two years after getting married. I wish I had registered for it when we were engaged, I just figured “Oh, I have a Nutribullet, why do I need a Vitamix?” Having a high-speed blender makes your cooking life much better, trust me.

12. A great cutting board: Cutting boards are underrated. A great cutting board won’t dull your knife as quickly and won’t get cut marks immediately, making it look better on your countertop. I use plastic cutting boards for prepping meat, poultry, fish and dairy, and then I use this cutting board for the rest.

For The Entertainers

If you don’t like having people over for dinner parties or wine and cheese night, you probably don’t need these items, if it’s just going to be you and your bae all the time. Lu and I love to have people over, so we registered for a lot of serving items, and I’m so happy we did, because now, we always have platters/serving board to elegantly lay out the apps and snacks. Don’t serve your hummus out of the actual container it comes in – not very cute!

1. Oval serving bowls: For rice-dishes, roasted veggies, chips, anything shareable like that – oval serving bowls look much more elegant than circular ones!

2. Appetizer plates: Show a little extra care for your guests with little appetizer plates – and it eliminates double dipping and germs!

3. A great cheese board with knives: I love my cheese dome with these cheese knives, because I can set the cheeses out before guests get here and keep it covered so it stays more fresh while I wait for everyone to arrive. However, it doesn’t fit that many cheeses, so if you want to serve a larger crowd, opt for a marble slab.

4. Rectangular platter: I have like four of these in various sizes, but a mid-size rectangular platter is handy for serving apps. I love laying out my meats (like prosciutto) on these rectangular platters.

5. Appetizer forks: To go with the plates!

6. Olive pit dish: For serving olives!

7. Two-part server: Great for adding dips or doing hummus and carrots or even doing olives and their pits, this two part server is convenient.

8. Bread platter: For serving bread with dinner or for holding crackers and chips!

9. Wood bowl for salads: Serve your salads in a beautiful wooden bowl to make a statement.

10. And don’t forget plenty of serve-ware, depending on what you register for!

Not necessary, but you’ll love these

There were a few items that I put on my registry and Lu said, “We don’t need that, don’t just register to register!” Now, he thanks me for registering for these items, because we love them, use them on special occasions, and are always remembered of our wedding whenever we occasionally pull these out. If you have extra room on your registry (and in your house/apartment), add these to your registry.

1. Waffle maker: Especially if you want to make spiralized waffles, you’ll need a waffle maker!

2. Griddler/Panini Maker: Whether you want to indoor grill burgers or make a pressed sandwich, this gadget may be a little space-consuming, but it’s worth it – I love making caprese sandwiches in this, as well as grilling my burgers indoors. This one is also a griddle, so it can be used for Saturday morning pancakes!

3. BBQ grill set: If you plan on grilling, make sure you register for a grill set – and some mesh baskets.

4. Pizza maker: This Breville Pizza Maker is probably my favorite kitchen tool (aside from the Inspiralizer, of course.) It literally makes perfectly crusted pizza in 4 minutes. It’s life-changing. My family loves pizza night at our place!

Is there anything else you would add to this registry list?

Inspiralized

 

with love, Ali

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comments

  • Loving these suggestions! The serving bowls and plates are so simple and cute! As for the appliances, I would suggest for anyone with a tiny kitchen (as me) to get a thermomix as it does a LOT and doesn't take much space. (I used it as a food processor, mixer, rice cooker, steam cooker, blender, etc etc). It is expensive, but so is a Vitamix, or even buying all the other appliances! And yes, I agree: you do become a casserole person after getting married (is there something better than to share one with your loved one? yum)
    • Thanks for sharing about that thermomix.
  • I registered for that griddler completely on a whim, and it has become one of our most used appliances. We also got the waffle plates for it so there's no need for a separate waffle maker if space is limited. The one appliance I regret not registering for is an InstantPot. I got one a year later and love how versatile and speedy it can be.
  • Where was this list when I got married?! ;) I wish I had thought to register for a food processor...I hate having to use my blender for those cooking projects. Also, LOVED reading your and Lu's stories together.
  • Great list. I would also suggest a cast iron skillet, a dishwasher safe cutting board for cutting up chicken and meats, a le crueset 5.5 quart for making soups, stews and roasts. The vitamix is one of my favorites as well! A registry is your one and only wish list. Some things you may not use right away, but you will have them when you need them.
  • We entirely rocked the boat at our wedding and had a strictly no gifts rule - we were adults and established, sure new stuff is nice but we just made the decision that we simply didnt need more "stuff" and the wedding wasnt about gifts, more about our guests and them sharing our happy day.
  • I would add an electric pressure cooker - such as Instant Pot or Fagor - to the list as well.
  • This was super helpful as I am currently registering for my wedding! Thanks Ali!
    • We're so glad you found this helpful!
  • So helpful! Love the oval serving dishes, did not think of that!
  • I really like the list you have put up. I have been married for two years and still don't have everything on your list. I feel like I'm missing out on so much!
    • We're so glad you like the list!!
  • Fantastic list of suggestions – really helped me figure out exactly what I need. Who knew creating a registry would be so long! Thanks for making it a hundred times easier for me!
    • Awe, you're so welcome, Paul! We're glad you found this helpful!
  • Hi inspiralized, Thank you for your post, this article helped me a lot, thank you again. <3