| From Mali to Macy's |
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| Written by OHmommy | |
| Wednesday, 30 December 2009 00:00 | |
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When my baby sister was living in Africa as a Peace Corp volunteer, my parents visited with suitcases full of gifts for her village family. The matriarch of the village family refused to open up the suitcases until my parents left. My sister translated for my parents from Wolof to English, "She doesn't want the attention diverted from the guests to the gifts." Respectfully my parents left Africa never learning what happened to the stainless steel pot they picked out for the chief's wife named NaKhady.
The stainless steel pot ended up in the neighboring village. The matriarch of that village only had two pots so NaKhady re-gifted the pot since she already had four in her possession.
In six months Kasia, my baby sister, will be receiving hundreds of wedding gifts from people she and her fiance (another Peace Corp volunteer) have met all over the world. As posh vagabonds they have yet to establish roots in one location for more then a year. In the last ten years Kasia has spent over three years living abroad, four years in graduate school, and the rest living in tiny studio walk-ups (in Manhattan, DC, and Chicago) when not traveling to fabulous places like Jordan, Egypt, Thailand, Australia, Russia, etc. I am pretty sure NaKhady in Mali, Africa has more kitchen supplies than my sister.
Kasia has no idea what to put on her bridal registry. She doesn't want to fill it with useless gadgets that will gather dust throughout her marriage. I recently took her on a tour of my house and pointed out the things I could not live without. Dyson vacuum. Super high thread count cotton sheets. The Kitchen-aid. Silicon oven mitts. Fine china and real silverware. But of course, the word of an older sister has no value and I have resorted to you my dear friends to help me construct a list of MUST HAVE ITEMS for a bridal registry. I asked you about wedding planning when she got engaged and now I ask for your help again.
What item(s) should be on a bridal registry? What can you not live without? |
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| Last Updated on Tuesday, 29 December 2009 23:43 |
Comments
The wedding gifts I treasure the most are the unique pieces of art & ceramic that came from around the world. Not anything she can register for, but something she'll treasure always, especially with her well-used passport. Of course, anything that comes in a Tiffany's box doesn't hurt!
Congrats to your little sis!
silicon oven mitts
pyrex/corning ware bakeware
cookie sheets
high thread count sheets
tv w/built-in dvd player
down comforter (duvet)
stainless steel pot set
candelabra set
wine cabinet (with glass storage)
table cloth and matching table runner
salad bowl w/serving bowls & utensils
Cake slicer and serving plate
and of course, the good ole standby:
gift cards
Hope that helps.
BTW, I love theknot.com and weddingchannel.com.
Other than that -a nice Dutch oven type cooking pan to use for sauces, soups, pastas with a really good teflon type lining has been a lifesaver for me along with a coffeemaker, really good heavy-duty hand mixer too! Baking pans, cookie sheets that are sturdy, have a nice non-stick coating on them are wonderful too and so are some really nice casserole type dishes -Pyrex or Corning grace my shelves and have for many years now. And of course, towels, towels and more towels along with some really nice sheets too and pillowcases! A good set of stainless steel silverware is much more useful than having a beautiful set of the silver that has to have all kinds of special care and polishing too. Save time, labor and money! That's my theory. Pretty can come along for the ride but when starting out, go for the utilitarian first.
So many cool things mentioned.
Agreed about the sheets, you're spending near a third of your life there!
Fluffy towels are nice, too.
In the kitchen [I've been collecting on my own from Ross & TJ Maxx for some years now!] I love that I have about 6 rubber spatulas, in different colors & sizes. It really brightens up the 'utensil vase' on the counter!
My main Cuisinart uses are making hummus; and grating carrots, beets, and cheese for salads. I plan to try some new recipes soon.
A friend of mine had an immersion blender on her registry & has made some brilliant soups with it.
(Amazing cream of mushroom!)
I plan to have nice pots & pans on my registry, and a nice knife block - most of the stuff I have now is cobbled together from discount stores. I did get a beautiful enamel dutch oven, though, recently. Love.
Big bowls for soups and salads and cereal. Smaller bowls for sweets and dips.
Gift cert for an art gallery sounds fantastic! There are a lot of artists with stuff for sale at artwanted.com, too. (My sweetie has some of his up there; I have a profile but not a selling account.)
Nice bathmats? Rugs for the kitchen floor - way more comfy to stand at the stove, sink, DW with those! Can also catch fridge drips.
Robotic trash can? We really like ours: sensor, no touching or stepping required.
Closet organizer for all the new clothes she'll have after being settled down for awhile? (Or buy on the honeymoon? IDK)
Mixing bowls & muffin tins.
Um. Jewelry cleaner? I imagine I'll want that when I have a wedding ring.
Do they need technology? Photo printer, BluRay player?
Friends of mine registered at REI for a nice tent & stuff, too.
Have fun & good luck!
a really REALLY good chef knife
slow cooker
Bessemer cookware (I don't have it but wish I did)
mortar and pestle
I set up mine at a large hardware store cause we were renovating at the time. Bought nearly everything with the cash people put in!
Le Crousset cookware
Good cutlery set
Also, as you mentioned, nice china. I really resisted putting it on, but am so glad that I did. It's just not something that I'd ever buy for myself.
I love the story that you started the post with.
I also loved getting high quality (professional grade) knives and a fancy knife sharpener. Even if you aren't a great cook (ahem) having fantastic knives makes the experience so much better,
hand mixer
stainless steel mixing bowls
pyrex dishes
williams sonoma dish towels
Henckels knife set
Calphalon fry pans
coffee.espresso machine
Oh I could go on and on..good luck to her and married life!
also
-Cordless tea pot
- Stainless steel mixing bowls
- Fun & functional tea pot
- Good chili bowls (also work great as cereal bowls). I got plain white heavy ones from W-S for wedding and use them ALL the time!
- A tree somewhere planted in their name so they can have some roots!
This won't go on a registry, but for a great gift - you can go to your senator/congressman's website and pay something like $15 to receive a flag that has been flown over the US capital on their wedding day. My friend did this for me and I LOVED it!
I would register for your normal towels and sheets. Then, double your order. Hide the towels and sheets for ten years for when you really need them. It goes by so quickly and you will never have the disposable income that you do now before kids. When you have kids, you'll use towels that you wouldn't let anyone else see with holes.
Have fun! I loved registering and receiving the gifts. So fun!!!
As far as the rest of the house...nice towels in two colors, at least two sets of great sheets, pillows, iron and ironing board, oreck vacuum...just to name a few things.
Hope these help!
Congrats to your sis..such an exciting time!
stemless wine glasses (not as easy to break)
slow cooker (just got one and it's simple too cook with)
a kick ass grill pan if you have snow and don't feel like grilling outdoors
flat screen TV
lots of candles, love lit candles
Also, instead of getting fine china, I got expensive Mikasa everyday dishes. The set is really high quality and has everything from the sugar bowl, gravy bowl, serving platters, lasagna pan, etc! I got a lot of slack at the time for not registering for fine china, but it's 3 years later and I've yet to regret my decision!
Oh, and a good vacuum cleaner. I like my Dyson, but wish I had the lighter Ball Dyson. The one that I have is so heavy that a lot of times I won't vacuum upstairs because it's too heavy to lug up there! My mother in law's Miele vacuum is SUPER nice too, but it's really expensive!
With regard to luggage, yes, a nice set. But I personally wouldn't go top-of-the-line. We have a solid Travelpro set with a few Tumi pieces and they have held up extremely well. Our neighbor works for an airline and always tells us how they manhandle the pieces. All I could think of is that I'm so glad I didn't get the LV luggage piece I wanted last year! Ha ha!
I have fine china and, you know, if I had to do over, I wouldn't pick it. I'm the weird one!
What I would pick instead is really, really nice day china.
Has anyone mentioned silicone baking mats? Love them. Get at least two if you're a baker.
Kipling suitcases - especially if she loves to travel!
Lenox fine china - classic, lasts forever
George Foreman G5 plate grill - great for waffles, paninis, everything!
Kitchen Aid stand mixer - obviously
Good luck!!
I have been married 15 years and love my kitchenaid stand mixer the most of anything. I also adore my everyday china that we have used every day for 15 years - Botanic Garden by Portmeirion.
I wish I had a better set of everyday wine glasses, a good set of knives, le creuset dutch oven, fancy capp/expresso machine, gorgeous linents, and so much more.
I can wait to hear what she puts on her list.
Oh, and a Kitchenaid. I'm in total agreement with the kitchenaid. LOVE mine.
Sounds like she's living in tiny places - what about kitchenware that collapses? I have collapsible measuring cups, a collapsble collander, and even a collapsible dish rack. I think they are wonderful space savers and do a great job. Good luck with the registry!
Definitely good pots and pans and sheets!
Good Luck with the registry!
1. Good set of knives- minimal version 3 knives chef, pairing and serrated knive.
2. Le Creuset Round Dutch Oven 5 1/2qt- yes it is heavy and does not travel well but it will be in the will for children on nieces
3. Nice Sauce and 12in pan- All Clad
4. Mixer- Handheld (if she is planning to travel for the next 5 years+), standing if the travel time is 2+ years and big Kitchenaid if she is done and is planning to bake cookies for her kids bake sales in the next 3-5 years
4. Nice 2 sets of sheets
That's about it... she can ask for $ and then decide to buy whatever dishware and clutter she chooses. All these items above (maybe with the exception of the sheets) will be hand town to the next generation which may be tougher to do with China, who knows what type of China will our children love.
* a D-SLR camera
* a good set of pots & pans
* a nice set of dishes and silverware
* high thread count sheets
* oversized bath towels
One thing that we got which we didn't register for but we use ALL THE TIME is a really nice king-sized organic cotton blanket in a beige color. Not exciting but before we had a king bed we used it as a "snuggle blanket" to watch movies. It's been on one bed or another for about 6 years and after 10 years of use and washing it it has held up great and is the softest, most-perfect-weight blanket we own.
Congrats to her!
continued...
I would also register for good quality crystal as we use ours a lot for entertaining. Or good bar ware. I would register for 20 fine linen napkins (in white or cream) and 12 linen placemats. The napkins will get lipstick stains or discolor after a while... that is why I would get more:)
Good flatware. I love sterling too and we use ours but I know most people do not register for it anymore.
LeCreuset pots and cookware. Any small appliances they need but again...not the fads...just the basics (coffee maker, toaster over, mixer. A sterling photo frame or two (an 8X10 and a 5x7) People like to buy frames and most are too trendy but a gorgeous sterling frame is always classy and needed.
Good quality towels and sheet sets are practical for a registry too. I always buy white towels and sheets too. They look so clean and fresh and you can always bleach them.
beautiful but simple measuring cups, mixing bowls and good quality cooking implements.
GREAT set of knives.
I have more but I will stop here:)
So it's good to take a step back and decide what's really important in your own idea of good living (for some people the wine glases really are a must - my father founded a chapter of the Wine Tasters Guild when they moved to Key West, so I do get that).
Like you - I HAD to have fine china since it's a great passion of mine (no matter how frivolous it may sound to my friends who didn't bother getting any). I just bought my own everyday china on sale from a Ross Simmons catalog: a white Wedgewood pattern that always looks great.
It's best to pick things that will always bring you joy (for me, fine china), that you will use every day (like kitchen gadgets for people who love to cook) and that you will need but will hate to have to buy on your own (for me this would be towels - snore).
Good luck to her! It's fun, but overwhelming.
Consider china over pottery when registering for every day. It's more likely to break than pottery, but less likely to chip. How often do you drop a plate on the floor? And how often do you knock your plates against the sink when doing the dishes? I have broken two plates - easily replaced - in 10 years but only have one chip on the entire set of every day china I bought myself.
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