The Wedding Registry Must-Haves I Still Stand By (Five Years Later)
The pieces that survived real life — not just the registry haze.
If you’ve ever built a wedding registry, you know the particular spiral it induces.
Suddenly you are convinced you will be hosting weekly twelve-person formal dinners requiring museum-quality porcelain. You begin contemplating whether you need port glasses — port glasses!?!? — as though you have ever in your adult life sipped port after a perfectly composed lamb course. A sales associate gently suggests a $100-per-glass situation (“they’re handmade in the Loire Valley and perfectly balanced to allow maximized oxygenation!”) and you nod thoughtfully, as if this aligns with your lived experience.
The registry haze is real.
It’s so easy to start registering for the fantasy version of yourself: the woman who decants Bordeaux on a Tuesday and casually references her Herend pattern by name. Meanwhile, the actual future you will be reheating pasta, hosting spontaneous friends-for-takeout nights, and desperately searching for a matching lid to your leftovers.
Nearly five years into marriage, I can report back from the other side. The items that endure are not the overly aspirational, hyper-formal ones. They are the beautiful-but-practical pieces that quietly shape your everyday life and make ordinary moments feel elevated.
And here’s the secret: none of this is relationship-dependent. Whether you’re getting married, moving into your own place, buying a home, or simply ready for a life upgrade, these are infrastructure pieces. The sort of things that make you feel like an adult with standards — not just a bride with a scanner.
Below, organized by category (because we love a system), are the registry must-haves I still swear by nearly five years later — and a few I wish I’d added.
Classic Registry
Inexpensive Wine Glasses That Are Sold Individually
You will break them. Your guests will break them. And nothing ruins a bubbly night more than the awkward tango of a $100+ mistake hanging in the air (“Please let me Venmo you . . .” “Oh no, it’s fine . . .”).
My favorite party trick? When a glass inevitably comes crashing to the ground, I already have a single replacement en route before my friend can effusively apologize. And if they insist on paying? I can assure them that I will let them grab a cup of coffee next time we are together. We all move on!
My secondary tip on glassware? Register for more than feels reasonable — 12-16. Future you will be grateful when hosting a large group or a gaggle that switches glasses with each distinct pour and you’re not forced into a mismatched scramble.
We Selected: Crate & Barrel Hip 31-Oz. Large Red Wine Glass
Other Options: CB2 Muse Modern Red Wine Glass; Target Blue Stemmed Wine Glass
Beautiful Everyday China
Not “only for holidays” china — I mean the plates you want to eat Tuesday night roast chicken on. When your everyday dishware is lovely, you automatically romanticize dinner. It’s tempting to select the $500 a plate en vogue fine china, but may I politely suggest restraining a bit on your elevated collection and splurge a bit on your daily set? I personally think Costa Nova and Juliska have some of the best options that sit in that space between plain jane department store and handle-with-gloves luxury, and most of their collections also have accompanying serveware which is perfect for family style dining or casual hosting.
We Selected: Costa Nova White Pearl Dinnerware
Other Options: Juliska Berry & Thread Dinnerware
Luxury Champagne Flute Set
In addition to a regular set of flutes, register for a special set just for you two that you’ll use on your wedding day — and then on anniversaries, promotions, good news, and random Thursdays that deserve bubbles!
We Selected: Waterford Love Forever Flute
Other Options: Villeroy & Boch Grand Royal Flute
A Dutch Oven
The workhorse that is worth the splurge. Soups, braises, sourdough, short ribs, roast chicken. It’s the single piece of cookware that makes you feel like someone who knows what she’s doing and is such a staple in our home that it lives on top of the stove.
We Selected: Le Creuset Signature 5.5-Qt. Cream Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Other Options: Caraway 6.5 qt Dutch Oven
Good Food Storage
Matching, stackable, glass containers make leftovers feel intentional instead of chaotic. A strangely transformative adult purchase.
We Selected: Pyrex 20-Piece Glass Food Storage Set
Other Options: Modern Picnic 10-Container Set
Around the House
Beautiful Coffee Mugs
Aside from your daily china, this is one of the other few items you will use daily. Choose ones that make morning feel like a ritual instead of a groggy fog.
We Selected: Godinger Dublin Crystal Coffee Mugs (Set of 4)
Other Options: Monique Lhuillier Juliana Scalloped Mugs - Set of 4
Multiple Sheet Sets
At least two per bed. When you place one in the laundry, you immediately can remake the bed and not feel like life is dictated by the wash cycle.
We Selected: Brooklinen Classic Percale Core Sheet Set
Other Options: Frontgate Resort Collection Ladder Stitch Sateen Sheet Set
Good Dish Towels
Not novelty. Not thin. Thick, absorbent, coordinated towels that can actually handle kitchen and cleaning moments.
We Selected: Williams Sonoma Classic Logo Towels
Other Options: Weezie Kitchen Towel Bundle
Matching Hangers
It’s an instant aesthetic and organizational upgrade for very little effort.
We Selected: Amazon Velvet Hangers
Other Options: NEAT Method Everyday Hangers
Tool Kit + Electric Screwdriver
Every household needs one! And, the electric option is so lovely once you have it on hand.
We Selected: BLACK+DECKER 12V MAX Drill & Home Tool Kit
Other Options: SUGIFT 121-Piece Home Tool Set with 12V Cordless Drill
Pretty Step Ladder
Vertical storage is a must after gathering all your registry wares, and it is so important to have a way to access said goods! Go ahead and ask for pretty versions, because if it is living in your pantry, kitchen corner, or closet it should be something you don’t mind looking at.
We Selected: 3 Step Ladder Aluminum Lightweight Folding Step Stool
Other Options: Frontgate Ultralight Slimline 4 Step Stool
Gold Chip Clips
Tiny luxury, big joy.
We Selected: Steel Chip Clips
Hosting Essentials
Matching Serveware (Including a Giant Ice Bucket)
Serving bowls, platters, and one dramatic oversized ice bucket. The ice bucket, especially, changes the tone of a party!
We Selected: Mariposa Pearl Collection
Hemstitch Napkins
Cloth napkins instantly elevate even takeout. Hemstitch feels classic and slightly European. You can select cheeky quips or personalization.
We Selected: No longer available :(
Other Options: Monogrammed Linen Dinner Napkins; Swiss Dot Cocktail Napkins; Matouk Aziza Napkin
Serving Tray
Morning coffee. Cocktails. Passing hors d’oeuvres. Uber Eats in bed. A tray makes everything feel deliberate and elevated.
We Selected: Mariposa Pearled Medium Service Tray
Other Options: Addison Ross Eau De Nil & Khaki Lacquered Scallop Medium Two-Tone Tray; Sharland England Hadley Tray
Beautiful Bud Vases
Scatter them down a table with grocery store flowers and suddenly you’re hosting a dinner in the Cotswolds without having to decipher how to curate a stand alone arrangement.
We Selected: VIETRI Hibiscus Glass Bud Vase
Other Options: Kim Seybert Trumpet Bud Vase in Clear; Two’s Company Verre Bud Vase, Set of 5
Elevated Games
A beautiful version of a classic game encourages phones in a basket and conversation around a table.
We Selected: WS Game Company Scrabble Luxury Edition
Other Options: Monogrammed Double Deck Playing Cards; Oh My Mahjong Starter Kit
Travel
Matching Luggage Sets
High-quality luggage is the pinnacle of you don’t think about it until you don’t have it. They’ll carry you through honeymoons, girls’ trips, work conferences, and the occasional sprint to Gate 32.
We Selected: Away The Large; Away The Bigger Carry-On
Other Options: Quince Carry-On & Large Check-In Suitcase Set
Structured Travel Tote
A durable, wipeable tote is invaluable for road trips, beach weekends, and car loading situations. The goal: something structured enough to hold its shape and sturdy enough to endure years of actual use.
We Selected: Scout Bag Original Deano Tote Large; Scout Bag 4 Boys Zip Tote XX-Large
Other Options: Hulken Signature Rolling Tote Bag
Personal & Sentimental Keepsakes
Photo Frames
Invest in frames that match your home. When photos are properly framed, they feel curated instead of cluttered.
We Selected: Addison Ross Chiffon Enamel & Gold Frame
Other Options: Addison Ross Grey Chinoiserie Frame; Addison Ross Gold Locket Frame Double
Keepsake Ring Box
For your wedding ring on the big day — these photograph beautifully. Then, a forever after bedside trinket.
We Selected: The Mrs. Box The Antonia Classic Double
Other Options: Herend Porcelain Ring Box; Waterford Heritage Round Ring Holder
Keepsake Box
A stunning archival storage system for wedding memories, paperie, and meaningful textiles. Perfect for styling around your home as well!
We Selected: Personalized Luxury Wedding Keepsake Box
Other Options: Petite Keep Grand Bridal Trunk
Keepsake Plate
A single commemorative piece — whether custom or inherited — anchors memory in a physical way. Displayed intentionally, it becomes part of your home’s visual history.
We Selected: Sasha Nicholas Weave 24K Gold Oval Platter
Other Options: Tricia Lowenfield Wedding Platter in Green
Wedding Album
A wedding album is archival. Invest in one with weight — thick pages, thoughtful layout — the kind you will revisit on anniversaries rather than scroll past.
We Selected: Lay Flat Wedding Album
Other Options: Artifact Uprising Album