6 Wedding Gifts You'll Regret Registering For (and 7 You Shouldn't Skip)

6 Wedding Gifts We Regret Registering For

• This probably won't come as a surprise, but the most common item our brides regret registering for is china. As one editor put it, "I was on the fence about registering for nice china, and my mother-in-law had a really good argument for it (namely, that I won't use it for at least 10 years, and that's OK, but when my husband and I start hosting special holiday dinners in the future, we'll love that we have it). So I did, and loved the old-timey tradition of it. But maybe because the idea seems outdated to everyone else or because each setting is so expensive, we only received one set. Since each setting is over $100, I don't see myself buying more (I got bills to pay!)."
• Likewise, silver doesn't fit into most of our editors' lifestyles — really, is all that time spent polishing it until it gleams worth it? — and takes up valuable storage space.
• While seemingly practical, a mandoline isn't a good fit for many: "the mandoline slicer we registered for gets zero use (it takes up a ton of counter space and is hard to clean, so it stays locked up in the pantry all the time)."
• Assess how much space you have in your kitchen before registering for a battery of large appliances; many brides echo this sentiment: "I really wish I hadn't registered for a bunch of large kitchen appliances. I'm not a huge cook or baker to begin with, so we haven't even opened most of the items like a panini press and stand mixer."
• Be realistic, not nostalgic: "I registered for two creamer and sugar sets; I have never used either of them. I thought all of a sudden I would serve coffee like my grandmother used to but that never happened; they're just not practical," one editor lamented.

7 Wedding Gifts We Recommend Registering For

• On the flip side, china may be worth registering for if you entertain a lot; one bride explained, "I use it all the time; every Friday and for our dinner parties." That said, she "didn't bother to register for some china like the gravy boat or the butter dish and instead stuck with the basic five-piece sets."
• A food processor might not get much use in some kitchens (be honest with yourself), but one editor raved, "I'm obsessed with my food processor! It's probably our best registry kitchen gift."
• Likewise, one bride wished that "I had registered for a Vitamix. My friends who have them are obsessed. We have a cheaper blender that works just fine, but the Vitamix really is a jack-of-all-trades. And because they're so expensive, I don't think we'll ever purchase one for ourselves. They also make a great group gift: We are going in with a group of friends to give a Vitamix to our friends getting married this Spring."
• Investment-worthy workhorses like a sturdy dutch oven top many lists: "my FAVORITE gift was a Staub six-quart dutch oven that I use all the time.
• Just because a big-ticket item like a stand mixer isn't practical for some doesn't mean you should skip registering for one if you're an avid baker. If you get plenty of mileage out of your hand mixer, consider this a great opportunity to upgrade.
• Don't be afraid to have a little fun with your registry; as one bride put it, "My now-husband I were on the fence about registering for an ice cream maker and Belgium waffle maker, but we ended up throwing them on the registry and we're really happy we did because we have a lot of fun using them."