Weddingbee boards

I totally regret how I handled the registry.  We were together for four years and thought we had everything we needed, so we made a (very) small registry at Bed Bath & Beyond (mostly for shower gifts) and then did a Honeyfund registry.  Our wedding was very small (50 with bridal party), and while the cash was fun, it didn't go far, and now that we are thinking about a house, I realize that I have nothing to decorate with.  We don't have a complete sheet set, we have no matching plates (hand-me-downs from my mother, most are chipped), and the walls are bare.  We have this fabulous loft apartment, but it is so boring because it is full of a bunch of mismatched stuff.  If I could do it all over again, I would have put some real thought into it.  

Is there anything you wish you hadn't put on your registry or that you ended up returning even though you originally picked it? If so, what? Why?

Let me rewind about 30 years ago. My mom was pressured into registering for fine china/crystal/silver. She not only got the 8 place settings she registered for but got twelve  + many serving pieces.  At the time they were living in a tiny apt, had no kids, and were struggling to get by. China at the time did not seem very prudent.

Fast forward to now. Any where between 5-8 times a year for probably the last 15 years she throws parties for young ladies in the community getting married (usually a very beautiful bridal luncheon :), baby showers, a huge Christmas party, usually a party for my dad's work, nice dinner parties etc. 

Yes all of this could be done without fine china etc. but it truly makes things so much more special when she does bring it out.

So I say that you need to think long and hard before you decide not to register for the nicer things because you don't need them today. I am glad that I put those things on the registry and that I took a long time to think about the style and long term availability of these items. 

We have been living together for 4 years also and we originally weren't going to make a registry. One of my Aunt's said "yeah, you may have lots of things now, but they're hand-me downs, why not register for new stuff that is "yours" and donate the old stuff." So we did. We registered for new dishes, glasses, flatware, etc. (ours is currently from the dollar store & walmart). We also put some stuff that we really want, but wouldnt spend the money on ourselves (kitchenaid mixer, deep fryer, serving platters, espresso maker, etc.) I cook A LOT so I know we will use these things if we get them. We just put together our registry this weekend and it was actually pretty fun! It took about 2 hours, and I got to learn A LOT about my fiances home decorating tastes since he normally doesn't give me ANY input.

We didn't have a registry at all and have no regrets about it. His parents paid for most of the wedding and mine bought us a lot of big items, like the bed, vacuum, kitchenware, etc. Any monetary gifts we received went to smaller purchases (bathroom supplies, etc.) and savings for future. :)

We are still working on ours... But, we have had a hard time with it. We really do have *Everything* we need. We both lived alone before living together, so when we moved in together we got rid of things.  So, what we did was register for nicer things of everything.

Nicer pots & Pans, nicer dinnerware & Silverware. (no fine china - but everyday china) - it's still nice, but you can use it everyday. Nice sheets (master bedroom & guest bedroom) (More sheets are always good!!!), nice towels, etc, etc.

Then I added other miscellaneous things that we've been wanting - a new dining room rug, new lamps for the bedroom, and living room, new nightstands for the 2nd bedroom, centerpieces for the dining room table, mirrors, etc. 

Take a look around your house - you'll most likely find spaces you want to decorate, either the wall, or a table, or whatever. look through things you want to replace. Maybe not today or tomorrow... but soon.

Good luck!