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For the couple who loves to cook, this is the best wedding registry. Whether you’re hoping to add new cookware, bakeware, tabletop decor or even a few clever items for kitchen storage and organization, Williams Sonoma is your one-stop shop. Create a registry and schedule a private tour of the store, including product demos and expert help, to choose the best items for your kitchen. You can add gifts at a variety of price points, monitor and manage your registry on the app and add items from Pottery Barn and West Elm to round things out. Couples get a 10% off completion discount, which is good for six months after you say “I do,” for any other must-have items on your list. Before you know it, you’ll be shopping for anniversary gifts.
Top pick: For the couple who loves a gourmet pizza at home, a pizza stone is a must-have. This durable Emile Henry pizza stone can withstand high heat, all while producing the perfect crust.
Unfortunately, picking the right registry isn’t as simple as just popping on over to your favorite retailer and calling it a day. There are other considerations you’ll want to make to get the most out of it. Here are some factors worth considering:
Product Variety
Remember that these gifts are meant to help you along with this next big chapter in your life. That means the gifts should apply to both yourself and your new spouse. But it also means you’ll want to have a wide variety for your guests. Your life isn’t one-dimensional; your registry gifts shouldn’t be either. Prioritize registries and retailers with numerous useful categories— home goods, kitchen devices, bedding, etc. But don’t be afraid to go outside the lines if your life suits it (outdoor gifts are appropriate for couples who frequently camp, for instance).
Trustworthy Retailers (and Registries)
You should be able to easily find user testimony about registries online (and in person). This allows you to discern the overall quality of the registries and retailers, helping you to understand better if they’re all they’re cracked up to be. If you’re looking for user reviews for a registry service and they just don’t seem to be there at all, that’s a red flag. Sure, new businesses pop up all the time, but you’re (presumably) only having one wedding, so you want to make sure you can trust the registry and retailers.
Ease of Use
Your guests shouldn’t have to jump through many hoops to buy something off your registry. Opt for systems that don’t require much extra work, as they’ll already have to thumb through your picks and enter personal information to make a purchase. If your registry requires many extra steps (even ones as seemingly simple as making an account), you may end up frustrating people and potentially even costing yourself some gifts.
Think About Your Guests
This is less about the registry and the gift selections themselves. Make sure you’re offering a wide variety of price points. But you should also be sure to have more gift options than guests. That way, guests will have a greater ability to pick things for your wedding gift that fit their budget, style, etc. Sure, the gamble is that you may not receive some things you really want. Still, many registries also allow you to select priority items—this will let your guests know what you prioritize yourself (and it makes their job easier).
How We Found the Best Wedding Registries
As shopping experts, we pride ourselves on finding products and retailers that offer the best to our readers. Luckily, many of the time-tested trustworthy retailers we often turn to also offer wedding registry services, so we didn’t have too much trouble putting together a wide range of solid options. However, we still consulted professional and user reviews to ensure we settled on a final list that represents the pinnacle options.
Why You Should Trust Us
While Molly Allen has a decade of experience as a freelance shopping writer and photographer, her former life also included the title of event planner, so she has an abundance of experience that’s directly applicable to finding the best wedding registries.
Additional research was also contributed by Associate Shopping Editor (and Pioneer of Taste of Home’s social media shopping team), Madi Koetting, who has reviewed hundreds of products in the home space, including kitchen appliances, cooking gear, cleaning gadgets, furniture and home decor.
FAQ
Where is the best place to make a wedding registry?
This will heavily depend on personal preference, which is probably obvious. However, it may be a good idea to prioritize places with a lot of variety, as your list of gifts you may want will probably encompass every category of home goods and beyond. Luckily, almost all of the picks on our above list have many options. Remember: you can also use a service that wrangles everything together under one umbrella, so you can have a single registry that covers multiple stores.
What is not appropriate to put on a wedding registry?
If you can help it, you should try to avoid putting personal items—like jewelry, clothing, etc.—on your registry. After all, the gifts you’re getting are meant to be a part of the celebration between yourself and your new spouse, so the gifts should reflect that bond and not just be for one person or the other.
How expensive should your wedding registry be?
While this will depend a lot on your and your guests’ socioeconomic status, the general consensus is that the majority of the gifts on your list should fall under a $200 price point. That being said, there’s nothing wrong with putting a few splurge items on there, too. Remember: there’s a chance those splurge items won’t make it to your wedding.
How long before your wedding should you make a registry?
Having your registry set up four to six months before your wedding is best. This will give your guests enough time to browse and purchase well before the big event.