The Ultimate Wedding Registry Checklist
Wedding registries are a time-honored tradition we recommend for every bride and groom. With a few easy steps, curating the best wedding registry for you will help guide your guests towards choosing the perfect present and relieve stress as you head towards your big day.
But with seemingly endless categories, how do you know where to start choosing your wedding registry items? You don't want to forget something important and regret it later. As you prepare to celebrate your union, refer to our ultimate wedding registry checklist for guidance to cover all your wedding registry bases.
What is a Wedding Registry Checklist?
The registry checklist is the perfect tool, listing different categories and items to consider and helping you stay on track as you make the wedding registry of your dreams. Every category you could possibly choose from is formed into a list, showing the most popular items couples want and need. From types of home décor to serveware essentials to bar accessories, we’ve thought of it all. Even if you think you can do it all on your own, having a physical wedding registry checklist to refer to is a way to ensure you don't miss a thing.
Why You Should Use a Wedding Registry Checklist
A wedding registry checklist will help you stay organized and mindful of your wants, needs, and suggested categories as you add wedding registry items to your own list. With a long wedding timeline of engagement parties, bridal showers, rehearsal dinners, and more, there are a million things to accomplish before your big day. Don't let the idea of wedding gifts overwhelm you.
Your wedding registry should be the least of your worries—in fact, it's a fun and exciting task for you and your partner to do together. Referencing a wedding registry checklist as you create your own will lighten the load for you and your partner and allow you to enjoy hand-selecting each wedding registry item together.
The Main Categories of a Wedding Registry
Whether you sign up online or experience registering in a store, refer to our wedding registry checklist to ensure you remember all your options. Whether you're a young couple just now starting your lives together or a pair of love birds who've lived together for years, keeping track of what items you need can feel difficult. To make it easy for you, we've separated our recommendations into four main categories:
- Tabletop
- Entertaining Essentials
- Home
- Commemorative Keepsakes
5 Tabletop Must-Haves for Your Wedding Registry
From hosting intimate brunches with your girls to the annual holiday gatherings, you and your partner have a lifetime of setting the table ahead of you. As you add dinnerware options to your list, look at what you'd like to replace or keep in your current collection. Discover new patterns, choose seasonal dinnerware to rotate throughout the year, and mix and match new pieces with your old—or start from scratch!
Consider your entertaining style, as well as the size of your group of friends and family. If you expect to entertain large groups often, we encourage you to register for quantities of 12 for each item below. On the other hand, if you don't anticipate hosting large gatherings often, stick with quantities of 6-8.
Pro tip: Consider registering for multiple patterns of accessory dishes like salad plates so you can design unique and beautiful tablescapes whenever you want.
- Fine China
- Everyday dishes
- Glassware
- Table linens
- Flatware
1. Fine China Options
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Fine China is a great addition to any wedding registry. With a set of fancy dinnerware, you can be prepared to throw elegant gatherings together. Whether you plan to host formal dinner parties every weekend or save them for special occasions, consider adding these fine China items to your wedding registry:
- Dinner plates
- Salad plates
- Dessert plates
- Bread plates
- Teacups and saucers
- Chargers
2. Types of Everyday Dishes
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As you begin your wedding registry, take the opportunity to find a new set of everyday dinnerware. These dishes will be used for every meal, from your morning cup of coffee to weeknight dinners. Add items from different classic designs, like our Signature White Collection, or go a more rustic route with the wooden Fundamentals Collection. Then, when it comes time for a new season or holiday, you can switch out your dishes for a new look with seasonal sets:
- Dinner plates
- Salad plates
- Dinner bowls
- Pasta bowls
- Mugs
3. Glassware Options
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Starting a wedding registry gives you an excuse to update your current glassware collection with unique and classic designs. Find water glasses you’ll look forward to using every day, and make sure you have multiples of each type of wine glass, we suggest Estelle Glassware and Nude Glassware. Stock your registry with options for:
- Water glasses
- Red wine glasses
- White wine glasses
4. Types of Table Linens
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No wedding registry (or table!) would be complete without different types of table linens. We recommend finding many colors and patterns so you can mix and match napkins, placemats, and more for every occasion. Go for something timeless, like the Color Block Ecru Napkins that can be paired with just about anything, or the elegant Deco Gold Scallop Round Placemat and matching napkins. When the holidays come around, switch your linens out for festive options, like:
5. Flatware Sets
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Flatware sets are an often-forgotten wedding registry item—but one of the most important! Choose a couple of complete sets, like an everyday set and one or two more for entertaining or special occasions. Each set should include:
- Knives
- Forks
- Spoons
- Salad forks
- Dessert spoons
7 Types of Entertaining Essentials to Add to Your Wedding Registry
Whether your idea of hosting is a casual pizza party or a formal, sit-down dinner, it's a smart idea to add a wide selection of entertaining essentials to your wedding registry. With endless options, from serving platters to bar cart accessories to a favorite cookbook, entertaining items can feel like one of the most overwhelming sections when creating a registry. Stay organized and consider these seven checklists:
- Serveware
- Cookware
- Cooking utensils
- Kitchen appliances
- Barware
- Table décor
- Entertaining books
Essential Serveware
Whether you plan on hosting intimate date nights or enormous gatherings, your wedding registry is the chance to stock up on for any and all serveware. Different-sized options of platters, boards, bowls, and more open a world of opportunities for the types of gatherings you and your partner may host.
Every item can (and should) be used throughout the year, but feel free to find seasonal versions to switch out for different holidays and parties. From the classic Signature White Oval Platter to the Iris Blue Burst Round Butter Dish, and to seasonal styles there are endless types of serveware to add to your list:
Serving platter (varying sizes, 1-3)
Large serving bowls for serving salad, pasta, and sides (1-3)
Medium serving bowls for individual entrees (2-4)
Small serving bowls for condiments/dips (2-4)
Butter dish
Salt and pepper shakers
Cake stands
Glass dome for cake stand
Sugar bowl
Creamer pitcher
Breadbasket
Appetizer plates
Pitchers (2)
Drink dispenser
Wooden serving boards
Cheese knife set
Serving set
Ladle
Serving spoons (1-3)
Serving forks (1-3)
Pie/cake server (1)
Appetizer spreaders (3-5)
Appetizer forks (3-5)
Appetizer spoons (3-5)
Types of Cookware
Make sure to add different sizes and kinds of cookware to your wedding registry list to fully stock your kitchen. Cookware can range from anything you use to cook, from different-sized pots and pans to the Signature White Ruffle Casserole dish. So, whether you love to bake for friends or plan to cook for just your family, these wedding registry items are essential:
- Pots and pans
- 1.5 qt. saucepan
- 2-2.5 qt. saucepan
- 3-qt. saucepan
- 4-qt. saucepan
- 10-inch frying pan
- 12-inch frying pan
- 5-qt. Dutch oven
- 7-qt. Dutch oven
- 10-12 qt. multi-use pot
- Roaster
- Cookie sheets (2 full and 2 half)
- Muffin tins
- Casserole dish
- Pie dish
- Mixing bowl set
Useful Cooking Utensils
- Set of silicone spatulas
- Wooden spoon(s)
- Spoon rest
- Wet measuring cups (2-cup and 4-cup, like Pyrex!)
- Dry measuring cup set
- Measuring spoon set
- Tongs
- Peeler
- Rolling pin
- Zester
- Pizza cutter
- Can opener
- Graters
- Mandolin
- Whisks
- Splatter screen
- Oil dispenser
- Mortar and pestle
- Salad spinner
- Meat thermometer
- Pepper grinder
- Salt cellar
- Colanders (1 small and 1 large)
- Hand juicer
- Steak knives
- Chopping knives
- Knife block
- Chopping boards (1 small and 1 large)
- Apron(s)
- Trivet(s)
- Utensil holder
- Kitchen towels
- Oven mitts and potholders (2-4)
- Food storage container(s)
Must-Have Kitchen Appliances
- KitchenAid mixer
- Heavy-duty blender (like Vitamix!)
- Food processor
- Slow cooker
- Pressure cooker
- Toaster
- Coffee or espresso maker
Bonus Kitchen Appliances:
If you have any extra room in your cabinets or have always dreamed of owning a fun, unique kitchen appliance in your arsenal, don't be afraid to add them! The best wedding registry is full of items you want, like these specialty appliances:
- Microwave
- Rice cooker
- Toaster oven
- Waffle maker
- Panini press
- Deep fryer
- Donut maker
- Ice cream maker
- Griddle
- Sous vide
- Air fryer
Beautiful Barware
- Specialty cocktail glasses (Champagne, coupe, double old fashioned, martini, beer, etc.)
- Wine decanter
- Wine opener
- Whiskey decanter
- Cocktail shaker
- Bar tool set
- Ice molds
- Cocktail napkins
- Ice bucket (1 small and 1 large, like our new Deco Gold Scallop Ice Bucket!)
Timeless Table Décor
- Place card holders
- Napkin rings
- Vases
- Candlesticks
- Candles
Don't Forget Entertaining Books and Cookbooks
One of the commonly forgotten wedding registry items is books. We don't mean fiction and self-help guides to add to your bookshelf. Think more like coffee table books designed to spark conversation or a cookbook you've been eyeing for years. Choose 2-4 books that interest you.
5 Categories of Home Goods to Put on a Wedding Registry
Fill every room in your house with beautiful home goods. With different entertaining spaces to consider, you can add anything from throw blankets to grilling equipment. As long as it sparks joy and reflects your and your partner's style, it's perfect for your wedding registry. Consider each of these wedding registry checklist categories as you create your wish list:
- Décor
- Bedding
- Bath
- Outdoor
- Extras
1. Home Décor:
- Throws
- Lamps
- Artwork
- Mirrors
- Guest hand towels
- Coasters
- Picture frames – for your new wedding photos, of course!
2. Luxurious Bedding:
- Duvet set
- Quilt
- Sheet set (2)
- Blankets
- Pillow shams (and inserts)
3. Bath Items:
- Bath towels (6-8)
- Hand towels (6-8)
- Bathmat(s)
- Shower curtain
- Bathrobe(s)
4. Outdoor Essentials:
- Grill
- Grill tool set
- Grill cleaning set
- Fire pit
- Outdoor furniture
- Soundbar
- String lights
5. Home Good Extras:
- Canisters
- Hand soaps and lotions
- Drawer organizers
- Pantry organizers
- Refrigerator organizers
- Iron and ironing board
- Steamer
- Hamper
- Trash can
- Vacuum
- Doormat(s) for all exterior doors
Celebrate with Commemorative Keepsakes on Your Wedding Registry
After your nuptials are over and your married life begins, you'll want to be surrounded by items that capture the feeling of your wedding. Whether you're decorating the tree for the holidays or commemorating your wedding pictures in new frames, don't forget to add those keepsakes that will keep the memories flowing long after the celebration.
Wedding Keepsakes:
You'll want to remember your wedding for years to come, and what better way to do that than ask for wedding-related keepsakes on your registry:- Cake knife
- Wedding ornaments
- Picture frames
Seasonal Keepsakes
Fill your house with holiday fun by adding seasonal keepsakes to your wedding registry list. From stockings to hang by the chimney with care to ornaments celebrating different milestones, these are a must:
- Commemorative ornaments
- Stockings
- Garlands
- Tree skirt
- Tree topper
Enjoy this special moment in your wedding timeline with your partner, whether you're registering online or in person. You're choosing serveware, dinnerware, and home essentials to curate your own dinnerware collection and start your life together!
Browse different types of serving platters, unique utensils, everyday table linens, and more with our carefully thought-out wedding registry checklist. Stay organized, consider what you need and what you want, and take the time to refer to each section of our wedding registry checklist as you make your own dream wedding registry.
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