10 Things Every Southern Bride Needs On Her Wedding Registry

In the South, we like our wedding registries. Buying wedding gifts gives guests the chance to invest in the happy couple’s future married life and helps the newlyweds stock their home with things they’ll need, use, and love for years to come. For Southern brides and grooms, though, preparing a wedding registry can be both an exciting and a daunting task. When settling into your new home—after the frenzied preparation and festive celebrations of the wedding day—you’ll want to ensure that your new home is ready for dinnertime, snack time, and party time. With a little preparation, foresight, and help from these wedding registry ideas, you will be ready to compile a wedding registry checklist filled with necessities—plus a few things you never knew you needed.

Blender
We’ll be frank: You need a blender. Often overlooked, this appliance will quickly become your best friend in the kitchen. Blenders—along with their cousin, the juicer—have had waves of popularity over the past few decades, and we are currently in a major blender phase. A high-quality blender is your go-to when mixing up smoothies and milkshakes, and it will also come in handy down the road when you have little ones running around; it is an indispensible addition to your kitchen arsenal when you want to blend your own organic baby food. Take stock of the appliances currently in your kitchen, and be sure to add anything else you need to the registry.

Cake Stand
You’ll definitely want a beautiful cake stand for displaying your desserts at parties, showers, and dinners. Whether it is simple or ornate, the cake stand is the perfect base to any homemade (or store-bought) cake. If you are whipping up some of Southern Living’s best cakes and desserts (like our layer cake recipes, homemade pound cake recipes, or sheet cake recipes), be sure that you aren’t without a cake stand to display the final product.

China
Even if you have been collecting your china pattern since you were little, chances are there are a few pieces—dinner plates, a butter dish, a gravy boat—that you still need for your place settings. Over time, some pieces are broken along the way, so it is essential to have a stash of replacement plates and bowls just in case. This ensures that you always have a full set of place settings ready for impromptu guests and spontaneous dinner parties. You can also mix and match patterns to create a stunning tablescape.

Glassware
In addition to everyday glasses, coffee mugs, tumblers, and wine glasses, be sure to add a sturdy glass pitcher to your wedding registry. For the Southern couple, nothing in the kitchen is used quite as much as a glass pitcher. While it is often filled with iced tea chilling in the refrigerator, the glass pitcher is one of the most versatile items in the house. Don’t be surprised when you end up reaching for it daily. Take a look at some of our favorite cocktail recipes to get some inspiration for other glassware you may need on your registry.

Holiday Place Settings
There are few things lovelier than unboxing your holiday china in anticipation of a houseful of loved ones all gathered around the table for holiday dinners. Use these plates and bowls each year, and they take on deeper significance; they accumulate tender memories of meals shared together in years past. A bit fancier than your everyday place settings, your special holiday china pattern should have a bit of elegant flair. We recommend choosing a style that you love and that is timeless enough for many happy holidays to come. Get creative and try a new look with a classic pattern.

Linens
From tablecloths to bed sheets to bath towels, linens are an essential wedding registry addition. Go for a classic color—we’re partial to neutrals that you can mix and match—so that your linens will be timeless additions to your home. To ensure that you get the most use out of your linens, it’s important that the color and style will work with any tablescape, wallpaper, or color scheme. Go with neutral hues and you’ll reach for them for years to come. You can also add touches of color with punchy throw pillows and patterned place mats, which are easy to change from year to year as your tastes evolve. Always a Southern favorite, you can also monogram your linens with your new initials.

Serving Bowls and Platters
A necessity for dinner parties, all Southern brides will want to have an array of serving bowls and platters on their wedding registries. Serving ware is essential for parties and buffets, but these pieces are also ideal for transporting food to friends, showers, and parties in style. Don’t forget to add the serving tongs, forks, and spoons to the registry as well. Browse the Southern Living website for an array of our favorite serving trays.

Silverware
Similar to china patterns, many Southern women have been collecting their silver pattern since they were teenagers. Often, Southern brides will collect two styles of silver—an everyday set and a set of sterling silver utensils for special occasions. We, of course, recommend choosing a timeless pattern that you love. Whether it is clean-lined, floral, or an inherited, classic pattern, you will be using these utensils constantly, and, eventually, passing them on to your children. Once you complete your collection, you’ll want to learn the ABCs of silver care to ensure that you keep your stash sparkling.

Coffee Maker
A gracious hostess is always prepared for guests. And in our Southern handbooks, that means having something homemade (biscuits, bundt, or pound cake), and a delicious cup of coffee to serve friends stopping by or staying the night. When it comes to registering for a coffee maker, we love ones that can handle crowds or single cups and that brew the best cups. For example, Keurig's K-Duo Essentials brewer gives you the option of brewing a carafe or a single cup using a K-cup pod.

Slow Cooker
Once busy days begin encroaching on busy evenings, a slow cooker such as the Crock-Pot will become your go-to dinner-prep tool. When you can mix up a meal in the morning, let it simmer all day, and come home to a warm meal, you’ll thank your lucky stars that you put a slow cooker on your wedding registry. The slow cooker isn’t just for soups and stews anymore, though. Try any of our slow cooker recipes and introduce yourself to an abundance of easy, family-favorite dinners.

Also, if you’re a Southern couple that likes to cook, don’t forget to add assorted pots, pans, baking sheets, baking dishes, mixing bowls, and muffin tins to your registry. Check out southernliving.com for recipe inspiration, and enjoy your new home and kitchen goods together as newlyweds.