These Are The Things I Regret Not Adding to My Wedding Registry
Amazon
The wedding registry is one of the most exciting (and overwhelming) aspects of an engagement. Of course, fine china, everyday dinnerware, silverware, and everyday flatware are at the top of most Southern registries. Cast-iron skillets, standing mixers, and fancy blenders are usual asks. Small items like trivets and nice trays are some of the things I use most from my wedding registry. But as my husband and I got in the groove of life as homeowners and a married couple, there were several products we wished we would've included in the registry instead of buying later. As people who love to cook, we mostly focused on kitchen items when registering. Luckily, we each brought plenty of furniture from our old living spaces into our shared home, so the only items outside of the kitchen that we requested were two sets of towels and a white shower curtain we could get monogrammed with my new last initial. As we settled in our new home, we quickly found out that though we were thankful for a full set of plates and mugs, we were especially lacking in the outdoor space and laundry area, where items can be expensive for first-time home buyers. We were overwhelmingly blessed with the number of things we were gifted off our registry—don't get that confused. But if I were talking to an engaged friend, I would let her know that there are some random items you might forget about when registering that would be so exciting to receive. These are a few of those "why didn't I think of that?" gifts you just might want to add to your own registry.
Gardening Essentials
BUY IT: $31.99; amazon.com
As new homeowners with our first yard and real space for plants, we were eager but intimidated to begin endeavors in gardening. A set like this would have been a great starter kit and cute piece of motivation to grow something beautiful.
A Lawn Mower
BUY IT: $219; homedepot.com
Echoing the above sentiment, as excited as we were to have our own yard, we also didn’t have anything to take care of it with. Since it’s pricey, a mower is a great gift for a group of friends or family members to split. After saving up to buy our own, we use it every week.
Wedding Photo Book
BUY IT: from $29.98; shutterfly.com
For some reason, putting together a wedding photo book is a task we put off. Not only is it time consuming, but wedding books can get really expensive. I wish I’d thought to include this on our registry so it wouldn’t seem like such a big to-do after the wedding.
A Speaker
BUY IT: $179; sonos.com
Though we had a small Bluetooth speaker we bring to the beach, once we got in our house, we realized we didn’t have a home speaker made for entertaining. We didn't think to put it on our registry, but my aunt and uncle had the insight to get us a Sonos speaker. It is to this day one of our favorite gifts. Its smart technology adjusts to the room’s size for optimal volume, and it works outside as well. We play music every night while we cook, and we can connect any future Sonos devices to this one.
Pretty Laundry Hampers
BUY IT: $67.64; amazon.com
In my old apartment, I was using a flimsy mesh laundry hamper that could be stored in my closet. In our new home, we don't have any space to hide dirty clothes away. After plenty of searching online, I found some elegant laundry hampers that don't look like they belong in a college dorm, but I wish I’d added them to our registry from the get-go.
A Foldable Clothes Drying Rack
BUY IT: $30.99; amazon.com
As I mentioned above, we don’t have much room when it comes to laundry. A simple drying rack like this is essential for days I’m washing exercise clothes. Plus, it folds up and can be hidden behind a standing mirror in our bedroom.
Outdoor Furniture
BUY IT: $189.99; wayfair.com
After moving out of a one-bedroom apartment with no balcony, I was thrilled to have a backyard deck at our new house. However, as soon as we moved in and cooked our first meal, we realized we couldn’t enjoy it on our patio without chairs or a table. A cute bistro set for the two of us would’ve been a great addition to the registry.
Gift Cards
BUY IT: from $25; amazon.com
I know our thoughtful Southern gift-givers will not be thrilled to hear this, but I have to admit: Gift cards are awesome to receive. Gift cards come in handy for things we didn’t know we needed until after we moved in. From random kitchen tools to garden supplies, there are countless items that would’ve been so convenient to pop on a gift card instead of having extra expenses.
Home Fragrance
BUY IT: $71.99; amazon.com
We’re both working from home, so lighting a candle to make the house smell nice is such a simple joy. But quality candles are expensive and watching them burn away is a little sad. I found out about the Pura home fragrance diffuser too late to add it to our registry, and now I want one for myself! You simply plug it in and let it fill your home with your scent of choice. You can control the Pura’s scent schedule and intensity from your phone, and the brand has partnerships with some of our favorite sources for candles like NEST and Capri Blue.
A Garment Steamer
BUY IT: $20.99; amazon.com
You can clearly see a trend here…We left off any and every laundry-related item from our registry. This was not purposeful; We simply didn’t think about them! A quality steamer that we can travel with is a game-changer.
Ring Doorbell and Camera
BUY IT: $119.98; amazon.com
Since this was a must-have for us as new homeowners, I’m not sure why we didn’t just include it on our registry. We love being able to keep an eye on the house when we’re gone, and we use an indoor camera to watch the pup if we leave for a bit.
