Our Married Editors Share Their Favorite Wedding Gifts From Their Registry

After years of borrowing my friend’s carry-ons for various trips, I knew luggage was a must-have on our wedding registry. Calpak sets are sleek, beautiful, and so beautifully made. I spent hours sorting through various suitcases and luggage sets. Finding ones that aren’t exorbitantly expensive or super affordable but really not that cute is an extreme sport. Calpak is the set to save you hours of research. It’s high-end but still kind of accessible, and the quality is top-notch. If you travel frequently, also add the Calpak packing cubes to your registry—you won’t regret it.

– Garri, Managing Editor

Your wedding registry is the perfect opportunity to ask for gifts you’d never purchase for yourself, so make sure you take it! I’ve always wanted this beautiful toaster and was so thrilled to receive it. At this point, it’s hands-down our most-used gift (I eat a Lot Avocado toast, OK? It brings a big smile on my face every time I see it on the counter. Any toaster will work the same, but it’s important to think about the future when building your registry. Is it a toaster you just want to have on your counter every day? Or do you want one that is so beautiful it counts as home decor I’ll leave that up to you.

– Garri, Managing Editor

You’re going to see this on every single “What should I put on my wedding registry?” article that comes up on Google. It’s the perfect registry gift: You’ll never buy it for yourself, it’s that high-ticket item a guest might surprise you by purchasing, and a good mixer is something everyone should have. I’m not even someone who loves baking, but as soon as our KitchenAid arrived, I started making things left and right. The KitchenAid’s reputation speaks for itself. This is a gift you’ll have for years and years and a kitchen must-have. Pro tip: If you’re putting countertop appliances on your registry, make sure you choose colors that go together! We went with gray and white knowing that whatever our future kitchen looks like, our appliances won’t look out of place.

– Garri, Managing Editor

My husband, and I are both coffee snobs. We love speciality coffee and know how to make a cup of good coffee. Since years, we have been hand pouring our coffee with a chemex or electric kettle. Both of us love the art and enjoy saving time. We both get up at 6 a.m. each morning to make coffee so we thought an automatic coffee drip machine might be a nice break. It was something we didn’t expect anyone to give us, but they did, to our joy! It has been a lifesaver for us in the mornings, and it allows us to spend an extra 10 minutes together before we head off to work. This has to be the best gift we received—we literally use it twice a day!

– Kirra, Graphic Designer

Southern California is a place where we spend a lot of time on the beach and outdoors. The Yeti mini-cooler has been an invaluable tool in our lives. We took it to the beach last weekend and filled it up with our favorite drinks and sandwiches. Everything remained the same temperature as when we put it in the cooler. It was 92 degrees outside. Are you ready to be sold?

– Kirra, Graphic Designer

The Hatch was the gift we didn’t know we wanted. Your Hatch membership grants you access to an almost limitless library with white noise sounds, bedtime stories, and meditations. You can also choose from a variety of lamp colors that can be customized to help you fall asleep and wake up more gracefully the next morning. The gradual wakeup lamp was a game changer during the dark winter mornings of New England. It helped me to get up in the mornings. ActuallyGet up early to do your morning workouts, even if you’re not snoozing.

– Anna, Graphic Designer

This is one of our most versatile and high-quality kitchen tools. It is used almost every week from fall to spring, making soups, sauces and stocks. We know it will last for many years. It patinas beautifully and looks great on an open shelf.

– Anna, Graphic Designer

Linen sheets are a little luxury. I have one set of linen sheets and I want to replace the rest. They’re warm in the winter and cool in the summer, which means they’re a staple in our bedding rotation.

– Anna, Graphic Designer

While it may seem expensive, my Vitamix is a great blender. I use it all the time to make smoothies, soups and sauces, as well as baby food. We’ve had it for five years, and it’s going strong. The quality is well worth the price.

– Amanda, Senior Manager of Brand Partnerships

This brand actually didn’t exist when I got married, and I registered for a different pan set. Since then, I’ve upgraded to Caraway, so I’d highly recommend this for anyone currently working on their registry. I love that they’re ceramic and are free from chemicals. They are easy to clean and a favorite in our kitchen.

– Amanda, Senior Manager of Brand Partnerships

My husband and me used to argue over who would set up and clean up our coffee maker each evening. So switching to a pod-style coffee machine that doesn’t require any prep or cleanup was a great decision. I love how easy it is to brew a cup of coffee in the morning and that I don’t have to think about measuring or cleaning. This machine is a lifesaver.

– Amanda, Senior Manager of Brand Partnerships

A complete set of beautiful, high-quality, matching flatware that we can use every day of our lives was a gift that we wanted and loved. It’s one I’d encourage everyone to add to their own list, and if you’re buying the gift, it’s a great collection to help the couple complete for their new life together. I recommend signing up for service for 8-10 people.

– Alaina, Chief Executive Officer

We registered for several sizes of this classic French-inspired serving collection and use it every holiday. The classic, elegant style is compatible with all other pieces and can be used for any occasion. This makes it an ideal set to add on to your registry.

– Alaina, Chief Executive Officer

My husband and my wife had been married for six year by the time we were married. When it came time to register, we felt so blessed to already have everything we needed in our home and to also be celebrating with so many of our family and friends from all over the world, so we didn’t want to opt for a traditional wedding registry. Instead of registering at a store, we asked our guests make a donation to a charity close to their hearts. Because our wedding fell on the same weekend that Hurricane Sandy hit, we asked guests to donate to the Red Cross as well as to Amazon wish lists. A tool like The Good Beginning allows couples to search for different charities and create one link for their guests.

– Robi, Editor-In-Chief

This gift certainly leans on the practical side, but I’ve been married for almost 14 years and we still use our Pyrex storage every single day.This gift is great for leftovers, lunches at work, and potluck parties. The lid can be easily matched to the container’s lid with the color-coded tops.

– Kathy, Editor

This roasting pan was something I thought I’d never use. Why would I need a pan when my grandmother, mom, and my mother-in law hosted every family gathering? As you get older, get married and start a family, holidays change. Sometimes it’s hard to adjust, but it can also bring joy to create new traditions. We were so proud of the first Thanksgiving and Christmas Eves we hosted. Guess what we needed for the main course to be served to our holiday dinner guests? A giant roasting pan. We may only use this roaster a few times a year, but I’m so grateful to have it on hand when we need it.

– Kathy, Editor

In addition to the practical, there are also the gifts you’d never buy yourself but that you’d love to have. My husband and me already had a fur baby of four years by the time we were married. He even surprised us at our wedding. So we wanted to spoil him too by registering for a quality, personalized dog bed—and it was one of the first gifts someone bought from our registry!

– Kathy, Editor

The Roomba is a very expensive gadget that I didn’t know I needed. But, after receiving one as a wedding present, it was a game changer. I was hesitant to add this to our registry because it’s expensive, and I didn’t really think anyone would buy it for us. I thought, why not add it and see what happens? Let me tell you, I was so delighted when we received this gift. We use it so much. You can use the app to set automatic cleaning times (like when you’re both working outside of the home) or manually start the Roomba whenever you want. For us, that’s when we’re running errands or hanging out with friends—just set it, forget it, and come home to cleaner floors! It picks up a lot of dust and dirt, so I find that I have to vacuum less.

– Julia, Managing Editor

A set of beautiful frames was one of our favorite gifts. After our honeymoon, we returned home to our married life and enjoyed looking through our wedding photos to find the right frames to hang in our home. Three years later, we still look at these photographs every day and are reminded of the love and joy we felt on the day we said “I do.” These frames added such a special touch to our home decor, and I truly cherish them!

– Julia, Managing Editor