Caleb and I married at a fairly young age (21 and 20). I will be the first to say I had no idea what we needed to make a home! I was stressed about making the wrong choices or getting too much or not enough. Now that we’ve embraced the homesteading life, we have a much better idea of the items that make our home work for us. Here’s your little guide to wedding registries!

Stand Mixer

I worried whether this would be too big of an ask on a registry since it is a bit more expensive, but if you’re interested in baking anything, this is a go to for sure! I like this one from KitchenAid.

Baking Pans & Dishes

Think muffin tins, cookie sheets, cake pans, pie pans, bread pans and casserole dishes!

Dutch Oven & Cast Iron Skillet

I LOVE my dutch oven. I use this for soups, bread baking, sautéing, roasting meat… the possibilities are endless. I recommend this one by Lodge. It’s just as durable as Le Creuset and Staub but for half the price. We ordered one Lodge cast iron skillet on our wedding registry, and it is the one item we most use today! Get several if you can! We use at least three at a time in our home today.

Knives

For the first 10 years of marriage, we got by on a low-quality knife set that rusted, blades broke, and did not stay sharp enough to cut a tomato. These are quality knives that will last. Start with a few, and add as you can.

Wooden Spoons, Rolling Pin, Cutting Boards

Make sure you have a good quantity of wooden spoons, one solid wooden rolling pin and some cutting boards to prepare food. I use my rolling pin relentlessly – noodles, biscuits, pie crusts, and sugar cookies.

Mixing Bowls

These mixing bowls are durable, versatile and made in the USA. Check out the link to see other sizes available. You’ll want at least three bowls of varying sizes. Get one larger than you think you’ll need to help with custards and bread dough.

Coffee Maker

Don’t get the coffee maker that everyone else says you need to order. Get the one you can envision you and your spouse using on a daily basis. We have a Keurig that we finally took to the office since we don’t enjoy using it at home. Try a french press for slower, more simple mornings or go all out and ask for an espresso machine. Life is sweeter with good coffee.

Flatware

My biggest regret is the flatware we chose for our home. Here’s why. 1) We didn’t not ask for enough of the original set. As forks were inevitably lost, we now have only two left. 2) We chose a trendy design.

Choose something timeless and beautiful! If you’re not sure what that looks like yet, don’t register for these items yet. Instead, get some flatware secondhand for the meantime and save up for something you’ll love forever. That being said, I am currently looking to order these as a replacement for our first set.

Quality Duvet & Duvet Cover, Quality Sheet Set

Bedding is necessary and beautiful, and often won’t last all that long without having to be replaced. Feel free to experiment with a little color or pattern here, or go neutral and register for a nice patterned quilt or blanket.

Water Filtration System

No one ever thinks about this, but quality drinking water is hard to come by. Say goodbye to chlorine killing your sourdough starter.

OTHER ITEMS TO REGISTER FOR:

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Serving utensils
• A high quality cooler – Think Yeti, RTIC, Coleman for those summer camping trips
• Serving ware
• Canning jars – you can never have too many
• Baskets for storage
• Towels – Bath towels, hand towels and wash cloths
• Water pitcher
• Camping gear (Stanley, Coleman, REI, and Patagonia are some of our preferred brands)
• Home Depot gift cards – for little fixit jobs, newlywed home painting projects, and plants
• Potholders and kitchen towels
• Quality patio furniture
• Vacuum cleaner
• Quality mop
• Cookbooks
• Curtains & rods (definitely rods if nothing else in case your curtain style and color preference change)
• Basic power tools – we would suggest a 1/4″ impact driver or drill as these are used most often around our house-we recommend Milwaukee brand
• Quality hand tools – some good basics are screwdriver (phillips and flathead), needle-nose and snub nose pliers, measuring tape, small level, a good hammer, an assorted set of nails, screws, and hangers, mid-sized crescent wrench, allen wrench set and a good flashlight)
• Kitchen tools – blender, pastry cutter, flour scraper, can opener,
• Jumper cables – not glamorous but necessary
• Hand mixer – when you don’t want to pull out a full size stand mixer
• Drinking glasses – I love Duralex for quality and timeless design
• Luggage – Patagonia Black Hole bags are our favorite
• Good kitchen trash can
• Laundry baskets/ hampers
• Extension cords & power strips

THINGS I DON’T RECOMMEND REGISTERING FOR:

• Dishes – Hear me out on this one. I registered for an inexpensive set on Target that didn’t last long and were cheaply made. Get some cute, mixed patterns. Find these at a second-hand shops and be on the lookout for large sets at estate sales! A few years ago, a local church got rid of their set of vintage Homer Laughlin dishes, and I purchased these for less than 20 bucks. The set included 20 place settings of coffee cups, dinner plates and salad plates- I will keep these FOREVER.
• Home decor – it rarely ever lasts and your taste will change sooner than you think. Safe starters are original works and framed family photos.
• A million kitchen gadgets -think carefully when considering kitchen gear that only has one purpose. Multifunctional is always preferable!
• Cheap kitchen tools – tools that are highly plastic don’t make it long in a busy kitchen.

Best wishes and good luck with your wedding registry! Hope this little guide is a big help!

Caleb & Katie