9 Things Your Wedding Registry Definitely Doesn’t Need

No one uses their clunky bread machine as much as they think they will.

No one uses their clunky bread machine as much as they think they will. Photo: Africa Studio (Shutterstock)

My first real job was in the gifts and china section at Jacobson’s, a top-quality department store in Michigan, Ohio, and Florida that has since joined the ranks of vanished retail chains. My experience taught me all kinds of lessons about our goods and our customers, especially those who were setting up households.

I loved handing a clipboard to any couple who’d come to the store to fill out their wedding registry. You often saw looks of excitement on the faces of people who realized that they’d soon be getting dozens of silver foil boxes tied with white ribbon, our traditional wedding wrap.

But once their honeymoon was over, I’d often see those same couples trundle into the store with boxes full of gifts they’d requested from guests. The reason: the items weren’t all that practical.

Some people view their wedding registry as a one-time opportunity to ask for lavish, expensive gifts. But you’re better off listing items you will actually use, not things you’ll keep out of a sense of guilt, only to be brought out of storage when the person who gifted them is visiting your home.

Here’s a list of things to avoid if you are building a registry anytime soon.