- Hey, guys, so over the years many of you have asked me
about bridal registries, what to put on them,
what do you really need?
So this year I celebrated my 19th wedding anniversary.
Can you believe it?
I know, 19 years goes by in a blink.
So I wanted to share with you the things
that I wish I registered for way back when
that I realized I needed after the fact.
And I think what ends up happening with bridal registries
is a lot of people put the cooking equipment
and the baking equipment on it,
and they forget about the special events.
And let me tell you, after you're married,
your family starts to call you up,
and they expect you to hose Thanksgiving, Christmas,
(laughs) special dinners, and you need to be ready.
So I wanted to share with you today a few things
that I think are just great.
Okay, first up, stemware.
In my opinion, there are three style of glasses
that I think you will get the most use out of.
Number one, an all-purpose wine glass.
So when you're first starting out,
you typically don't have a lot of space in the cabinets,
and I don't think you need to go out
and buy your white wine glasses and your red wine glasses.
Unless you're a real wine connoisseur,
no one's really gonna care.
I really like the style of the chardonnay glass.
I think that works really well
for an all-purpose wine glass.
I love these glasses by Pure and Simple
because not only are they lead-free crystal,
which gives them a beautiful weight and delicate touch,
but they are also made with titanium
for extra strength and durability.
So when I was young and we first got married,
we move around a lot,
and having to pack up those boxes with the glasses,
not many of 'em survived. (laughs)
So if you're moving a lot when you're young,
you wanna have wine glasses that aren't gonna break on you
or break when you load them in the dishwasher.
That was another hard lesson I had to learn.
Then next up, the martini glass.
Now, in today's world, there might not be many
of us drinking martinis,
but they're great for specialty cocktails.
I think any time you have a party
and you wanna have something festive,
you can make a specialty cocktail that everybody can try,
and it's great to have the perfect type of glass for this.
This glass is called the Madison glass,
and it's by a company called Ocean Glass.
And I love them because they're the classic martini shape,
but they just have a little bit more elegance to them
in the stem and the styling of the actual glass.
They're also a great size,
which makes them perfect for serving desserts in as well.
(laughs) In fact, if you want a really quick
and easy dessert idea for the summertime,
you can take some mango sorbet,
topic it with some freshly diced mangoes,
add some of those toasted coconut flakes on top,
serve it with a little cookie on the side,
and you have the most beautiful, easy dessert
for summer entertaining.
And then the third style of stemware
that I love is a classic 1930s style champagne coupe.
Not only are they great for serving champagne in
or mimosas for a brunch,
but I also love to serve little mousse cups in them
or panna cottas.
Okay, next up, let's talk napkins.
So I have a collection of linen napkins
that I only use for entertaining,
and I highly recommend this approach. (laughs)
Because for everyday napkins, you might be using paper,
or maybe you're using cotton.
But when you have Thanksgiving or Christmas
or any time of special dinner party,
I think you cannot go wrong
with a set of linen hemstitch napkins.
I found the source for these napkins
on Amazon a few years ago, and I keep replenishing my stock
any time I have a large party (laughs)
because they're so affordable.
For the most of what one of these napkins usually costs,
you can get a whole pack of 12.
Okay, next up, let's talk salad bowls.
Now, I'm a big fan of 100% real wood salad bowls.
They're a little bit pricey,
but they're totally worth the investment
because they just get better with age.
I love this salad bowl
because it's 100% cherry wood turned
from one piece of solid wood.
It's made here in the USA.
It's 12 inches in size,
which is the perfect size to serve four people.
So as your table grows over the years,
you can either add to it and have two salad bowls,
one for each side of the table,
or you can upgrade to a larger one.
Now, for salad servers,
you certainly could do wooden spoons.
That's a classic look.
But sometimes when I'm entertaining
and it's a special occasion,
I love to pair really earthy metals with the wood
because I think it's a beautiful color combination.
I fell in love with these salad servers.
They're the shape of coral,
and they're made from hand-cast pewter
that has been layered with 24-karat gold and silver.
In fact, I think the bowl and the servers
would make a great wedding gift for somebody as a set.
And you can get both together for under a hundred dollars.
Okay, next up, the covered casserole dish.
I think this is probably one
of the most versatile items for entertaining.
I love this stoneware piece by Le Creuset
because it comes with the lid.
I think it just is such a beautiful shape,
and it is so functional too.
You can make lasagnas in it.
You can make egg bakes in it for brunches.
You can also do baked French toast dishes,
which is great around Christmastime.
You'll notice the scalloped edges on the side
which not only are a beautiful detail,
but it's really functional too
because it helps you carry the dish
from the oven to the table.
So it's the perfect oven to table piece.
Okay, next up, let's talk candlesticks.
So it doesn't matter what you are serving,
any dinner party is instantly elevated
when you have some candlelight.
I like something like this
that's a little bit more casual for everyday.
So these are made from metal.
They have an oil bronzed antique finish.
They're only five inches high,
which I think makes them really good for every day.
I am one of those people
that actually uses candles even during a weeknight meal
because I find that it makes my children better behaved
at the table. (laughs)
So, moms, if you're dealing with that,
you might try that technique.
And then I also like to use hurricane globes
on top of the candle.
Not only does it look beautiful
because it reflects the light,
but it also protects little hands
from getting in there and touching the candles.
Now, for special occasions,
I really love a higher candlestick,
something that's maybe 12 inches in height.
I think there's something really dramatic
about a high candlestick.
And I love these candlesticks for their Grecian design.
I think it's such a classic shape.
Now, you certainly could use traditional candles
with candlesticks like this,
but if it makes you a little bit nervous
having these open flames running down your table,
I totally get it, and then I'm here to show you
this fabulous little invention
that my father discovered about a year ago, (laughs)
and he bought me two of them.
They are battery-operated candles
that look just like the real thing.
They're pretty impressive.
So they take a couple of double A batteries.
And then with a push of a button is how you turn them on.
And because the base is made out of real wax,
it looks like the real thing if you were to touch it.
And the flame flickers,
and then the tops of the candles are also melted down,
so from a distance, people have to double-take
'cause they really think it's the real thing.
Okay, next up, I think a glass carafe
is also a wonderful wedding present
or something to put on a registry.
I love this pierced carafe
because I think the design is really beautiful.
It almost looks like a mini sculpture on your table.
I fill mine with water
because I love to have water at the table,
especially for a dinner party.
It prevents the host from going up and down
to refill all the water glasses.
And I think there's something a little bit more gracious
for a guest to be able to reach over and fill their glass
and not have to ask for one.
Okay, next up, let's talk about a coffee service.
Whether you serve your coffee with your dessert
or after your dessert,
coffee is usually the last impression
that you make on your guests.
Now, whenever I'm entertaining,
I like to serve French press coffee
because it's super easy to bring to the table.
But over the years I've broken so many
of those glass carafes
that usually come with a traditional French press.
That's why I love this stainless steel model. (laughs)
Not only does it look a little bit fancier,
which is great for special occasions
when you're entertaining,
but it also keeps the coffee hotter for so much longer.
So it's double-insulated, which is what helps with that.
And the design is just so beautiful.
It sort of reminds me of a 1930s Bauhaus style.
Now, in today's world,
teacups and saucers aren't always the most practical thing
because, as much as I love them,
I really only use them for special occasions.
So if I was just starting out,
I would probably go more the route of a fancy mug.
That way you can use them during the week,
and you can also use them for company.
These coffee mugs are made from bone china,
which gives them a really beautiful light weight,
but also lots of durability.
And they also come with these beautiful little spoons.
How cute is that?
Then next up, the pewter gravy boat.
The first year I was hosting Thanksgiving,
I had all of my buffet set and ready to go,
and the one thing I did not have was a gravy boat. (laughs)
So it's sort of that overlooked item,
but when you are hosting Thanksgiving or Christmas
and you have a delicious sauce that you have prepared,
you will be happy you have a charming little gravy boat
to put it in.
I love this little piece.
I think it is so charming.
It's made from 100% pewter.
And I love the back with the grape leaves.
I think that's such a beautiful detail.
And grapes signify abundance and rebirth,
so I think it's a really great sentiment for a wedding gift.
Another nice thing about this gravy boat
is it doesn't require a ladle
because of the way the spout is designed.
You can just pour it out.
Okay, next up, the cake stand.
I think this is another overlooked item,
but you're gonna need one for birthday cakes,
Thanksgiving pies, Christmas cakes, you name it.
I love this classic glass design
because I think glass is so versatile.
You can dress it up, you can dress it down.
It always reflects the light, which is beautiful.
And I think it really allows
whatever you've put on top of it to pop.
And for something more casual,
I also like a wooden cake stand.
They're great for things that are a little bit more casual.
I like to serve muffins on mine during a brunch.
Or because of the slightly elevated height,
they also work well as a cheese board.
So you could add some grapes, a selection of cheese,
couple crackers, a few cheese knives,
and you have a beautiful cheese board.
All right, you guys, those are my picks.
If you wanna know what I recommend for cooking equipment,
you can click this annotation.
And if you wanna know what my baking essentials are,
you can click that annotation.
And I'll see you over there.