Have you ever registered for china, silver...

[snowangel]

So, I've lamented that my mom sold her china. I called my aunt the other night (she's the one who bought my mom's china for a nominal amount of money) to say that we still hadn't used the money she gave us for our anniversary to go out to dinner -- don't worry, I had sent a prompt thank-you note.

Anyway, I told my aunt that I was thinking about not using the money to go out to dinner, but to start working on a set of china for myself. Then, she drops it. She purchased the china from my mom because my mom was insistent on getting rid of it, and she knew that "one of you girls -- either your sister or you or one of your girls -- would want it. It's in our storage unit, and we need to get out there in the next week or two, and we'll take an inventory of the number of placesettings, serving dishes, and patterns and I'll call and you and I can arrange a time for you to get it. I'm just so pleased that one of you girls want it." Could have knocked me over with a feather. For one thing, it's wonderful, at my age, to be referred to as a girl, and it's so touching she'd know I would want it.

[Jaymes]

I love that story, Snow. Really what families are all about.

[kristin_71]

Not sure I want to keep the silver because of who bought it for us ( the mother in law) but for now why not.

If you like it, in my opinion you should keep it. After all, the silver doesn't know who bought it.

But should it continue to bring back unpleasant memories, I suggest you find another pattern you do like, and then go to Replacements.com, and sell the MIL silver, and buy the new pattern. In essence, you'd be 'trading.'

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Now that is an interesting concept. hmmmm. Thanks for that bit of info. I had no idea.

My mom has offered to buy it from me if I want to get rid of it. I know what it cost and it is not cheap. I mean it is real sterling, kind of heavy, and beautiful. Since I have absolutely NO plans to get married again, I may keep all my stuff, at least for now cause once I am out of my parents house ( by middle to late next year I hope when school is finally done.) I will be on my own again, and it will no doubt be nice to have. But I may feel the need to get rid of it, so thanks for the info. I am still on the fence on this issue.

[armchairchef]

DH and I have been married 18 years. I was 23, he was 31. We registered for rather expensive stainless cutlery but did not get one single piece. We didn't register for china as I thought "pooh! I'll never need that."

18 years later, I still have never hosted a dinner party or a family holiday, something I regret very much. My house is just a terrible mess. DH is a bit of a packrat. But anyway...I did buy myself a tea set in a pattern I liked a lot, after we were married about 10 years. It will also coordinate with my Depression glass. I inherited a set of real silverware, but it's in the attic in a box, and I don't know if I'll ever use it. Also inherited from the same grandparents some wine glasses.

I did not register for pots and pans, as my mother had saved some after my dad's mom passed away. We've augmented the set with some purchases (Calphalon) since then, and bought some quality knives. DH haunts the secondhand stores so he often finds things (crystal bowls, platters, etc.) and brings them home.

One thing we registered for and got, and used exactly twice in 18 years is an ice cream maker, the kind you crank by hand!

I wish I had known I would become interested in cooking later on, and had gotten a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer!

And I do believe that we should be allowed to have showers later on to replace stuff!

[Gifted Gourmet]

And I do believe that we should be allowed to have showers later on to replace stuff! 

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I am a big proponent of the "Midlife Shower" for the older, yet wiser woman who now knows who she is and enjoys the pleasures of the culinary arts ...

eGulletized and ready to create, this woman truly is worthy of the "Midlife Shower"!

[Marlene]

"I could, however, use another wedding shower some 25 years later for new sheets, new towels, etc. Oh, and a Bullet and a cold-smoker would be good gifts, too (as would be copious amounts of cherry and pecan chunks)."

I have been a proponent of this idea for years.  After 20+ years of marriage, your sheets and towels are worn, or rags; the plates/cups/bowls your kids broke are gone, and you probably need some new matching glassware.  Forget an anniversary dinner.  Host an anniversary re-shower

Laurie

PS, my friends all seem to agree that this is a great idea, but so far no one has stepped up to host one yet. 

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See, what you do is have a renewal of vows ceremony, You can then do the whole thing over again, (shower etc) on a smaller scale of course! My parents did this for their 25th anniversary and mom's best friend had an "anniversary shower" for her. Friends kept asking what they wanted, since everyone wanted to bring a gift, so Dad made a small list of things he'd always wanted in the kitchen but had never gotten around to getting or things that needed replacing. They got darn near everything on the list!:

[lettezilla]

hi, i'm normally a lurker but wanted to bump this thread. we're getting married in july and have been strongly encouraged by family to register. wedding websites seem to be the places with advice about what to register for, but they don't have kitchen knowledge that i trust.

one twist is that we're an international couple, moving from london to the US just before the wedding, back again in a few years and then who knows. so we're ambivilent about having tons of 'stuff'. at the same time, we love to cook and can't imagine just trying to function without some key things.

so my question is this: if you were going to register today for your wedding or event, where would it be? (has to be a shop that actually has a registry, and would be best if it could be accessed online)

what would you ask for? china is covered through families, but everything else is fair game. we're trying to do some research on both what pans to get and what knives to get. i know not a kit in one brand, but don't know much more than that until i read other threads on those topics.

what gadgets do you think are key?

thanks in advance for your thoughts...

[snowangel]

so my question is this: if you were going to register today for your wedding or event, where would it be? (has to be a shop that actually has a registry, and would be best if it could be accessed online)

what would you ask for? china is covered through families, but everything else is fair game. we're trying to do some research on both what pans to get and what knives to get. i know not a kit in one brand, but don't know much more than that until i read other threads on those topics.

what gadgets do you think are key?

thanks in advance for your thoughts...

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You don't mention what in what area of the US to which you will be moving, but if there's a Sur La Table in the area, that's probably where I'd register because it would make exchanges and returns easy. Another place to consider is Bed Bath and Beyond, which also carries linene (sheets and towels).

And, if I were registering today (instead of the 25+ years ago!), I'd do a lot more research on what I wanted. You are right not to want "kits!" I'd go and hold the knives and pots and pans and pretend to cook with them so I could be very specific about what I wanted -- I love the eclectic mix of pots, pans and knives that I have -- in a wide variety of brands.

But, if I were registering again, a basic assortment of pots and pans, some bakeware, a cast-iron enameled dutch oven, a food processor, stand mixer, kitchen scale and an imersion blender. There are all sorts of topics in this forum on individual products. Just search on "food processors" (use the search button in the upper right corner and search in this forum using that as the title) and you'll find a wealth of information on everything from food processors to stand mixers to knives to Le Creuset. And, don't forget to check out some of the courses in EgCI -- if you scroll almost a third of the way down the index, you'll see some courses on kitchen equipment -- scales, cookware and knives.

Good luck and happy shopping!

[rooftop1000]

I have to give a nod to Fortunoff, there was once a time when Macy's had anything you could think of...no longer.

Fortunoff does though

http://www.fortunoff.com/br_home.asp

tracey

[annarborfoodie]

I got married in August '05, and took the matter very seriously... The best places I registered were Amazon.com and Crate & Barrel. The loser was Marshall Fields (now Macy's), but my sister just got married and registered at Macy's and didn't have any serious problems. The Amazon registry was great because they carry a lot of items you don't find at an average department store (like Sitram cookware). The problem was that my parents' friends were hesitant to shop there. The Crate & Barrel registry was wonderful - we didn't get a single duplicate, and when I went back almost a year later with a martini glass that I had just unboxed and discovered it had arrived broken, they didn't flinch at exchanging it.

[Giagie]

I'm about to get married as well (June 9, 2007) So I went through the registry process already. I decided to register at Macy's, Crate and Barrel and Tiffany. Tiffany was only for silver and china, Crate and Barrel has great selection of kitchen gadgets, small appliances, glassware, dishware, etc. and Macy's filled in the blanks with some additional appliances, cutlery, and miscellaneous kitchen supplies. Crate and Barrel was the most fun for me, they have a huge variety of items and styles.

I thought that at first I over-registered, however a lot of the registry programs now offer discounts for any left over items; so if we find ourselves missing that espresso machine or red tea kettle that we really wanted but didn't receive, we are able to buy it for ourselves at a discount after the wedding - which is definitely a plus (Macys and C&B offers this for us). A little off topic, but I had a friend make a suggestion for registering at Home Depot or Sears for the future husband; I thought that was a good idea but he still wasn't that interested in shopping even if it was for the purpose of creating his registry.

[Smithy]

When my husband and I were preparing to marry oh, nearly 10 years ago (already!) we both had pretty well-stocked households. We planned to do the "your presence is present enough" routine with the invitations. A good friend said, "Nancy, face it - people will buy stuff anyway. Register, so you can get things you want." So we registered at a variety of places, given that we had friends and family coming from all over the country: Crate & Barrel and Penney's were the main locations because of their nationwide distribution. Then there was the local Sears registration for hardware and my favorite local kitchen shop, not online but with some lovely table linens and gadgets and glassware. And finally, I expressed a desire for good china, knowing full well that I didn't need it but following the advice of dear friends who wished they'd started their own traditions and china when they got married during WWII instead of waiting until later when the family china came into their hands. I found the pattern I really, really wanted just as it was being discontinued. Thanks to family and friends on my side who love the frou-frou, and who were between graduations and marriages among the younger generation, I got 14 place settings and all the finishing pieces. I think of those family and friends - some gone on, some still with us, every time I look at that china. Never mind practicality. It's a joy to have.

Lettezilla, you might be in a different boat because of your mobile lifestyle. When my best friend got married, she and her husband intended to travel a lot. They didn't want a lot of stuff. They registered for things like good luggage. Now that they live in Tanzania, they are continually bringing things back from The States when they come to visit, but they choose carefully. You'll have to think about things like baggage restrictions and shipping costs, when you think of what you want to schlep back and forth. You also need to think about power supplies. I think I'd shy away from electrical appliances.

hi, i'm normally a lurker but wanted to bump this thread. we're getting married in july and have been strongly encouraged by family to register. wedding websites seem to be the places with advice about what to register for, but they don't have kitchen knowledge that i trust.

one twist is that we're an international couple, moving from london to the US just before the wedding, back again in a few years and then who knows. so we're ambivilent about having tons of 'stuff'. at the same time, we love to cook and can't imagine just trying to function without some key things.

so my question is this: if you were going to register today for your wedding or event, where would it be? (has to be a shop that actually has a registry, and would be best if it could be accessed online)

what would you ask for? china is covered through families, but everything else is fair game. we're trying to do some research on both what pans to get and what knives to get. i know not a kit in one brand, but don't know much more than that until i read other threads on those topics.

what gadgets do you think are key?

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What kind of cooking do you like to do? That will help us tune into what we think are essential items. I would register for good knives, a few good saute and sauce pans of different sizes, a French press for coffee, a heavy dutch oven if I didn't care about shipping weights. What can you get in the States that you can't get in England? Or vice-versa? Do you like cast iron? Can you get it readily in England? Is it easier to find here? That's the way I'd look at it, and register accordingly.

As for gadgets: I personally am big on things like a citrus juicer and a meat grinder, but if you don't do meat and you can't find citrus then it's a waste. A garlic press and a nut chopper are things I find useful, but some people think they're a waste of space. See what I mean about preferences?

Hmm. You know, silicone cookware is really starting to take off. I've seen collapsible colanders and collapsible storage bowls. Hmm. Lightweight, compact, and still fairly obscure. Hmmm...

Edited because now my mind is really racing...

Edited March 25, 2007 by Smithy (log)