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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Wedding Registry Must-Haves

6 former brides offer been-there-done-that insight into the items they picked that have stood the test of married time

Tough, all-white, traditional white everyday dinnerware is a registry must Crate & Barrel
Anna Sachse CTW Features
Allison Howard, senior director of corporate partnerships for the Los Angeles Lakers; married Aug. 14, 2004 Mantle clock: “I love our clock, and it reminds me of our wedding. The longer I’ve been married the more I am attached to the things that remind me of happy times because life isn’t always filled with puppies and rainbows.” Everyday dishes: “We chose a timeless style from Pottery Barn.” Entertaining items: “We registered for wood cocktail plates that can also hold your wine glass so you have a free hand to eat while standing. It’s stuff you would probably never buy yourself, but it’s so fun to receive on such a special occasion.” Jaimie Fender, Portland, Ore.-based attorney; married Aug. 27, 2011 Salad bowl with serving utensils: “I don’t use it very often, but when I have company coming over for dinner, I feel very grown up using my beautiful wooden salad bowl. That said, we have used our chips-and-salsa bowl more often than we ever imagined! ” Coffee mugs: “I recommend registering for a couple extra of your ceramic/glass pieces in case of breakage.” Vases: “It feels great to no longer use a pint glass for my bouquets.” Yael Natori, New York-based teacher, tutor and blogger; married June 16, 2007 Picture frames: “You can never have too many nice, expensive sterling silver frames - and they’re something that I would not spend the money on myself.” High-quality blender: “A Vitamix is honestly the best kitchen investment ever!!!” Nespresso machine: “I have used this every day since we got married - even more since having children.” Abby Reid, Tulsa-based accountant; married April 17, 2010 All-Clad stainless steel non-stick fry pan: “We use it almost every day for cooking meat, veggies, eggs, anything, and it is so easy to wash by hand.” Nice everyday glassware: “People love giving items that they think you will use. We use this practical glassware every day, but it’s also nice enough for when we have guests over.” Bath towels: “This is a great time to upgrade.” Lesley Olson, Chicago-based account manager; married Oct. 15, 2005 Everyday & fine china: “We chose tough, all-white, traditional everyday china so we can easily incorporate other pieces. For our fine china, we chose a simple, classic design so that, again, we can easily incorporate other pieces like our everyday white if we don’t have enough for a large party.” Bed & bath linens: “Go for the best here - big, fluffy towels and luxurious, high thread-count sheets - and I say pick white so they go with anything and are easy to clean.” Good knives: “A must.” Anne Chertoff, New York City-based wedding editor; married June 22, 2003 All-Clad cookware: “I would never buy the whole set for myself, and we use it every day!” Wine glasses: “We registered for simple, classic glasses and use them for casual dinners as well as during the holidays.” KitchenAid Mixer: “This was given to be my colleagues at Martha Stewart Weddings in lavender - my wedding color. I don’t bake that much, but when I do, I love having it and always remember the team I worked with at the magazine.”