A Clutter-Free Gift Registry for Minimalist Couples
So many wedding registry lists out there claim that you need all the things.
But some people (like me!) don’t want to have our houses stuffed to the gills with things that we only use once or twice a year.
Truth be told, I didn’t even want half of the things that most people think that they need.
And the biggest piece of advice I would give to soon-to-be brides out there would be to have a Simple, Minimalist Wedding Registry.
Why Should You Have a Minimalist Registry?
- You won’t have to declutter later.
When you stick to the basics, you don’t have to worry about having too many things and needing to declutter your house down the road.
2. It creates less waste.
When we register for things “just in case” it causes us to end up throwing away or donating perfectly good items that we never end up using. And many of the things that you didn’t need will just end up in a landfill… even if they are donated.
When you choose to limit the number of things in your house, you are limiting the amount of waste that you contribute to.
3. You won’t have to worry about your first place being too small.
When you have a simple wedding registry, your home will be able to hold everything that you receive.
First Things First…
Before you run down to your favorite store and start registering, take a minute to think.
Which places offer the best return policy? Are there any discounts from registering with a certain company? Will any places be more convenient for your guests to buy from?
We decided to have our primary Wedding Registry with Amazon.com for a few reasons: and we were going to be moving as soon as we got married and Amazon would send gifts to the address we wanted them to if people shipped the gifts.
- Everyone knows Amazon. And since it is well known, no one is nervous about buying from them online.
- We had friends and family all over the country. And everyone has access to Amazon no matter where they are.
- They Have a Large Selection: You can register for anything on Amazon. (And I mean anything! You can even register for and put things on your registry that Amazon doesn’t have.)
- You Receive a Completion Discount: Everyone gets a one-time 10% discount (20% for Prime members) on select items shipped and sold by Amazon.com. (And you can sign up for a free trial of Prime before you make your completion order if you are not Prime members. : )
- Amazon Offers 180-Day Returns: You can return items 180 days from receipt of shipment.
- Free Bonus Gifts: When your guests buy registry items from certain brands, you will get a free gift.
- Amazon has Group Gifting: With Group Gifting, your friends and family can contribute any amount of their choosing.
We did register for a small amount of things from Bed Bath and Beyond as well, but that was mostly for older people who were nervous about buying online.
Now let’s look at what you should include in your registry!
The Kitchen
The kitchen is the area that you will probably need most of the gifts for… but you don’t need nearly as many as you may think.
Kitchens can easily become cluttered if you aren’t careful, so this is a great opporunitiy to start your kitchen on the right foot.
Remember that more stuff=more time you spend cleaning.
If you do already have everything you need for your kitchen, this can be a great time to upgrade some items or ask people to contribute to some larger items that you have been wanting.
Here is what I would include in my Minimalist Kitchen Registry:
Large Items
The thing to remember with putting larger items on your registry is that you might not get them.
BUT when you put them on your registry, it gives people who might want to spend more on your gift good ideas of what you would like/need, it give people the opportunity to go in together with other friends or family to purchase larger items, or it allows you to use the clearing discount to purchase the items yourself at a discounted price.
Blender
The Vitamix Blender is the best blender I’ve ever had.
For plant-based cooking, it’s the only way to fly!
I used the Bosch blender for years because it came with the mixer that we received for our wedding… but once we finally sprung for the Vitamix a couple of years ago when they were on sale at Costco, and I’ve never looked back.
My sauces instantly became smoother.
If you don’t have a blender and like to make sauces or smoothies (that are drinkable and not chew-able) I recommend adding the Vitamix to your registry.
Mixer
If you make bread from scratch like I do, having an electric mixer will save you tons of time.
My sister and I sold homemade bread when we were in middle school and high school and the Bosch was our right-hand man.
I knew when I got married that I wanted to continue making bread from scratch and to teach my kids to make their own bread too.
We registered for a Bosch for our wedding a several of my family members went in together to buy one for us.
I highly recommend adding this to your registry if you plan on making bread consistently.
Pots and Pans
If you don’t have post or pans yet, or if your set is old, put a nice set of stainless steel pots and pans on your registry.
We have had our set for about 5 years now, and by using Bar Keeper’s Friend when we clean the pans, they still look as new as the day that we bought them!
Dishes
Instead of picking out china patterns on plates that you may use once a year, look for dishes that you will love using every day.
Just remember that dishes break, so instead of getting something trendy that you may not be able to find replacements for in a few years, go for something that you know will be around if you need to buy another set.
Silverware
Most likely your silverware will be around for a very long time, so I recommend picking something that will stand the test of time and you will love for years.
Glasses
When choosing your glasses, the same things apply as with the dishes.
Long story short, they break. Especially if you will have children using them.
So don’t spend too much money here and choose a style that you know you will be able to find again when half of your set is broken!
A lot of minimalists these days are opting out of the traditional glasses look and going for Mason Jars instead.
Mason jars for drinking glasses are nice because you can find lids for them if you want to use them out and about, some come with chalkboard lids so you can label them, you can convert many of them into straw-lid tumblers, they are very easy to find replacements for, and it can be fun if the patterns and styles are mismatched.
We currently use mason jars in addition to the glasses that we got for our wedding!
Small Items
In addition to the big items that you need in your kitchen, you need a few small items on your registry as well.
It might be tempting to think that these are small items and you’ll just get them yourself, but all these little items can add up quickly.
Not to mention it gives people who may not be able to give large items as a gift some great options if they want to give you something.
Here are my other must-haves for a minimalist kitchen:
A Tea Kettle (Fun Colors Optional!)
Glass Storage Containers (Check out more ways to make sure you are using your leftovers here.)
Glass Containers for organizing your pantry.
Bread Pans (I love my stoneware bread pans)
And absorbent Dish Towels and Wash Cloths.
The Bedroom
If you need any bedroom furniture, it’s a good idea to put that on your registry as well.
You may have someone want to purchase it for you, or more likely you will able to use the clearing discount and get a good deal on these larger items.
All you really need is a mattress, a bed stand, a simple bedside table for each of you, and a simple dresser for each person as well.
The Living Room
In the living room, you will want a couch and a cozy chair (I personally recommend a papasan chair!)
And, if you have space, I also love having an ottoman with storage so that I can put my blankets somewhere out of sight (you can never have too many blankets!)
The Bathroom
For the bathroom, you will want some good towels and a soft bath mat.
In my experience, towels and bath mats tend to last forever… so choose your colors and your style wisely! (I still have a set of towels my dad bought me as a gift over 20 years ago!)
I also recommend getting some Amber Soap Dispensers and making your own soap because it saves a ton of money! You can see my recipe for soap and other ways for saving money on groceries in this post.
Cleaning
If you have long hair as I do, I can’t recommend my Shark Apex Vacuum enough. You can check out my full review here.
I make my own cleaning solution and I use these Amber Spray Bottles to clean with. When I don’t have to make the solution I use Mrs. Meyer’s Cleaning Solution.
Would you include anything else in the Minimalist Wedding Registry?
You might also enjoy…
How to plan a Simple Wedding When you are on a Tight Budget.