Fondue maker!

Hmmm, sounds familiar! I say, just go for the gold: put anything and everything on the list you could want and people will figure it out. I'm not sure you can put too much on there because everyone likes the option to choose the gift they most want to give. We have everything from a $3 citrus zester to a contemporary china set on ours. Place settings you can get in 8 or 12. The tricky part is remembering that you're asking for nice things to last a long time, so it's okay to ask for more or nicer things than you would typically buy for yourself up to this point. And if you change your mind later, you can always return/exchange. Oh, and we totally got the ice cream maker.

i use bourbon glasses all the time! and if i had an ice cream machine ...

I only put things on mine that I was absolutely sure I would use. I hate clutter, so no ice cream machines for me. The cheapest thing on my list was a bottle of Dr. Pepper, and the most expensive was a $99 comforter. I got them both. I just kept my list simple, but I also kept in mind the income levels of my guests. I was celebrating my love for my spouse, not trying to be a greedy pig.

we've definitley taken all of those things into account, and greed is certainly NOT a driving factor in this process.

for two people who prize the kitchen as the most valuable family room in the house, these gifts actually serve uses (this is why i am opposed to asking for things like china and crystal, which we will never use, and if we did, we'd break them because we're clumsy).

the ice cream machine, people, was a joke [revision: i TOOK the suggestion of an ice cream machine as a joke].

Let me recommend the following ice cream maker.

just stuff you use. and expensive items are okay as you're not forcing people to buy them. you're just giving them an idea of what you want. and they choose what they are comfortable with.

Isn't asking for money the modern wedding registry? How good is a new ice cream machine (yum), if there isn't a kitchen to put it in?

we registered for beautiful china and crystal and it is only recently that i took it out and used it for a dinner party that i worked long and hard on (and we've been married 12 yrs!). Funny thing -- it was so beautiful, it added an extra layer of pleasure to the great friends and good food we shared it with. These are family heirlooms that you're creating, which only get better with the addition of time and memories. Register for all levels of things and don't worry about it. ps - you can also register at Home Depot and other non-traditional places if you dont want all the china & kitchen stuff. Plus people that dont know you that well (friends of your family, co-workers) sometimes need help figuring out your taste -- registering saves you lots of time from having to return things. And for the record, i've been the hit of preschool with our wedding ice cream maker!

wow, i'm getting married in a couple of months and NO ONE has asked me where i'm registered. i take that back - people have asked me, but no one that is actually buying gifts.

and my mom insisted that we only have more expensive things on our registry, but then again, we're not having an engagement party or a shower or anything, which apparently is when the more reasonably priced items are bought. i'm not sure i totally agree, but then again, we don't have all that much on our registry so people will probably end up buying a lot of other stuff.

and an ice cream maker is on our list! and 12 place settings. and i have no idea where it will all go.

put whatever the hell you want on there! this is your one and only chance to shamelessly request expensive, frivilous gifts. people expect to see the good stuff on your list. doesn't mean you'll get it but you'll offend no one, i think, if you put that expensive italian waffle iron on there. live it up. you can always sell it all later! :)

Wasn't there some super crazy coffee maker you were lusting after? Register for it.

I'd marry a stranger tomorrow if I could get my hands on a good mixer. In fact, I recently talked with a friend about faking a wedding so we could stock our stock our respective kitchens. We thought people'd get suspicious though when we asked for two of everything.

Linens. Really high thread count sheets. Ask for them. You're going to pay out the wazoo for the dress, the invitations, the party, etc. You can make room for the new stuff by unloading the older stuff. Ask for the moon.

bed bath and beyond - register for price points ($75, $100, $150 gifts etc), then you can return them all for cash. Decide after the wedding what you want, when you are a little less stressed and not living in fairyland (it's like when you rent an apartment, you fantasize about the parties you'll throw, and you have 3 parties in 2 years of living there. Do you really need all the stuff??? who knows!). Once you're settled in to marriage, see what you need. Or, use all the cash for a downpayment, start a business, etc.

choose you gifts in your own time - and get them in less expensive places. everyone wins. and registering reduces the number of gifts that aren't in your style.

We are doing a combo of this and registering at another place (Michael C Fina). Sounds a bit mercenary, but knowing I don't have to pick now, really took the stress off.

Remember you can return anywhere, for store credit at least. Bed bath and beyond is the only one I know that does it for cash though.

Don't underestimate the amount of wonder that an icecream maker can bring you (and any future babies)... especially an old-fashioned hand-crank kind... ;-) You're unlikely to turn into someone really different - you'll still be yourself in five years (and longer) so put down things that you really like... how many people do you imagine sitting around your table five years from now, at that special dinner party? That's how many place settings you need. And if your estimate turns out a little off, you can always buy dishes... don't let a gift registry be anything but fun. Put some whimsical stuff on there for your friends who don't want to give a boring gift but want to give you something that will make you really joyful.

by the way, I say five because although you'll probably be together in fifty years, that's a little overwhelming... though I like the point about heirlooms...

Bill-
I already thought of the fake wedding idea! But my boyfriend was a no-go for it. I think it was a little too close for comfort for him to think about it.
By the way, I got my Kitchen Aid stand mixer for 175 bucks at an auction. Dreams are possible!

From what site is that gift list? I'm looking for a site to prepare mines.

you and lex don't strike me as greedy pigs at all, but when i did my gift registry, some of my family members were trying to get me to put useless and expensive items on my list. that kinda pissed me off, if you couldn't tell by my post. but if you'll use it and you really want it, register for it. it can't hurt and can only help your chances of getting what you really want and need. i wish i had put a tent on my list, because there have been so many times that i wanted one to go camping, but since i didn't register for it, i didn't get it, and now i can't afford it!

Retraction: Apparently, my sister loves Dysons and wants one. So, you have her blessing (she is the product queen, her approval is better than the Seal of Good Housekeeping!)

Definitely do your dream kitchen/cooking supply registry -- many of your guests will love to get these things for you, knowing what gourmands you are. Money may be more practical, and if you'd rather have it than kitchen stuff, ask for it, but it is totally fun having a well-stocked kitchen (and keep in mind that some guests want to give money, others prefer a specific present, and they'll do what they want regardless of what you ask for.) I am in favor of registering for whatever you want/need to give your guests the most choices, and thinking it through rather than returning everything later for money: it is fun to use your new zester and think of the person who gave it to you. Also, you may want to register at several places, depending on the location of your guests and their level of web-saviness: Williams-Sonoma is great b/c it's national and online, but your great-aunt may be stymied. As for "what": sets of glasses take up a shocking amount of space. The 8-12 place settings is a good rule, erring on the high side if you envision yourself hosting large family Thanksgiving dinners in the future. And definitely think about the fancy stuff, too, even if the idea of china/silver/linens seems over the top right now.