spreading the love all across the internets
February 15th, 2008 @ 12:26 am | blog, domestic, wedding | Post a CommentI’ve always said the saddest part about our wedding is that we only got to do it once. As my loyal readers know, I was perhaps a bit insane and loved wedding planning. When word got to the internets that the lovely Jen from Operation Pink Herring was engaged, I was so excited for her. I’m happy to help host today’s Virtual Engagement Party just so that the lie she told to her jeweler doesn’t have to be a lie after all.
(Jen’s not the only girl sporting some new - or new-ish - bling lately either. Congrats to you all!)
In honor of your engagement, Jen, I wanted to pass along some words of wisdom about the time-honored tradition of registering for wedding gifts. But Google found someone else to do the work for me: the nice lady in charge of registries at (say it with your best hoity-toity voice, please) Bergdorf Goodman.
I mean, really, she answered so many questions I was already prepared to answer for you. Such as:
Is it a good idea to bring along my interior decorator to help me register?
“[Your decorator] can be a wonderful guide, but it’s just too soon.”
Gosh, I’m so glad that issue is cleared up! I know you’ve been frantically making Pro and Con lists about whether or not to include your decorator in this fun activity.
Here she answers another very important question: What are some things I should register for?
“A copper double boiler with a porcelain base or a marble-topped cheese board with accompanying knives.”
What great ideas! I really don’t know what I was thinking leaving a marble topped cheese board off of my own registry. Maybe I’ll ask for that for my birthday this year.
Here’s another great question. What’s the new hot item couples are registering for these days?
“Last year, we had some terrific French shovels—literally, for digging a ditch—everybody wanted to register for them.”
Interesting, eh? I wonder if these couples planned on killing each other post-honeymoon and wanted to make sure they had haute couture tools for hiding the bodies? We may never know…
In all seriousness, she does give one lovely piece of advice at the end.
“You can always buy the toaster, but you will never buy that beautiful vase or a set of china that makes your heart sing. It sounds corny, but when you take out those champagne glasses in twenty years and say, ‘We got these for our wedding,’ it’s special.”
For our wedding we received a set of goblets that was different from our nice wine glasses. Every time we share a bottle of champagne we drink from them and remember our wedding. I hope we still do that in twenty years.
In case the advice above wasn’t quite practical enough for you, I offer you my top six favorite registry items that you really, truly cannot live without. (European ditch-digging shovels would have been #7, I swear.)
- Fabulous, white everyday dishes. I’m partial to these.
- Fabulous sterling silver flatware. We absolutely love our set of these.
- A great set of mixing bowls, like these.
- A very handy hand mixer, which I use all. the. time.
- Luxurious and oversized bath towels, like these.
- A KitchenAid mixer, because even when it’s not in use, it serves as a piece of art for your kitchen.
Cheers to a very long and happy life together and may it be filled with lots of love and lots of cats.
**********
In other news, Julie is making me pay her back for the time she allowed the whole world to laugh at with her for dressing up like a medieval wench for a wedding. (The horrors! I still haven’t completely recovered and I wasn’t even there!). She’s hosting a contest to celebrate her new blog design. We’re all supposed to post entries with thought bubbles and wtf?! statements. Here’s my entry, and all I’m saying is this: Girlfriend, I sent you a Coach purse, so I better win! 
Dude. Don’t you have to work in like 8 hours? I have the luxury of being up at 1am, because I have the next 5 days off of work. Here, let me rub it in some more….
p.s. I have similar plates from C&B and I love them! All white is the way to go.
p.p.s. Your sammie look delish. Plus? Somewhere a cow AND a pig are thanking you….
written by Ashlie
February 15th, 2008 @ 1:02 am
Hey, how was Valentine’s Day?
written by Thomas
February 15th, 2008 @ 3:03 am
Good lord, French shovels? That goes in the Unnecessary Crap list, yes?
Yay for the party!
written by RA
February 15th, 2008 @ 6:34 am
Your veggie pitas look delish!
written by K
February 15th, 2008 @ 7:45 am
Love it! You are adorable.
written by Molly
February 15th, 2008 @ 9:25 am
you should totally win the contest. that picture is hilarious!
written by Michelle & the City
February 15th, 2008 @ 9:29 am
I was actually just discussing with Isabel this week how I don’t have anything to register for except maybe a new toaster oven and toaster. We have everything else we need, thanks to living in sin for 4+ years! Now, I know just where to go for the perfect set of french ditch-digging shovels!
Thank you for the virtual surprise party! I am amazed by the awesomeness of the interweb today. Blow away, actually. You guys rock!
written by Operation Pink Herring
February 15th, 2008 @ 10:53 am
Most excellent tips. I *know* weddings are not about the gift registry, but it’s going to make life so much easier. My fiance and I spent 30 minutes last weekend searching our apartment for a lasagna dish that we eventually determined that we didn’t own. Sadly our wedding is still over a year away…
written by Erica
February 15th, 2008 @ 11:49 am
Those french shovels really are something else. Oh, how I wish we had registered for them when we got married!
Great post, Janet!
written by audrey
February 15th, 2008 @ 11:56 am
Now, how come I didn’t think of French shovels! Seriuosly, I’m totally bummed now. ;o)
Love this! xox
written by heidikins
February 15th, 2008 @ 1:25 pm
This is a fantastic entry! And when we get around to admitting we have to do an actual registry, I will most certainly come back to this entry time and time again. Because your advice is trusted. And you also gave me props on your blog. Have a great weekend!
written by Nilsa S.
February 15th, 2008 @ 1:31 pm
French Shovels?
Was she SERIOUS????
That entry is pretty hilarious.
written by Julie
February 15th, 2008 @ 1:41 pm
How long have y’all been married?
written by Thomas
February 15th, 2008 @ 2:10 pm
I love the virtual engagement party, such a cute idea
And I love your picture, haha. I really don’t think I could give up meat, oy.
Happy Friday!
written by katelin
February 15th, 2008 @ 2:34 pm
I really don’t appreciate the fact that you’re making fun of the European ditch digging shovels. They are absolutely WONDERFUL for picking up dog poop.
Also, I love how unimpressed you look in that photo. So over it!
written by Angela
February 15th, 2008 @ 3:22 pm
I LOVE the part where you guys use your ’special’ wine glasses. I should totally add those to my ‘want for my wedding’ list because you know… I don’t own any. Gah!
written by alyndabear
February 15th, 2008 @ 4:14 pm
Crap! I totally never registered for the marble-topped cheese board. My marriage is probably doomed!
written by Erin
February 15th, 2008 @ 6:52 pm
You forgot the towel warmer. Talk about something you would never buy yourselves!!
written by Erika
February 15th, 2008 @ 9:20 pm
Wow…that’s some pretty crazy stuff people THINK they need. I’m sure there are some hoity-toity people out there who need marble-topped cheese cutting boards or whatever, but I totally can’t relate.
I think your replacement for the bacon double cheeseburger looks GOOD! Yummy!
written by Zandria
February 15th, 2008 @ 9:25 pm
I love your speech bubble so funny.
ps - Maybe you should be a wedding consultant.
written by elysa
February 15th, 2008 @ 10:49 pm
I keep telling Edgar that even though this planning has been stressing me out, I will be so sad when it’s over. I told him I didn’t want to get married because then I’d never get to plan my ONE wedding ever again. LOL I think I’m going to have post-wedding blues.
Also, I like your registry advice. I was hesitant at first to put more high-dollar fancy items on my registry, but then decided to add a few because, seriously, when will I ever buy that stuff for myself?? And….you mean you DIDN’T bring your decorator with you??? I have like 5 decorators and I brought them all with me.
written by Lindsey
February 16th, 2008 @ 9:49 pm
I don’t know what you’re talking about - I think whatever that is in a pita looks damn good.
I’m going to have to question your list here - two mixers? Do you really need both? But I might be a bit bitter on this subject because I got neither for my wedding (even though I registered for the Kitchen Aid). A certain family friend always promised to give it to me for ________ (fill in the holiday). But they never did!
written by ambitiousmrs
February 17th, 2008 @ 6:36 pm
If AS doesn’t get around to asking me to marry him anytime soon, do you think I could just register anyway? All that stuff looks divine.
I love that final piece of advice. I always buy my friends sentimental gifts rather than the practical appliance.
written by Laurel
February 19th, 2008 @ 7:40 pm
We registered for Crate & Barrel silverware too! At first I balked at the prices. But now, I’m a believer in quality silverware. I tell all my engaged friends to register for the good stuff.
written by Larissa
February 20th, 2008 @ 1:58 pm