I still have my original Calphalon, Corning Ware, KitchenAid stand mixer, etc. I still use the same everyday stainless.
Honestly, the “fancier” stuff really didn’t / doesn’t fit our lifestyle. I have 36 Waterford goblets (water, champagne, wine) that have dust on them since we don’t drink. I have beautiful champagne flutes I don’t use. I use my good Wedgwood china maybe once a year at most; ditto for my fine silver. And all of those silver trays and bowls and so forth – they’re pretty in my dining room hutch but I would declutter them in an instant if H wouldn’t object.
We use our Noritake china at the High Holidays. We never registered for crystal or silver, but my mom got us some flatware which we use.
Still use our original knife set, which really needs to be replaced, our day-to-day dishes, pyrex dishes and crockpot (it cooks at a higher temp than the newer ones). Every time something “original” kicks the bucket, DH mumbles about how pretty soon I’ll be replacing HIM since he’s getting old and broken, too.
I vowed to buy new daily dishes when S1 left for college. That was seven years ago and I still haven’t found anything I’m willing to commit to.
I still have most of the cut glass juice goblets my work friends gave me.
Also have a small vase from mt st Helens ash, don’t really remember anything else, the crystal I have, I bought from my great aunts and my grandmothers estates about 5 & 10 yrs after the wedding.
Most cherished- a hand crocheted throw made by a dear relative- cream colored so it goes with everything. Stainless set still going strong 28 years later, given by a thoughtful aunt. We still have several serving bowls and other “nice” things that are used on occasion.
Huge wooden salad bowl - gets prettier with age and a huge turkey platter. Giver has sadly passed but her gift will always be there at big celebrations. :x
33 years later, still use the same stainless, the good china a couple times a year, mixing bowls, carving set and matching steak knives, some crystal serving dishes, Christmas ornaments from a dear friend.
@Pizzagirl, I just LOL’d upon reading how you have two platoons of crystal goblets just sitting there. 36?! Was it a hint from a bunch of family and friends that you were expected to throw lavish parties? Or did six sets of guests get you the same set of six? hehe
I’ll be married June 13. We have already received plenty of things from Bed Bath and Beyond and Target - mostly culinary items so far. No china yet, but some nice porcelain with deep blue and silver trim. And a 20-pound cast iron skillet that, when it isn’t in the sink post-frying, will do fine in its secondary role as home defense. That thing will outlive me.
I am hopeful that some of my backyard/garage/man cave dream gifts will come, but I’m not holding my breath. hehe
I’ve been married for 26 years and my Kitchen Aid mixer still works. I use it more than I thought I would when I received it.
I treasure it because it was given to me by the parents of the first love of my life. We dated from 9th grade to Junior year of college, when he died in an accident. They gave me this really nice gift with genuine wishes for my happiness. I will probably cry the day that thing finally quits working.
After 33 years, I still use these wedding gifts: my Corning Ware, knife set though now 4 knives are missing ?! , a wooden bread basket and wooden frog recipe holder, and my most treasured quilt made by my grandmother. Oh yes, we also have about 8 remaining of a set of 24 water and wine goblets. I have 2 engagement gifts, a crystal candy dish and a stainless steel vegetable serving dish, that I use all the time. Still have a handmade vase from one of my husband’s cousins sitting in a closet- never used it but waiting to see if she turns out to be a famous artist. Don’t think it’s happening
We got one gift we never could identify, and laughed for days about what to say in the thank you note. “Dear Aunt and Uncle, Thank you so much for the thing you sent us. We don’t have anything quite like it and neither does anyone else we know.”
One of our groomsmen gave us a ping pong table. At the time we were baffled and had trouble getting it home. But we’ve moved it to three different houses and our kids love to play ping pong on it so that gift ended up being a hit!
I had a small wedding ceremony (no reception–just dinner with immediate family after the ceremony). Our closest married friends had a party for us the following weekend. I still use a very large LeCruset casserole with cover and a beautiful ceramic bowl that we got at the party. The other gift that we still have are photo albums from the wedding ceremony. The brother of one of H’s friends was a professional photographer. H’s friend got the brother to take photos. After we picked out the ones we wanted (this was 34 years ago–way before digital) H’s friend brought over two photo albums with our photos and said they were his gift to us.
I also still have and use the 50-year-old sterling silver Reed and Barton flatware that my Mom saved up to buy. She loved it and always said it was her wedding present to herself.
@thumper1, I will take your Orrefors to go with the 36 I have. Is it prelude? I still love it, but don’t use it often. I really didn’t want to register for China or Chrystal, but we had lived together for a couple of years, and figured it was something easy for people to give us. I still use the end table purchased by my ex-husbands sister as a wedding gift, and we use our China and crystal for holidays.
Hmmm. Mine is a very plain patterns. No grooves or anything. Glasses are blown and pretty much straight up…no tapering at all. I HATE them. We were asked if we wanted crystal and politely said no. If I had known we were going to get it anyway, I would,have chosen a cut Waterford pattern that I actually liked. The orrefors are just too contemporary for my taste.
We have 12 water glasses and 12 itty bitty wine glasses.
I’d get rid of them but I’m not sure my husband is in board.
I bet the ‘unknown gift’ was a trivet. I’ve been to many showers and any time I don’t know what something is it is a trivet.
When my sister got married, she registered at a local department store. Jane Brown marrying Tom Jones (she did not change her name, btw). Another bride registered as Jane Jones. My sister kept getting her gifts, calling the store and asking them to pick up the gifts. My sister was gone the three weeks before her wedding, so the gifts were just sitting there. I think there were a few still waiting to be picked up when she moved about 3 years after she was married.
Always make sure all the gifts from the registry were received!
A friend of my was getting remarried, so I went to see if she was registered a department store. The clerk said, oh here she is Beth and…Dave. Oops. Right bride, old groom! They still had the registry 7 or 8 years later. I figured she still had the same china pattern and same tastes, right?