I got married a month after I turned 20. I had been on my own for about a year, so I was bringing 5 mismatched plastic plates and some hand-me-down dish towels with me into my marriage. My husband had been out of his parents house for 2 years, but had been serving a church mission in the Philippines, so he also didn't have much in the way of household goods. Despite the fact that we had pretty much nothing (and definitely nothing very nice??), when my mom had us start our wedding registry, neither of us had any idea what to put on it! We spent two hours one night trying to work on it and by the end of it had about 3 items on there. We just genuinely had no clue where to start. So here's the wedding registry guide that I wish I had had!

Kitchen

• silverware: forks, knives, and spoons, at least 4-8 of each. If you don't have preferences on these yet, you will eventually. Choose wisely.
• silverware organizer. I recommend one that is adjustable, because you don't want to have to get a new one every time you move and get a new set of cabinet drawers.
• water glasses
• plastic dishes: plates, bowls, cups, spoons. You will want them.
• nice dishes (seriously get some nice ones): big plates, small plates, bowls
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• kitchen towels: some for drying and some smaller ones for wiping counters. My mom swears by white, because she says you can bleach them and they stay looking nice. White is also nice because you usually don't decide they're way too juvenile/outdated in a couple years (applies to sheets, bathroom towels, and most other linens too... I've learned the hard way!)



• mixing bowls
• basic pots and pans, including: a saute pan (we got a non-stick one and have used it constantly for the last 3 years), a small saucepan, and a pot that is the right size to make pasta or soup
• cutting boards. I recommend 3: one for meat, one for veggies (onions and garlic) and one for fruit, but really it's just nice to have more than one cutting board when it's thanksgiving and you need help in the kitchen.
• salt and pepper shakers

• baking sheets and pans
• 9x13 pan
• 9x9 pan
• pie and cake pans
• muffin pan
• bread pan
• pizza pan(s)
• knife set: at least one nice big knife and one nice smaller knife, but I do recommend getting a full set if you are at all able to. A knife sharpener is theoretically good too, but I haven't figured out how to use ours yet.
• paper towel holder
• oven mitts
• ice cube tray or reusable ice cubes
• water pitcher (a nice one and/or a plastic filtering one, but I promise you don't need more than 2)
• kitchen trash can
• rolling pin
• mugs
• cookie cooling rack

Small kitchen tools including:

• can opener
• ladle
• pizza cutter
• ice cream scoop: get the nice one. No more plastic ice cream scoops
• potato peeler
• cheese grater. I have one that's a little different, it goes into a bowl! I absolutely love it. We use it constantly.
• whisk. I actually hate whisks and will almost always opt for a fork or spatula, but they're necessary for homemade whipped cream so I'm putting it on the list

serving utensils:

• pasta spoon
• spatulas (both the flippy kind and the bowl scrape-y kind)
• salad utensils
• tongs
• cake cutter/server thing
• an organizer for your serving utensils

Appliances (most people use at least some of these, not all use all though!)

• instant pot. I survived with no other pots and pans for 6 months with my instant pot and HIGHLY recommend it.
• crock pot (instant pot)
• rice cooker (instant pot)
• stand mixer
• hand mixer
• blender
• microwave
• toaster
• bread maker
• waffle maker
• coffee maker
• if you won't have a dishwasher in your first apartment, a dish drying rack!

Bedroom

• 2 sets of nice sheets, both flat and fitted. Having two sets is the key to never having to sleep on your bare mattress because you didn't start the dryer soon enough – or just don't have the energy to make the bed anymore! As soon as you take the sheets off the bed and put them in the washer, remake it with the clean sheets from the closet.
• mattress pad
• pillows – you can get away with king sized pillows if you want, even if you don't have a king bed yet.
• pillow cases – I got a silk one 4 years after my wedding and really really wish I had done it sooner!
• trash can
• side table(s)
• quilt, comforter, or duvet and cover that you both like (you can still let grandma make you a quilt, but it will be good to have options for your bedding!)
• lamp(s)
• alarm clock
• laundry basket
• Robes. Like actually. Took me a couple years to start using them but it is so nice to not have to get completely dressed if the dog needs to go out in the middle of the night.

Bathroom

• big towels – at least 4, so that you can rotate them when you do laundry. Look for the "bath sheet" kind that's extra wide, I have really loved having a little extra when I get out of the shower!
• hand towels
• bath mat (or two)
• shower curtain – I actually have two shower curtains that I keep on at the same time. I have a plain white cloth one for the inside of the shower, and then a pretty floral one that's more decorative and colorful (and that doesn't get wet anymore!)
• toothbrush holder/soap dispenser if you're into that
• shower curtain rings
• cleaning spray
• plunger + toilet brush
• trash can

Living Room

• floor and/or desk lamps – I think one of the most shockingly expensive things for me was lighting. I genuinely had no idea how expensive it could be.
• a mirror or piece of art you both love
• rug
• throw blanket for couch – or a few! I like to change mine out seasonally.
• christmas tree? Are you allowed to put that on a registry?
• vacuum!! Get a nice one. Like, $300+ nice.
• side table
• mop
• broom and dustpan
• curtains
• curtain rod
• charging station
• speaker system
• storage bins/baskets
• shelving

Laundry

• laundry baskets! I recommend at least 2-3: one for the bedroom, one for the bathroom, and one that rotates out with the bedroom one every time you take that one to the washer/dryer. My mom had one for each bedroom and bathroom and then an additional 3 that stayed in the laundry room for lights, whites, and darks, but you probably don't need to start out with quite that many.
• hangers. Get plastic ones for your room, and extra thick (or even wooden) ones for your coats
• iron + ironing board
• clothing storage: especially shoes. We have a shoe rack in our bedroom as well as two shoe baskets (one for each of us) by our front door under the bench. We also have a clothing hook/rack that goes over our bedroom door, which is where I hang our clothes that have been used enough that they aren't clean, but not used enough that they're dirty or ready to get washed yet.

Tools:

• meauring tape
• screwdrivers (flat and phillips)
• drill + drill bits
• wrenches
• screws, nails (I went and bought a little picture hanging kit with a bunch of nails and hook things when we first got married and 4 years later I still use it constantly)
• duct tape
• hammer

Books

• the adventure challenge - couple's edition - for fun date nights
• for love and money - to help you figure out finances
• the total money makeover - I'm not saying Dave Ramsey is the only way, but he has helpful principles in there!
• a family bible/set of scriptures

Hopefully this gave you somewhere to start! If you already have most or all of the basics, you can either upgrade some of what you have or start thinking of fun, beyond-the-basics ideas.