Take my advice: put it on the list

Last night, at book club, the discussion inevitably turned to weddings, as it almost always does. Between girls who are engaged, girls who are newlyweds, and girls (like me) who are new-ish-weds, we run the gamut of "experience" when it comes to wedding planning.

The question last night was about wedding registries (dun, dun, dun) and what to do if you don't really need anything because you have an established household and have been living together already and whatever else. There was talk about honeymoon registries and out-of-the-box registries, like using Amazon to register for all kinds of things, but there was also some emphasis on the value of a "traditional" registry. Trust me - there is value. Let me tell you why...

It can be hard, when you're in your early 20s or whatever, to think way ahead. Like, ahead past your wedding, and certainly further than that down the road. However, your wedding registry is an opportunity where you should try to think way ahead. Try to think about the future, and register for things that you may not need right this very second, but could need in a few years. Sure, right now, you've got all your Craigs-list and Thrift store finds from college. You've got a $10 toaster from Wal-mart. You've got 2/3s of a set of plates and (mostly) matching bowls. That's great. A few years from now, though, you may start feeling like an actual adult, and you might find that the mismatched conglomeration of crap you have isn't really working for you. Guess what! Your wedding registry is a great time to remedy that.

As a favor to you (because I am clearly a wedding expert, having had one and been married for 2.5 years [ha]), I came up with the four things I think everyone should register for, at the bare minimum, even if they are things you "already have." Take a look!

1 // Sheets

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Sleeping on nice (I mean really nice) sheets is one of the best feelings in the world. However, those suckers are expensive! Weddings are a great time to get a few nice sets of sheets that won't look ratty after 10 washes and might actually have matching pillow cases (what a novel concept!). Do it - your dreams will thank you.

2 // Towels

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This is basically for the same reason as above. Towels (good ones) are not cheap. Register for a set, and for more than you think you need. FYI: if there are two of you (now), you need more than two towels, two hand towels, and two wash clothes - unless you A) never wash your towels (ew) or B) wash your towels constantly.  Additional thought: someday, down the road, you might have children who need towels. Or guests who stay who need towels. A second set of towels is another novel concept! There is no such thing as too many towels, and, if you have the storage space, I highly recommend putting them on the list.

3 // Serving trays, platters, bowls, and utensils

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This is one of those times when that foresight business is hard. Sure, you have no use for a giant platter right now or a set of matching serving bowls. Bear with me! Someday, just someday, you might be hosting Thanksgiving. Or Christmas dinner. Or a birthday party for adults. Guess what you'll need? Adult dishes! Do yourself a favor, and get some now - before you realize you have nothing to put the turkey on after you pull it out of the oven.

4 // A Dyson

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This one is a little different. The recommendation here is to register for that expensive thing that you think no one will buy you. For C & I, it was a Dyson. We actually argued about this one - C really didn't want to register for it, because it was so expensive. I insisted to him that it didn't hurt to have it on there; you never know what people will buy. If we didn't get it, we didn't get it, and that was fine. Guess what?? We got it (clearly). His aunt and grandmother went in on it together and used a store discount they had to surprise us with it after the wedding. It was awesome, and it is going to last us forever (knock on wood). If we hadn't asked for it, we wouldn't have gotten it. Put the "stretch" gift on the registry, because you definitely won't get it if no one knows you want it.

So tell me...

• Did you / do you / will you have a wedding registry? Why or why not?
• What do you wish you had registered for that you didn't?
• Feelings on people who stray from the registry? (We got both good and bad gifts that were "off registry"... touchy subject!)