When most couples decide to add their names to a wedding gift registry, they’ll go through catalogues of things and pick out a lot of stuff that looks pretty and cool, which they probably don’t need or may never put out. The idea behind a gift registry isn’t to get a lot of unique things; it’s to help you, as a new couple, start your life together without a lot of extra needs. Therefore, it’s in your best interest to put mainly things you need, or may want to replace, on your gift registry list.

This is a good time to get new silverware, and extra silverware. You may have been using the same set of silverware since you were a child, given to you by your parents when you moved out on your own, but it’s time for a change. The thing about silverware is that you can mix and match different forks, spoons and knives to your heart’s content. They never wear out, and you can always keep a very nice set aside for special occasions.

Cookware is always a good thing to get because it does tend to wear out over time, even though it’s pretty sturdy stuff. The stuff at the bottom starts to peel, the outside gets a lot of burned on black stuff that you just can’t get rid of, and it just isn’t useful anymore. And face it; you can never find a skillet that’s just the right size when you need it. Cookware stores well in boxes, so even if you have a lot of it around, when you need it you’ll feel like you just bought new from the store.

Glasses are imperative to get. Glass and plastic will also start to wear or thin out with repeat washings, and of course people break them. Get lots of different sets, and you won’t have to worry for a long time about buying new items. Glasses are fragile, so you may have to be cautious in handling the boxes, but plastic glasses and cups never go out of style and can handle lots of movement.

Something you probably won’t need as many of, but you’ll tend to get, are coffee style cups. Unless you open a coffee shop, you probably will never need more than 6 or 8 of these in your lifetime, and you’ll find yourself accumulating them without a second thought. They’re harder to store in your cabinets in bulk, and having matching coffee cups has never been a priority for anyone.

The last thing to put down are appliances, but be smart about it. You won’t need a lot of blenders, but you might need to stock up on toaster ovens, as they tend to burn out or get corroded pretty quickly, especially if you use them a lot. If you drink a lot of coffee or tea, put down tea and coffee makers. Things like waffle makers, cuisinarts, and crepe makers are cute and fun, but if you’re not going to get much use out of them don’t get them.