After approximately 1.5 years of marriage, I feel it is safe to give advice on at least this one component – now that habits and clumsiness have forced to the top the best gifts for my needs and the most ridiculous of wants. It boils down to this:

If you marry impatiently, register for practical things.

Oh dear, 22-year-old apartment bride, there is no heartbreak like a brand new, odd-numbered set of plates you would never have been able to afford on your own. Anything used for entertaining will only weigh you down on your search for the perfect 2-2. Choose your appliances carefully or forever begrudge the post-honeymoon discovery of “limited counterspace.”

If you were practical in planning your way to the alter and will return from it to a permanent home with unshared walls, indulge.

You’ve paid your dues and have the bridesmaid dresses to prove it – in Macy’s, scan freely for delicate stemware and heavy mountains of silver and china. Don’t hold back from choosing the things you’ve always wanted – with room to display and entertain, anything beautiful broken will be a reflection of life lived full.

Also, if you’re storing china, don’t stack it, buy one of these.