4 Things I Wish I'd Added to My Wedding Registry

There are very few times in your life when you'll get to create a massive wishlist of things you want — and actually receive most of the items on the list. Creating your wedding registry can be one of the most fun parts of planning your wedding, but it can also be pretty overwhelming. How exactly are you supposed to predict what you're going need for married life, especially if you haven't yet settled into your home together? I've been married for two and a half years now, and I have to say, we did a pretty good job on our registry. We actually use most of the gifts we received (check out my 10 most-used items here), but there are definitely a few important and unexpected items we overlooked. Here, the four items I wish I'd added to the wishlist.

Vacuum

Back when my husband and I registered, we were living in an apartment so cheap that we could afford regular maid service — but that luxury went out the window when we bought a house two years ago, and I found myself regretting that I hadn’t registered for a quality vacuum to replace my old clunker.

With the iRobot Roomba 650 ($399), I can almost sit back and pretend we still have someone else to do the cleaning. While testing, this smart device worked its way around tight corners, prevented itself from toppling down the stairs, navigated under the bed and other furniture, and packed real cleaning power in its tiny body. I was shocked by how much it picked up in a room that had just been vacuumed a week ago!

If you have hardwood floors, consider the iRobot Scooba 390 ($499.99), which mops floors beautifully.

Salad Spinner

My husband and I eat a salad with dinner almost every night, but I've always hated the prep and cleaning time required. This handy gadget from OXO makes the process easier. Instead of having to toss batches of lettuce in a colander, rinse, and pat-dry, you can just toss all of your chopped lettuce in this tool, rinse, and spin-dry in seconds. And you can serve the salad right in the same bowl, cutting down on your clean-up (OXO Good Grips Salad Spinner, $29.99).

Indoor Grill

I love my original George Foreman grill, but It's always been such a challenge to clean. Enter the next generation, with removable, dishwasher-safe grilling plates. Like the original, this indoor grill is wonderful for lean cooking. It works quickly, and the grill plates come clean effortlessly in the dishwasher (George Foreman 5 Serving, Removable Grill Plate, $59).

Soda Maker

My husband really wanted one of these while we were registering. I wrote it off as a novelty gift that we’d use once or twice, then it’d sit around collecting dust. But I have to admit that I was wrong. We go through a ton of seltzer in our house, so we recently started using the SodaSteam instead. It saves fridge space, cuts down on bottle/can waste, and saves you money over time. In our tests, one carbonator tank lasted for an average of 40 liters at the highest carbonation setting (SodaStream Source Metal Starter Kit, $129).

Take advantage of the bottle swap program, where you can get a new canister for half price by trading in your old one. And if you're a soda lover, there are tons of flavor options, both in regular and diet (aspartame-free). My favorites are the diet pink grapefruit, fountain mist, and lemon lime.

Newlyweds, tell us which items you wish you'd added to your registry! And brides-to-be, which item are you most excited about on your registry?

—Kristen O'Gorman Klein