It’s June (well, the end of June) and the start of summer. That means wedding season is full upon us. That means registering for gifts for the happy couple and buying gifts for their friends and family. C and I will be celebrating our 10^th anniversary at the end of August, and I want to tell you what the best gifts we received were.

1)      Chest freezer – we registered for this, and my grandparents got it for us. It is a small chest freezer, about the size of my washing machine. It is still going strong 10 years on, and has allowed us to buy in bulk and in general given us expanded freezer space. Also, due to its small size, it hasn’t added much to our electric bill.

2)      Carpet steamer – we did not register for this, didn’t even think of it. But my dad and stepmom knew we had two dogs and new carpet, so this is what they got us. It has been one of the most useful and appreciated gifts ever. In fact, when the original one died 2-3 years ago, my mom bought us a new one because she knew how much we used it.

3)      Clothes steamer – this may not technically be a wedding gift. We registered for one, but no one got one for us. However, C’s family sent us gift cards for Sears (where we were registered) and we used them to get the steamer. Let me state very clearly that I do NOT iron. With the steamer, that doesn’t matter. I used it just yesterday on some curtains, a skirt, a pair of work slacks, and one of SP’s dresses. In addition, it allows us to steam business suits, silk shirts, etc. (read dry clean only) in order to keep them fresh.

4)      Silverware – this is a traditional wedding registry item, and our friends and family bought us the set we wanted. While we now have a mixed bag of silverware, we still have our complete registry set. Unlike the flatware (of which I have only a few plates and two bowls left), silverware stands the test of time. And as long as you pick out something that’s not too fancy, it won’t go out of style, either.

5)      The Service – a very dear friend of ours got ordained in order to perform our wedding ceremony. He has since performed ceremonies for many friends, but we were the first. He helped us design a service that was perfect for us, reflecting our personalities and values. He did not charge us for the service, and put together a little booklet with our (untraditional) vows in it, so that we would always have it. Plus, when I look at our marriage license, all the names on it mean something special to us.

6)      Photography – my brother was supposed to do our photography. His car blew up on the way to the airport and he missed the wedding. Our minister’s wife and my mother both stepped up at the last minute to take some amazing photographs. In addition, they both put together albums for us (so I have two wedding albums), both free of charge. These are great for the memories.

In addition, our minister’s wife will be going back with us to the site of our wedding (a public park) and taking pictures for us again on our 10^th anniversary. This time we’ll pay her, but it’s really nice to have that continuity.

7)      A Housewife – my maid of honor arrived about a week before the wedding. C and I continued to work the whole week, while S cleaned our home, mowed our lawn twice (we were having the reception in our back yard), and generally took care of everything I did not want to think about. She also stayed for a few days after, taking care of our house and dogs and taking my MIL to the airport while we went away on our one night honeymoon the day after the wedding. In her cleaning up after the reception, she made sure to take a slice of our wedding cake and freeze it for us. We actually discovered it in our chest freezer about a month after our first anniversary, but we never would have had it if it weren’t for her.

Those were my best gifts. I am a practical girl, and it turns out, practical gifts that last and continue to be of use to us 10 years down the line are among the best gifts. The others are essentially the gifts of friendship, and those are truly the most precious gifts of all.

So brides and grooms- remember when you’re registering to look for the practical (as well as the affordable) and don’t be mad if people go a little off script.

And friends and family- remember that the gift of your time or special skill might be even better than anything on the registry. Honestly, offer a bride or groom yard work or housecleaning services around the time of the wedding, and see if they don’t jump on that.