Wedding registry 101: Get the gifts you’ll actually use

You’ll always remember the first time you locked eyes with your betrothed… even if you’d like to forget your current stalemate over china patterns and place settings. 

And look: Maybe you do care deeply about the look of your china. (Assuming you actually even use china.) But how often will that pattern ever see the light of day? Your annual Christmas dinner, sure. A special dinner party? Possibly. A typical Friday night? Decidedly not.

When building a list of gifts you’d like to receive as you start your lives together, it’s important to take a step back and look at your own daily habits and the kinds of family traditions you’d like to create. That’s why some of the biggest registry trends of 2022 revolved around life as you actually live it, not the life your grandmother might have dreamed of. If you’re like most modern couples, your lifestyle is more oriented around leisure activities and relaxed gatherings than formal five-course meals and perfectly matched everything. (And if you’re not, hey, more power to you.) 

Rather than a set of monogrammed towels or a salad spinner, more and more couples are using their registries to crowdfund larger investment pieces that will stand the test of time — and often, play a part in the memories they’ll make along the way. Artwork, kayaks, camping gear — all items that feature prominently on registries of late. Things that can motivate you to get outdoors and/or spend time together are particularly nice to have as you start forming your routines as a married pair. Among the most frequently listed gifts? Gear and accessories to build a dreamy outdoor kitchen for hosting, toasting and making the most of a great weeknight sunset.

Enter the pizza oven. This speciality item is ideal for a registry since it’s the definition of a want, rather than a need — but one that can add a lot to your lives, whether you’re entertaining friends and family or just making an ordinary meal feel a little more special. (And surprisingly, they’re great for making a lot more than pizza, too. Perfectly seared steak, here you come…) Ooni makes some of the best ones on the market, and figuring out the best one to fit your lifestyle will ensure you use it for years to come.  

• Outdoorsy couples will appreciate the portability of the wood pellet-fueled Ooni Fyra, which gets blazingly hot (up to 950°F) in just 15 minutes. It has a slim, compact profile and weighs in at just 22 pounds, making it easy to tote along on hikes, camping trips, beach days, and just about anywhere you might want to explore. 

• Minimalists tend to gravitate toward the sleek, Scandinavian design of the Ooni Koda, which comes in two sizes (12" and 16") for customized configurability. This gas-powered oven is just as mighty as the Fyra, and is ready to use straight out of the box. Its streamlined design and heat control dial make this a great oven for beginners, though it serves up results any professional chef would be proud of.

• For those who want it all, the Ooni Karu 16 is hard to beat. This multi-fuel oven runs on gas, wood or charcoal, so you can adapt it to suit your needs on a day-to-day basis. Maybe you want a wood-fired taste on a great loaf of homemade bread, or a bit of charcoal flavour on a juicy prime rib, or a convenient gas setup to quickly cook a pizza. With this one, you don’t have to choose. (It also looks impressive as the centrepiece of any outdoor kitchen.)

• If you want portability and the versatility of multi-fuel, the Ooni Karu 12G could be the oven for you. Like its big brother, the Karu 16, the 12G runs on gas, wood or charcoal, but it's also light enough to take on the go. It also features a built-in analogue thermometer, an insulated glass door and a powder-coated shell that manages to be both durable and stylish.

• Once you’ve identified your pizza oven style (and thanked your generous aunt in advance), you also need to think about your accessories. You’ll want a pizza peel for launching and retrieving your pizza (you really can’t make one without it) and a serving board and pizza cutter for, well, serving. If you need a sturdy table to place your oven on, Ooni makes a series of modular tables to adapt to your space, with additional hooks and bins to keep your cooking essentials handy. And if you expect to be entertaining frequently with your oven, a pizza topping station will always be a crowd-pleaser.

When it comes to building a registry that works for you, just remember that your list is a shortcut to the memories you want to share with your soon-to-be spouse. If you’re not adrenaline junkies now, you’re probably not going to turn into them overnight; if you love throwing spontaneous get-togethers, odds are, you’ll continue inviting people over at the spur of the moment. Whatever you love to do together, your registry should be designed to facilitate it. And where better to start than with dinner?