Maria and I have been married nearly 11 years, and this year we’re celebrating Equally Wed’s 10th anniversary of publishing the leading LGBTQ+ wedding magazine worldwide. With partying on our mind, we went to the experts in home decor to learn about their registry offerings and in-store associates to lead us through registering for one specific room in the house. For us, it was our bar! But of course, we couldn’t help but ooh and aah over the rest of the store too because there’s so much goodness there!
When we first arrived to our neighborhood Bed Bath & Beyond store, we were warmly greeted by a lovely consultant, Mel. From Mel, we learned about all the incredible items and experiences that Bed Bath & Beyond offers. The assortment of products is almost beyond comprehension. And if you think you’re seeing everything in their stores, you’d be wrong. There’s an endless amount more on the site. Personally, I think starting in-store is smarter if you live close enough to a Bed Bath & Beyond because the registry consultants are so knowledgeable and I like seeing things in person before I purchase when at all possible. Wedding registry can be stressful and overwhelming but it doesn’t have to be!
At Bed Bath & Beyond, Mel walked us through signing up for a registry account on their user-friendly app. Once we were logged in, we could start adding to our registry with our smart phones. I love how Bed Bath & Beyond is keeping up with all the latest technology. You don’t have to carry around (and learn to use) a big scanner anymore. You just whip out your phone and start scanning items that you want to register for. Also excellent for introverts is that you can keep coming back and adding without checking out a scanner and talking to people. The Bed Bath & Beyond team is really helpful but I know for introverts this is a real selling point. Whether your guests are shopping in-store or online, shipping, exchanges and returns are free and painless.
What I also love about the app is that there’s more to register for than just tangible items. You can now register for experiences, which is all the rage in weddings right now. Want to register for a a visit to Mount St. Helens National Monument in Washington led by a guide who provides interesting background about the steaming volcano and the surrounding ecosystem? Simply add that to your registry. Or perhaps a Soulex float spa for couples by VEBO in Washington, D.C. is more appealing? (You need that before AND after your wedding day, people.) Just add it to your registry! Seriously, these amazing opportunities go on and on, and if your guests want to gift you something you will enjoy beyond a new gadget for your kitchen, this is the way to go!
For me and Maria, we really wanted to upgrade our bar and a few other rooms in our house. For our bar/library (because booze and books), we wanted something different than the stainless steel cocktail shaker and mismatched barware we’ve been entertaining with for years. Half of our wine glasses have broken over the years (not naming names, of course) and my wife has definitely amped up her connoisseurship of bourbon, so naturally we need the glasses to match. To make our bar area more inviting, we registered for bar stools with backs so we could easily chat with guests while making craft cocktails but they could sit down too. We also wanted to make the rest of our home comfier and better managed, so we registered for the softest comforter on the planet from UGG, among other fun items.
After our registry experience, we invited a few friends over to try out our cocktail-focused registry items, and we had a blast!
During the party, we gave all our guests “Love” bottle openers as favors. They loved them!
Here’s a list of some of our favorite new items from Bed Bath & Beyond:
Lenox® Opal Innocence 5-Piece Place Setting
Artisanal Kitchen Supply® Organic Edge 29.5-inch Serving Board in Wood
B. Smith Three-Tier Serving Bowls
Hammered Copper Cocktail Shaker
Hammered Copper Ice Bucket with Tongs
Old Dutch International Fez Copper-Plated Hammered Double Walled Wine Chiller
Final Touch Agave Tequila Decanter
Riedel® Veritas New World Pinot Noir/Nebbiolo/Rosé Champagner Wine Glasses
Riedel® Veritas Oaked Chardonnay Wine Glasses
Riedel® Heart to Heart Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Glasses
Old Dutch International Diamond 6-Piece Bar Tool Set in Copper
Old Dutch International Stone Hammered Copper 15.38-Inch Round Serving Tray
The Original™ Magic Glass Drying Towel
TableCraft® Commercial Ice Pick with Sheath
Godinger Dublin 2.75-Inch Winde Coaster
Kate Aspen® “Love” Bottle Opener
Corkcicle® Whiskey Wedge with Glass
Libbey® Glass 4-Piece Perfect Whiskey Set
Dwell Home® Polyester Upholstered Madrid Bar Stool
The primary bedroom:
UGG® Pinecreek Reversible King Quilt Set in Oatmeal
UGG® Balboa Bolster Throw Pillow in Birch
All photography by River West, preferred platinum Equally Wed photographer.
This post is sponsored by Bed Bath & Beyond, and of course, all opinions expressed are my own.
Kirsten Palladino
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