Goin’ To The Chapel: Registry II
PW associate editor Anastasia Kotsosavas is getting married (to a guy with an equally long, equally Greek last name). In eight months, she’s going to walk down the aisle come hell or high water (or even worse: rain). She’ll be chronicling all her crazy planning experiences here. Donations can be sent to the PW offices.
The registry has gotten out of control! I’ve filled up my lists at both Macy’s and Bed Bath and Beyond with tons of kitchen and household items to fill a home I don’t even own yet. I’ve spent every night for the past two weeks at numerous Macys and BBB locations in the Delaware Valley, not to mention two Lenox stores in Southern New Jersey.
The list is sofreakingclose to being complete except for one thing, my crystal stemware. I know it sounds pretentious but I’ve concluded that if I get the fine china I might as well spring for the fine crystal to go with it. What the hell, no one’s obligated to get it, and every store clerk I talk to tells me the same thing: “Don’t look at prices!”
I’ve got it narrowed down to three choices. The ones I selected are patterns that didn’t look like they belonged in my grandmother’s china closet, but also wouldn’t cost her a year’s worth of Social Security checks.
The first one is by Lenox. It definitely goes with the Lenox China I’ve selected. It’s plain and modern with a little twist on the stem.
The second is by Mikasa and the cheapest of the bunch. It follows in the same style as the Lenox selection but it has a bend in the glass that creates a wave pattern. It also has a thicker platinum rim that matches the china I’ve selected.
The third one is a more conventional pattern. The cuts that begin in the stem and extend to the top of the glass are very traditional but I think they work with the pattern. They’re very heavy, which I’m not crazy about.
After I decide on the glasses, the registry will go live for the entire world to see. This has me a little nervous. Will people judge my selections? Are the things I picked to expensive? This was supposed to be a fun experience but it has completely stressed me out. In my next life, I’m eloping.
*Written by Anastasia Kotsosavas
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Goin’ To The Chapel: Registry
PW associate editor Anastasia Kotsosavas is getting married (to a guy with an equally long, equally Greek last name). In eight months, she’s going to walk down the aisle come hell or high water (or even worse: rain). She’ll be chronicling all her crazy planning experiences here. Donations can be sent to the PW offices.
I went to Macy’s yesterday to complete my registry. I had such high hopes for the experience. What could be better than shopping for everything you want and getting someone else to pay for it?
I got there around 7pm, thinking two hours of shopping would be sufficient time to fulfill my domestic wet dreams. However, looking around at all the fine china and crystal vases proved a little overwhelming.
I’ve never owned a house and my apartments have been mostly furnished by IKEA (translation: cheap, pretty and dispensable). It’s easy to pick your style when things are in the $5-$20 price range. The last kitchen I furnished had bright red canisters on the counter and fluorescent-colored plastic plates in the cupboard. I was so excited to live a little more luxuriously.
As I looked around the department store at all the exquisite things with equally exquisite price tags had me second-guessing my choices. Is this what I really want? Should family spend their hard-earned money on this $145 Nambe bread plate? Will I really use it? Is it really my style?
After two hours of looking around I felt more lost then ever. Even the things that should be easy choices had me stressed. I know I need a stand mixer, but do I need the 4.5-quart for $200, the 5-quart for $300 or the 6-quart for $400? The most complicated thing I’ve ever baked is cupcakes out of a box.
The choices are endless. You can’t just say you need a waffle maker and click on the box. There are 13 different varieties of waffle makers in all various shapes, sizes and prices.
The hardest choice seems to be choosing a fine china pattern. The prices are totally outrageous. I know this is supposed to be fun, but I kept thinking that shopping for hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars worth of dishes is just morally wrong in this economy. I know that people aren’t obligated to purchase it but I just don’t think I can do it.
I left the store with 10 items on my list and a headache. I have two more stores to visit and must populate a longer list. Something tells me this upcoming week is going to be filled with a lot of online ordering and Advil.
*Written by Anastasia Kotsosavas