To Register, or Not to Register.

As most of you know, we're doing a pretty low-key wedding. Instead of devoting the eleven months between when we became engaged to our actual wedding going crazy and spending my annual salary, we've decided to be financially responsible adults and have a small, family-only ceremony, followed by a small, family-only luncheon reception afterwards. Because of this, we've really debated whether or not to bother registering. I mean, we've been in our house for several years, so we're pretty set on a lot of things, and it just seemed wrong to register when we're having such a small shindig.

After much discussion, though, with my mom's group, it seems we're probably going to anyhow. People have been asking about our registry and certain family members will still obviously want to send us gifts, and my friends made a good point in that, if they're going to send you gifts regardless, shouldn't you at least get something you might use? Long story short, I'm currently in the process of trying to throw together a registry.

LIke I said, I bought this house five years ago now, and, knowing my way around a kitchen, have managed to collect quite a few of the normal registry items. Instead, we're looking at registering for things like china (I hosted Thanksgiving this year on our regular plates, which was fine, but still - some china would be a nice touch) and other decorative plates for holidays and display, as well as other holiday helpers such as a nice knife set, etc.

My question to all of you, then, is what you had/will have on your registry list, and what was one of the more surprisingly useful items you received?