With 2022 well-established as a banner year for weddings, you might be feeling uninspired when it comes to choosing wedding gifts. But if the registry is picked over and you’re scrambling to find a thoughtful present, there’s no need to phone it in! We’ve rifled through our archives and singled out all the best products that any newlywed will surely appreciate — and they’re all available at Nordstrom (some are even discounted right now as part of their blowout Anniversary Sale). Whether your friends are wine enthusiasts, record collectors, or travel fiends, there’s something for everyone on our list.
For the coffee-snob couple
Strategist columnist Chris Black is a fan of gifting this handsome Le Creuset French press. He’s partial to the classic white, but “as with anything Le Creuset, there are many more colors to choose from,” he writes. “The options are practically endless!”
For the homebody couple
Bearaby’s cozy, chunky weighted blanket topped our list of the best weighted blankets — and it makes an especially good gift, too. The Cotton Napper is a favorite of actress Kathryn Hahn, who calls it “breathable and good for all seasons.” She swears that she takes “the greatest naps of my life with this thing.”
For the couple just getting into wine
Writer–slash–creative consultant Harling Ross included these Estelle colored wineglasses on her own wedding registry. “Stemmed wine glasses are great for a dinner party but too scary to me for every day. I always worry about tipping them over. So I love that these wine glasses are stemless just as much as I love their color,” Ross says. “The brand describes its pieces as jewels for your table, which is basically a pickup line targeted at me.”
For the seasoned wine-drinking couple
Multiple sommeliers have explained to us how Coravin’s wine-preservation system protects the wine in your bottle from oxidation. It involves an ingenious hollow needle that pierces the cork without pushing it into the bottle, which allows you to, in the words of sommelier Eric Tschudi, “get what you need out of the bottle without actually opening it.”
For the couple that loves gardening (but lives in a fifth-floor walk-up)
This Click & Grow smart garden is compact enough to fit on their countertop and uses an automated hydroponic system that waters the plants with the click of a button, so they can grow their favorite fresh herbs in the comfort of their own kitchen. Singer-songwriter Tayla Parx owns several of these gardens for growing “strawberries, salad greens, peppers, and all kinds of other things.”
For the sharply dressed couple
This nifty device eliminates the need to haul out an unwieldy ironing board. Resembling a hair straightener more than an iron, the Nori Press works on fabrics including cotton, denim, silk, and linen and can even function as a steamer. It’s on our list of the best gifts for best friends, and we think it’d be handy for fashion-forward newlyweds, too.
For the spiritual couple
Canyon Coffee founders Ally Walsh and Casey Wojtalewicz recommend this smokeless incense as a gift for new homeowners. “Bodha creates the most beautiful smells,” Walsh says. “In addition to the smokeless quality, the packaging alone makes it a perfect gift to give.”
For the design-minded couple
Crowned the very best electric kettle for its good looks and time-tested durability, the Stagg electric kettle is a true Strategist classic (and is currently 25 percent off as part of Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale). “For an object you’re going to have sitting on your countertop day in and day out, there is no one else that really touches Fellow,” says Marco Suarez, one of the owners of Methodical Coffee.
For the couple always taking selfies together
When we went looking for the best instant cameras, multiple experts mentioned Polaroid. “It’s a great camera — super lightweight and easy to take around,” says photographer and designer Dan Rubin. The Polaroid Now+ was a staple of photographer Brad Ogbonna’s trip to Brittany, France; he loved being able to “take instant photos to keep for myself or to leave behind with new and parting friends.” It’s also a great gift the couple can take on their honeymoon.
For the couple with an extensive record collection
Seventeen-year-old Zoe Woolrich asserts that old-school tech like records, cassettes, and film cameras are making a comeback. “Personally, I think it is so much nicer and more fulfilling than having everything on your phone,” she says, adding that it’s like having a “physical playlist of music that I listen to every day.” This portable Crosley record player plays a prominent part in her bedroom décor — for extra credit, gift it to the soon-to-be-marrieds with an album of love songs.
For the couple just getting into cooking
We’ve written about Our Place’s do-it-all Always Pan time and time again. Lani Halliday, the founder and owner of Brutus Bakeshop, tells us “the weight, the shape, the size, and the finish are all excellent.” Because it functions as eight different pieces of cookware, it’s a great way to reduce clutter in the kitchen.
For the couple that loves to throw dinner parties
Meena Harris finds that the long, shallow shape of Great Jones’s Dutchess pot “makes it easier to cook stuff more evenly and takes less time because everything is more spread out.” It’s her go-to Dutch oven for when she’s “making gumbo or defrosting okra or cooking shrimp,” and it’s beautiful too.
For the slightly disorganized couple
Help them keep track of their stuff with this phone charger that also doubles as a catchall. Former Strategist writer David Notis thinks it “makes for a more special gift” than a regular wireless charger because its textured material and chic design “feels less like you’re giving a tech accessory and more like some sort of luxury stationery thing.”
For the eco-friendly couple sharing a small bathroom
The overwhelming favorite among the bidet enthusiasts we spoke to was the Tushy for its ease of installation and use. Production accountant Ian Mesa-Jonassen says “feeling clean down there” has vastly improved both his physical and mental health: “I can, with confidence, say that my butt health is at a resounding 100 percent.” It’s an especially cheeky gift for newly cohabitating couples.
For the sentimental couple
Aura’s smart picture frame was the best thing Strategist editor Jen Trolio bought last year. “What I love most about my Aura frame is that it means I regularly see some of the thousands of photos that would otherwise be squirreled away in my and my family’s iPhone photo libraries,” Trolio writes. The happy couple can add wedding photos, vacation memories, and everyday candids and snapshots via the frame’s smartphone app, and there’s no limit to the number of pictures it holds.
For the couple with a taste for luxury
According to Greer Simpkins, designer of lingerie label Hello Beautiful, Matouk’s Cairo robe is “worth the splurge because of its customizable piping and craftsmanship.” It’s manufactured in Fall River, Massachusetts, and the cotton terry is made in Portugal. If you want to add an extra-special touch, you can get it monogrammed as well, with over 16 different styles in dozens of colors to choose from.
For the well-read couple
Kartell’s stylish magazine rack is perfect for holding all of the newlyweds’ issues of New York. Or they can heed this hot tip from editor Emma Leigh Macdonald: “I work as a cook at LaLou in Prospect Heights and recently had the idea to use a Kartell magazine rack to hold my cutting boards. It makes for easy access and keeps flavors away from one another.”
For the couple that sleeps hot
Former Strategist writer Chloe Anello declared Coyuchi’s jersey sheets to be the best overall because the brand uses all organic ecofriendly materials that hold up through multiple washes. “They are also very breathable, so they keep your temperature very balanced,” says Nancy Davilman of ND Interiors. Even sweaty sleepers won’t overheat in them.
For the couple that met at culinary school
It’s a splurge for sure, but artist Bob Kramer’s handcrafted artisanal knives regularly go for tens of thousands of dollars, so really, this under-$500 one is a steal. A friend gifted this knife to food writer and editor Matt Rodbard, and he was afraid “to use it for over three years.” Eventually he worked up the courage, and now he’s “fallen so hard for it that a day doesn’t pass that I don’t pull it out just to feel the grip in my hand.”
For the couple that met at barista training
The Moccamaster’s appealing design and high-quality construction are nice perks, of course, but most importantly, it makes a damn fine cup of coffee. “I taste coffee from all types of brewers, and this one gives a consistently better cup,” says Jim Munson, founder and president of Brooklyn Roasting Company.
For the couple with a retro aesthetic
Kiyanna Stewart and Jannah Handy, the owner-curators behind vintage store Blk Mkt Vintage, put this Smeg toaster on their wedding registry. “Smeg is interesting because it’s chic, but there’s something bold and branded about it,” Stewart says. “It’s slightly gaudy, but I love the aesthetic.”
For the wellness-obsessed couple
They can blend as many green smoothies as their hearts desire with this Vitamix bundle. Nutritionist and wellness coach Molly Alliman told us she uses her Vitamix “every single day” and that “it works for blending frozen fruits, heartier vegetables like kale, whole nuts, and anything else that would leave chunks in other blenders.”
For the jet-setting couple
When it comes to rolling luggage, the Rimowa Essential line is, well, essential for those who are constantly on the go. Chris Schalkx of travel website Rice/Potato asserts that this suitcase has been “one of our best travel investments we’ve made.” No matter what terrain he drags it over, the wheels “roll as smooth as a knife through butter.” Travel writer Hillary Eaton brought the checked version on a 48-hour journey from Vancouver to Machu Picchu by “tiny floatplane, three long-haul flights, a five-hour bus, and a two-hour train ride,” and both the bag and the contents inside were none the worse for wear.
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
