Wedding Registry Essentials: Five Things to Buy Once

Fortessa makes tableware for professional kitchens as well as homes, and its flatware is 18/10 stainless, the grade with enough nickel to resist rust and keep its shine through years of dishwashing. Doria's handles are fluted like a column, which gives them a little texture and weight in the hand.

Each set is a place setting for four: table forks, salad forks, table knives, soup spoons and teaspoons. Register for two or three sets for service for eight or twelve. Guests can buy one set each, which is the point.

Skip it if you prefer a plain, modern handle; Fortessa's Lucca, featured in our flatware guide, is the simpler shape at a higher price.

The catch. Service for 4 per box, so a full registry needs two or three sets, and serving pieces are extra.

A couple does not need four shapes of wine glass. Zwiesel's Vervino Allround is designed to serve red, white and sparkling wine well, with a thin wall, a fine stem and a small etched point in the bottom of the bowl that keeps sparkling wine bubbling.

It is made in Germany from Zwiesel's Tritan crystal, which the maker describes as resilient and strong, and it is dishwasher safe. Each glass holds about 23 ounces and stands 9 inches tall, a generous size that still fits most upper racks.

Register for two sets for a table of twelve. Skip it for a couple who want separate shapes for each grape; Zwiesel and Riedel both make them, at more cost and more cupboard space.

The catch. At 9 inches, check the height of your dishwasher rack and cabinet shelves before registering.

All-Clad invented bonded cookware and has made it in Pennsylvania since 1971. D3 is the original: an aluminum core between layers of stainless steel, so the pans heat quickly and evenly and sear properly. It works on every stovetop, induction included, and goes in the oven or under the broiler to 600°F.

The 10-piece set is the one to register for because every piece gets used: 8 and 10 inch fry pans, 2 and 3 quart saucepans with lids, a 3 quart sauté pan with lid and an 8 quart stockpot with lid. There is nothing in it that will sit in a cupboard.

This is the group gift, or the one to split between family. Skip it if you want nonstick; stainless takes a little learning, mainly heating the pan before adding oil. Hand wash only, which All-Clad specifies.

The catch. About $800, hand wash only, and food sticks until you learn to preheat the pan.

Frette says its linens have been in the best hotels since 1899, and H by Frette is its line for the home. The Percale Classic is the crisp, cool white sheet of a good hotel bed, and the set includes a fitted sheet, a top sheet and two standard pillowcases in queen.

Percale is a plain weave, matte and cool, and it softens with every wash. It suits anyone who sleeps warm. Register for two sets, so one is always clean.

Skip it if you prefer the sheen and warmth of sateen; H by Frette makes the same set in sateen, featured in our sheets guide. Check your mattress depth against the fitted sheet before registering.

The catch. Percale wrinkles, and it feels crisp rather than silky on the first nights.