Kate & Neil: The Foodies

The couple: Kate and Neil Gooden (check out their real wedding story!)
Their wedding: March 26 in Sydney, NSW
Where they registered: Genevieve Lethu

Behind the Wish List

Diary of a Bride Kate and her English groom Neil met through a friend in Auckland, NZ. A year later they packed up their lives and jumped on a plane to Sydney. When they arrived they furnished their new home with cheap crockery, appliances and pans. Their wedding registry was the perfect time to throw out the old and replace them with new luxury items. “We’re big foodies with a sub-par kitchen, so the core of our registry revolved around beautiful platters, crockery, glassware and a few traditional wedding gifts like a kettle and toaster,” says Kate.

Kate and Neil’s Top Registry Picks

1. Ananas crystal pitcher — “This knobbled pitcher was my favourite item on our registry list. I love the texture and weight of it.”

2. Peugeot La Clef Du Vin wine key — “Neil spotted this in Geneveive Lethu and put it on the list immediately. You put the key into the wine bottle and it ages the wine by one year per second. A great complement to our growing wine collection… and great for some of those not-so-fabulous bottles lurking in the rack.”

3. Le Creuset — “What’s a kitchen without a Le Creuset French Oven? We received a grill pan as well. Spoilt!”

4. Watercolour portrait — “Our lovely friends Sarah and Joh had a friend paint our portrait from a photo taken last year. It’s one of our most treasured gifts.”

5. Butterfly vase — “I love lilies, and this big segmented vase will be perfect for holding several bunches at once.”

6. Sofa bed — “Neil’s parents needed something other than our blow-up mattress to sleep on when they popped over so their gift to us was a sofa bed. We chose a deep, cushy sofa from Freedom for our sunny spare room. It’s the perfect spot to stretch out and read on a lazy weekend afternoon. Oh, and it got the thumbs up from the parents, a bridesmaid and the best man as well (not all at once though!)”

7. Kenwood mixer – “One of my earliest memories is baking with Nana and her Kenwood. Mum has one too, so it was one of the first things she suggested as a wedding gift.”

8. Sony amp — “Our amp blew up a few weeks before the wedding. Neil has spent many hours perfecting his home entertainment system so it wasn’t a good day in the Oliver-Gooden household! We were lucky enough to get a new Sony amp from our friends. As I type this Neil is sitting in a sea of wires and installation manuals trying to get it all hooked up again!”

9. Painting of Duchies Bay at sunset — “We received a lot of cash from relatives overseas and wanted to buy something special. We found this picture at an art exhibition in Nelson Bay during our mini-moon.”

10. Black crystal candlesticks — “Every home needs a set of classic black candlesticks. We loved the weight and inky blackness of these Bohemian crystal candlesticks.”

Gifts They Wish They’d Registered For

“Definitely small appliances and linen,” says Kate. The couple were given some luxurious high thread count Egyptian cotton sheets and a pair of bath towels from family, but ‘linen-freak’ Kate wanted more! Kate and Neil plan to use their David Jones and Myer vouchers to fill in the gaps. “I’m going for more linen and towels,” says Kate, “and Neil wants the electronic toys. We did splash out on a new Dyson vacuum cleaner the other week though. We’ve moved into old married couple mode already!”

Take Our Advice

Couples who have set up house already may appear to have an advantage, but mixing old items with new isn’t always easy. When you create your registry try not to get too overwhelmed with redecorating your home completely! Find pieces that you love but that also fit in with your current decor. Updating your kitchen with premium appliances and cookware is a great place to start.