The good, bad and ugliest wedding gifts ever

(StatePoint) For many couples, there’s nothing more exciting than creating wedding wish lists. Almost half (45 percent) of U.S. adults who are or ever have been married or engaged have had a bridal registry, according to a recent Moen survey conducted online by Harris Poll.

Registries can help you avoid receiving disappointing gifts. Respondents to the Moen survey told tales of getting such gaffes as a meat griller for a vegetarian couple, and even “ball and chain underwear.” Good gifts ranged from cookware to dream vacations.

However, even with a registry, many realize post-nuptials their list may have been less than ideal. If you’re headed down the aisle, plan ahead to avoid these common registry mistakes:

• Including impractical items: Think twice before registering for large or specialty products that take up storage space but may never get used, like a panini press or ice cream maker.

• Aspirational registering: Register for pieces that fit who you really are, not who you want to be.

• Sticking too much to tradition: Don’t register for traditional items, like silver flatware or formal china, unless you’ll truly use them.

 “Instead of registering for traditional items you’ll rarely use, consider requesting gifts to make daily life better, like a kitchen faucet with a pulldown hose for easy clean-up, or a soothing rainshower showerhead to provide relaxation after a long day,” suggests Andrea Maher, senior marketing communications specialist, Moen.