Allergies

 

Registering for wedding gifts is a long-running tradition but because so many couples set up home together before their nuptials, it’s often difficult deciding which items to request. While a popular choice is asking for cash donations to use for a honeymoon or house deposit, some guests might think this is in poor taste, plus it takes the fun out of having a registry. If you’ve got more china and crystal than Buckingham Palace, why not opt for having people contribute towards one or two luxury items that you’d never dream of buying yourself?

Thermomix

 

Practically as good as having a robot chef, the Thermomix by Vorwerk does it all. And that’s no hyperbole. Display a recipe on the integral screen, add the ingredients and leave. The time and temperature are set automatically, according to the dish chosen. This little miracle will weigh, chop, blend and cook everything to perfection. The mad professor of the culinary world, Heston Blumenthal, reputedly has nine in his restaurant. Even if you don’t know how to boil an egg, you’ll have dinner guests worshipping at your kitchen altar. Of course innovative products like this don’t come cheap; you won’t get much change from £1,000. In addition, they’re not available in shops and you must have home demonstration before buying, but it’s still a wonderful item to have on your list.

Steaming Cup a Joe

 

Regardless of what the marketing gurus want you to believe, pod coffee machines do not make a decent cup of coffee. Anyone worth their cappuccino knows that beans must be ground moments before adding the perfectly heated water. Apart from the inferior taste, the aluminium pods are environmentally irresponsible and arguably unhealthy. The powers that be in Hamburg, Germany have banned these pods altogether, although that seems a slight overreaction. In the bean-to-cup world of coffee makers, one of the best ranges comes from none other than previously mentioned Heston Blumenthal. His Sage machines are sublime, with the top-of-the-range Oracle boasting dual boilers (one for coffee and the other for steam) and a fully automated system, including grinding, measuring, tamping and milk texturing. It’s the perfect match for the Thermomix and carries a similar price tag. Although the entry-level model is ‘only’ £590, the Oracle will set you (or rather your guests) back a hefty £1,440. The one disadvantage this machine has over the pod variety (apart from the price) is that it will take up more space on your kitchen counter. You could always house it on a butcher’s block or solid oak console table.

Wall-to-Wall Sound

 

Fill your house with music using the Sonos wireless system. You can stream all the tunes on your music services through this device, which is controlled using an app on your phone. There are speakers for different budgets and requirements, including a soundbar and subwoofer for bone-rattling home cinema. A really cool feature is the Truplay tuning, where any room is analysed through the microphone on your iPhone or iPad, resulting in the sound settings being adjusted automatically. You can connect to an existing stereo system and it’s simple to use. Sonos gets excellent reviews and speakers start from £169. Imagine lazing in the bath or sunbathing in the garden listening to gloriously reproduced music.

 

 

Instead of towels or toasters, use your imagination and bring some wow factor to your wedding registry.