You can add handmade pottery to your wedding registry in two ways. Choose specific pieces from the shop for guests to buy, or ask guests for gift cards that go toward a custom piece made just for you. Most couples do a little of both.
At The Potter’s Hands Studio in Oxford, Mississippi, every piece of handmade wedding pottery is thrown and carved by April Dupuis. That makes it a different kind of registry gift than a set of department store plates, and it takes a slightly different approach to set up.
Here is how to do it well.
Why handmade pottery belongs on a registry
A registry is mostly practical: towels, a stand mixer, a good set of knives. That is as it should be. But most couples also want a few things that feel like the two of them, and those are the gifts guests love to give.
Handmade stoneware does both jobs. Most of April’s tableware is high-fired stoneware finished with a food-safe glaze, so it is safe for daily use, the microwave and the dishwasher. It is also carved by hand with Southern florals, so it looks like nothing else in the kitchen.
There is also the maker. April holds a Master of Ceramics from Ball State University and has taught adult pottery classes for 17 years. Her largest commission was a 450-piece service for a James Beard Foundation dinner. When guests give a piece from her studio, they are giving work from someone who has spent two decades at the wheel.
And because each piece is carved freehand, the plates and bowls you register for will never show up in a friend’s kitchen too.
Option one: register for pieces from the shop
Couples can choose pieces from the shop for guests to purchase. Mugs, cups, bowls and vases are all good candidates.
One thing to know first. Every piece is shaped and decorated by hand, so no two are identical, and the piece shown in a photo is the exact one you will receive. That is the charm of it, and it also means a piece can only be bought once.
A few tips that help:
- Register for more than you need. If a favorite piece sells before a guest gets to it, there are other options in the same spirit.
- Think in collections. Pieces from the same collection, like the Bouquet Collection, sit together well even though each one is different.
- Add a note for guests. Most registry sites let you add a comment. Tell guests the pieces are handmade in Mississippi and one of a kind, so they understand why a listing might change.
- Ask April for help. The studio will help you set up registry options when you inquire.
Option two: gift cards toward a custom commission
This is where a pottery registry gets personal. Gift cards let your guests contribute toward a custom commission, so several small gifts can add up to one piece you design together.
What could that piece be? Couples often have something like this in mind:
- A carved wedding-date platter with your names, your date and the flowers from your bouquet.
- A couple’s cup set for coffee every morning after.
- A piece with a carved scripture line or gold leaf detailing.
- A bouquet keepsake, with your real wedding flowers preserved in resin and inlaid into a carved platter, cup set or earrings.
Once the gifts are in, you start the commission the same way anyone would. Share your names, your date and the feel of your day. April sketches a design for your approval before any clay is thrown, then carves and fires it. Custom pricing depends on the piece, the carving detail and add-ons, and April will give you a quote and timeline up front.
One note for guests: gift cards are not returnable, so it helps to say on your registry exactly what they are going toward.
Timing your registry pieces
Most wedding commissions need 6 to 8 weeks, and busy seasons can add time. If a piece needs to be ready for the wedding itself, like a signature guest book platter your guests sign at the reception, plan that one separately and early, rather than waiting on registry gifts to come in.
For everything else, there is no rush. Wedding pieces can be shipped in time for your first anniversary, which makes a commission funded by registry gift cards a lovely first-year project.
A word for the guests
If you are a guest and the couple has not registered for pottery, you can still give it. A ready-made piece from the shop typically ships within 3 to 5 business days, and a gift card lets them choose for themselves. Our guide to handmade wedding gifts the couple will keep has more ideas.
Questions people ask
Can we register for handmade pottery?
Yes. Couples can choose pieces from the shop for guests to purchase, and gift cards let guests contribute toward a custom commission. Ask April to help you set it up when you inquire.
What happens if a registry piece is already sold?
Every piece is made by hand and one of a kind, so each listing can only be bought once. Register for a few more pieces than you need, or add gift cards so guests can always contribute toward a custom piece.
How long does a custom commission take after the wedding?
Most wedding commissions need 6 to 8 weeks, and busy seasons can add time. Pieces can be shipped in time for your first anniversary.
When you are ready to build your list, reach out to April about registry options, or browse the shop to start choosing.