This is a bit of a tangent, but if you'd like to carry over a bit of the garden theme into the wedding--miniature terracotta pots make cute placecard holders. I had fun making these for a friend. Each pot was planted with Irish moss (I got a flat of it) and had a silk flower sprig and a toothpick with a sign that had the guest's name and the table number. Arranged all together, with different colored flowers, they got a lot of attention at the wedding. And everyone got a little souvenir to take home. Crafty placecard holders = a good thing to delegate to a friend who wants to help. Wishing you happy wedding planning (or at least comparatively argument-free wedding planning)! --cowper

I would add the steamer and double-boiler inserts for the 4qt saucepan, and probably a 3qt saucepan as well. There are times when a smaller saucepan is useful for big meals -- gravy, sauces etc. And those smaller steamer inserts can't be beat for steaming veggies. You don't need All-Clad for this -- it's overkill for a steamer IMO -- but if storage is a premium it's nice to have them fit in your other saucepans. I agree with the previous poster about the pasta pot and wok. Also, have you lifted the LeCreuset 9.5 qt dutch oven? I ask this because I'm looking for cookware, have virtually identical requirements to yours, and I was shocked. I'm definitely not adverse to heavy cookware but I'm not sure I could lift that when filled with a stew. You might want two smaller dutch ovens instead.

I agree with gardenlad about the utility of 'raw' cast iron; for less than fifty bucks you can have an item that your great grandchildren will use. There are lots of threads about the care of cast iron; do a search and you'll be inundated with advice. The one advantage ECI has that he didn't mention is that ECI is very non-reactive. Raw cast iron can react with acidic substances, but as the seasoning gets better and better with time this becomes less of a problem. Still, I use my raw cast iron Dutch oven for things like chili and slow-cooked meat braises; I use ECI for that sort of stuff as well, but also use ECI for tomatoey sauces and such. For more info than any sane person needs on stovetop cookware, follow the link. Exhaustively complete, but definitely worth a read if you're just starting out setting up a kitchen. Here is a link that might be useful: understanding stovetop cookware

I have top-of-the-line Calphalon from 15 or 18 years ago, and I'm phasing it out. Why? Bcs it can't go in the dishwasher. I'm really tired of *having* to wash pots and pans by hand. And the handles on my Calphalon are the restaurant handles--too long (they're in the way, and plus if you want to put a handle cover on them, the handle cover is all the way out at the end, wher eyou have no leverage) and they get too hot.. And the pans themselves are heavy--that's another thing I'm tired of. I sort of don't care anymore if they cook that great; I want to be able to carry them when they're full--and when they're not! I used to think I'd get the dishwasher-safe All-Clad, but I've realized I just don't have the patience to own such heavy cookware. And the handles are those long ones that cause such trouble for me.