Wedding Gift Ideas

Great ideas for the perfect wedding gift include, traditional gifts, event tickets, subscriptions and hobby related presents. A few tips and guidelines can help you find that special gift for the bridal couple.

Ideas for Wedding Presents

Many guests want to buy the couple something personal that they can cherish for years to come. Whether you choose to go the traditional route or opt for something unique, the options for giving a great present are endless.

Traditional Gift Ideas

Traditional gifts are those tried and true gifts that any couple would be happy to receive. These items are sure to have a cherished place in any newlywed couple's home:

• Engraved picture frames: Engrave the frame with the names of the bride and groom, along with their wedding date. If you have a photo from their wedding day, you can even include this in the frame. For example, Things Remembered offers a simple and sleek silver frame design. Things Remembered makes engraving easy as you can order it online, preview the engraving, and then pick it up at your local store.
• Engraved champagne flutes: The bride and groom typically participate in a toast on their wedding day. Arrange to give this gift ahead of time, so they can use the champagne flutes during the reception. The wedding shop at The Knot offers a variety of champagne flutes you can personalize for the couple.

  

• Crystal candle holders: Crystal candle holders can be a good accent for tables set for special occasions, to celebrate the couple's anniversary and holiday entertaining. For example, you can make sure the couple's dining table is graced with style with Waterford Crystal candle holders from Macy's.
• Wedding photo album: Special memories deserve a special presentation. Couples can use wedding photo albums to store wedding photos and to share them with family members and friends for years to come. Personalize the album with the names of the bride and the groom and their wedding date from artisans at Etsy.
• Personalized champagne or bottle of wine: Personalize a bottle of champagne or a bottle of wine for the couple to toast on their wedding night. They can also save it for their first anniversary. The Gift Specialists offer various wine label designs from which to choose.

• Cooking for two: For couples that love to cook, a cookbook that caters to making meals for two people can be an ideal gift. The couple can stock their kitchen with the cookbook to cook up creative meals together over the years. you can find the Cooking for Two cookbook at retailers such as Amazon.

• Handmade quilt: A handmade quilt is something the couple can snuggle under on cold nights. You can even have the quilt embroidered with their names and their wedding date. For example, Etsy offers a handmade quilt with simple personalization options.

  

• Mongrammed bath towels: Bath towels are an essential item to stock in the linen closet. You can give the bath towels a personal touch by having them monogrammed with the initial of the last name of the newlyweds. Pottery Barn is one option for buying classic bath towels that can be monogrammed with the couples initials.

  

Experience Gifts

One unique gift option for a couple is to give them a gift of an experience. An experience gift allows the couple to make a memory together, rather than receiving something they will have in their home. When choosing an experience gift, consider the interests and lifestyle of the couple.

• Season tickets: Do they love sports? Season tickets for a favorite sport might be a hit. Stub Hub offers access to all types of tickets from sporting events from around the country.

• Movie tickets: Are they movie buffs? Include several weeks of movie tickets for a weekly date night or tickets to a film festival. Movie Tickets makes buying tickets fast and easy. Order tickets online and the couple can pick them up when they arrive at the theater of their choice.
• Cooking lessons: Do they love to cook and like learning how to create new cuisine? Pay for lessons in a certain style of cuisine at a local cooking school.

If you choose an experience gift, inquire about the refund and exchange policy and any time limitations or expiration dates, so the couple has all the information they need to use their gift.

Interests and Hobbies

Some profound person said, "A couple that plays together stays together." This may or may not be true, but the bride and groom can certainly have fun while partaking in one of their favorite hobbies or pastimes. For example, couples that enjoy ice cream can enjoy a gourmet ice cream maker.

• Gourmet ice cream maker: Couples that enjoy ice cream can enjoy a gourmet ice cream maker. Williams Sonoma offers a Cuisinart Stainless Steel Gourmet Ice Cream Maker that can produce two quarts of ice cream in approximately 25 minutes.
• Craft/Hobby gift card: Some couples enjoy crafting, building models or other hobbies that require trips to the local craft or hobby store. Consider purchasing a gift card to their favorite craft or hobby store. For some crafts and hobbies you can even choose to purchase a piece of equipment or machine to help them with their craft. Michael's is a national craft store that offers craft items ranging from faux floral arrangement supplies and scrapbooking to cake making and knitting.
• Die cut machine: Couples that scrapbook together can enjoy a die-cut machine to help them create embellishments for their projects. Joann's sells a die-cut machine that can cut embellishment shapes into cardstock, vinyl, vellum, fabric, chipboard, and thin foils up to 11' tall.
• Photo site certificates: Photography buffs enjoy using their photos to create projects of their own. Websites, such as Snapfish and Shutterfly, allow the couple to create innovative projects with their own photographs, so a gift card or membership to one of these sites can help them accomplish their goal.
• Sporting goods gift card: Whether hiking, camping, biking or some other outdoor activity for enthusiasts is what the couple enjoy, buy a piece of equipment they can use from their favorite shop. Stores, such as REI, offer a wide variety of items for various outdoor activities.

Subscriptions

Another popular gift idea is a subscription gift.

• Movie rental clubs: Give the gift of a night at the movies without leaving the comfort of their home for three, six or 12 months. This movie rental club offers a Blockbuster gift card along with boxes of candy, popcorn, popcorn seasoning and kettle corn arrive in a movie bucket on a monthly basis.

• Wine clubs: For 3, 6 or 12 months, the couples receives two bottles of wine from wineries around the country monthly. the couple also receives the monthly wine newsletter with the Amazing Clubs Wine Club.

• Coffee clubs: Opt for a 3, six or 12-month coffee club subscription. The newlyweds receive two bags of premium coffee at their doorstep each month.
• Cake of the month: Let them eat cake with these monthly cake subscriptions to receive one new gourmet cake per month for three, six or 12 months.
• Chocolates: One pound of premium chocolates arrives at the couple's new home on a monthly basis with this chocolate-of-the-month club. Subscriptions run from three to 12 months.
• Sirloin club: Four cuts of New York strips, ribeyes or filets ship to the couple each month for up to one year when the couple are members of the sirloin club.
• Candles: Candle club subscriptions run for three, six or 12 months. Two artisan candles arrive in each monthly shipment, along with a Candle Lovers' Newsletter.

There are a vast number of companies willing to supply subscription or club gifts. Depending on your budget, you can get a subscription gift for a few months or for an entire year.

Time-Saving Gifts

A new couple's lives may be busier than ever as they combine their individual lives into one. A time-saving gift might be well-appreciated by the couple, such as:

• Cleaning service: Molly Maid and the Maid Brigade are two cleaning services that have locations scattered throughout the U.S.

• Grocery delivery: Thrive Market is a national service where grocery deliveries arrive at the door of the newlyweds. Giant's Peapod service offers grocery delivery for couples living in various states along the Eastern Seaboard. Kroger also offers grocery home delivery service to various areas in the country.

• Personalized calendar: If you are very close to the couple, purchase a calendar and fill in important family events, birthdays, and anniversaries to help the new couple keep track of them. Calendars.com offers a variety of calendar styles and designs to choose from, so you can find a calendar that fits the couple's decor or personalities.

• Room-themed gift basket: Create a 'room' gift basket that contains care items or fun additions for that room. For example, a basket for a living room or den could contain a feather duster, scented candles, pretty coasters for the coffee table, and a cozy throw. Pinterest offers examples of room-themed gift baskets from which to draw inspiration.

Luxury Gifts

Some of the best things in life are about the little luxuries. Consider:

• Adding a service or special aspect to their honeymoon, such as a special dinner, tour, show, or event
• Services at a local spa they will both enjoy, such as a couples' massage. Spa Finder allows you to buy gift cards redeemable at spas across the country
• Gourmet gift baskets: Gourmet Gift Baskets offers options that range from coffees and candies to gluten-free baskets and seafood

  

Charity Gifts

If it seems like the couple has everything, or requests no gifts, you can still honor their wedding with a gift to a charity. Consider the causes that are most dear to their hearts. Be sure to check with the couple's family to see if they have registered for a charity wedding gift beforehand so you can give to their preferred cause. Another option is to give the couple a TisBest Charity Card, which allows them to donate the money on the card to a charity of their choosing.

Bridal Registries

Registries are great because they tell wedding guests exactly what the couple needs or wants. A registry is helpful for guests who are stumped on what to give the happy couple. Wedding registries take all the guesswork out of buying gifts, making it easier to pick something in your price range.

Even if you don't want to purchase a gift off the registry, it is still helpful to take a quick look at it. This way, you get a sense of the bride and groom's style, along with their future home's color scheme.

A gift card to the stores where the couple registered is also a thoughtful gift. Couples often want to buy things from their registry that no one bought them, so they can pool gift card money to help keep costs down.

Enhancing Registry Gifts

You can also enhance a gift you purchased from the registry to make it more personal.

• Pair wine glasses with a bottle of nice wine or, have the glasses etched with the initial of their last name.
• Attach your favorite casserole recipe and some cute potholders to a set of casserole dishes.
• Include some gourmet coffee with a coffee maker.
• Add scented lotion or handmade soap with bath towels.
• Gift a pretty vase with table linens.

Great Gifts for Happy Couples

Choose wedding gift ideas that show your genuine affection for the happy couple, keeping in mind the bride and groom's personality. Whether you choose something traditional, unique or off the registry, they will happily think of you each time they use or see the gift. As a courtesy, include a gift receipt so the couple can make a discreet return if necessary.