Most people are stumped when it comes to selecting wedding gifts for a couple who is going to be married.
There are so many choices to pick from, individual tastes to account for and the constant worry that someone else may have gotten the same gift.
The last thing anyone wants is to buy a wedding gift that is not memorable or will be returned!
It’s not easy to pick something that would make a treasured gift, especially when you are unaware of what the bride and groom would like to receive.
There is no hard-and-fast rule to selecting the perfect gift for a couple, but there are a few guidelines that will make this task easier for you.
Tips for Choosing Great Wedding Gifts
Let’s take a look at some of the factors you should consider while picking out a wedding gift for the happy couple:
- You can choose gifts that reflect the personal tastes of the couple, but this requires you to have a pretty good idea about the kind of things they like.
- If you don’t know them too well, you could ask their friends or relatives, or stick to a more generic gift.
- You can never fail with following the wedding gift registry in case the bride and groom have listed one.
This is a common practice these days, with soon-to-be wedded couple making a list available online of all the items they would like to receive.
- Choose practical items over the fancier ones as you are more likely to get this right even if you don’t know the couple very well.
- Essentials for the kitchen, bath and home are always a welcome addition to newlyweds who are setting up a house together.
- If you’d like to be a little more creative, mix practical and fun together in products that can be used for decorating a home, or entertaining guests.
Make sure you’re not picking up something too cheap or too personal, since that could backfire!
- If you can, get together with some other friends and contribute to buy a group gift, since you can pick up something more extravagant together.
You could buy appliances or furniture that would make the couple happy without burning a hole in your pocket, rather than receiving a number of similar or impractical items.
- Cash or gift cards make the best gift if the couple doesn’t have a registry or if you can’t think of anything they’d like to receive.
If you’re buying gift cards, make sure that they can be used for purchasing a wide variety of items, or consider buying gift coupons for a spa so the couple can use it to pamper themselves!
What are the Most Popular Gifts for Weddings?
People always imagine that the best-loved gifts would be those that show a lot of creativity, or are really expensive.
According to most wedding registry sites though, newly-married couples are most likely to appreciate gifts that can be put to use while setting up their home together. These include:
- Plates and dinnerware that can be used for daily meals as well as entertaining guests.
- Kitchen appliances or cookware, especially the top-notch varieties, or pretty accessories like tablemats and napkin rings.
- Bed linen, pillows, cushions and slip-covers (try getting a whole set that is colourful and comfortable).
- Super-soft bath towels or luxurious hampers of bath goods, scented soaps and similar goodies.
- Gift cards for stores where the above items can be purchased, according to what is needed or suits the couple’s tastes!
The other kind of gift that always wins is something that they would love to splurge on, but may not be able to right away.
These might be a good idea to buy in a group and include things like:
- A weekend getaway to a nearby hotel, where they can relax knowing there is no housework to be done.
- Big-budget items for the house, like cameras, televisions or other appliances (make sure you know if they need them first)!
- Spa packages that promise relaxation and rejuvenation, since everyone would like to feel pampered and return refreshed.
- If you are aware of the kind of activities they enjoy, you could pick up gear that suits the theme, like rock-climbing tools for adventure sport enthusiasts, etc.
You could also offer to take care of part of the cost for the wedding, like hiring the wedding photographer or the band of their choice.
This is best done if you are really close, though, as it could be considered slightly offensive coming from a co-worker or acquaintance!
The author, who has a lot of friends who got married recently, had assisted them with finding the best Edinburgh wedding photographer and other vendors.