What to buy for a wedding gift
Buying wedding gifts for a soon-to-be married couple is virtually obligatory. Unless they specifically state that they do not want gifts (and few people listen anyway), then chances are gifts are expected. Few people turn up empty handed, although opinions on what is an appropriate gift vary from person to person and, like fashion, from era to era.
Changes in habits amongst couples mean they are living together more and more before marriage. This means they usually have an established household and already have the essential household items that in the past would have been ideal gifts for newly-weds. Of course – this is not always the case so check before you go – it could be that those newly-weds are just setting up house together for the first time and need kettles, plates and ironing boards as wedding presents!
Some couples still opt for a wedding gift list, usually held with a department store, which states specifically what they would like or do need and guests can choose a wedding gift that sits within their budget. Once an item has been purchased, it disappears form the list so that duplication is avoided. It is not unheard of, however, for guests to check what’s on the list and seek it out cheaper, leaving it on the gift list for someone to duplicate.
These days, especially in light of the above, many couples are asking for money. With weddings costing as much as you can throw at them (often tens of thousands of pounds), it is not unusual for the bride and groom to ask for cash as a wedding gift. This is generally used for honeymoons, house deposits or just to buy household items that they like rather than dealing with multiple kettles, pans and lamps that they don’t really want or like.
Unfortunately, lots of people don’t like giving cash wedding gifts, especially if they do not know the couple intimately. It also presents the difficult question – how much do we spend? The dilemma if you do not want to hand over a lot of cash is that the couple will know how much you gave. Giving anonymously may also lead the couple to believe you didn’t get them anything at all. Either way, apart from close family, giving cash as a wedding gift often doesn’t sit comfortably and giving is about pleasure, right?
Traditional wedding gifts are an ideal way to get around all of these headaches and are loved by everyone. Wedding albums are a fantastic wedding gift and yet few people think of buying something like this. When I got married, we had to buy our own wedding album after the event as no-one thought to buy us one for a wedding present. Only my brother bought us a keepsake, something to remember our day by, in the form of a pair of lovely Mr and Mrs cups. It’s the one gift we still have and will have forever, unlike the cash, which went on a house. The odd cheeseboards and ‘too small’ duvet – I honestly could not vouch for their whereabouts now. Keepsake wedding gifts are treasures – they will be kept and loved for generations.
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