Wedding Gift Ideas

It's June, the month of graduations, Flag Day, Father's Day, and traditionally....of weddings.  I thought just for fun (and because it's raining and I can't work outside) I'd share some ideas for unique or creative wedding gifts.

1.  Christmas Decorations.  Most young couples don't have much, if anything, in the way of Christmas decorations when they are starting out and decorations can be a big expense.  Why not wrap up a few special ornaments, maybe ones commemorating the big day or their first Christmas together?  Or grab one of those big boxes of inexpensive ornaments for more bang and throw in a few strings of lights or garland.  If you're crafty you could even make some ornaments.  When Tim and I got married a couple of older neighbors who had a limited budget made us a large box full of ornaments.  We appreciated them so much and there was the bonus of thinking of those two dear ladies each time we hung the ornaments on the tree.

2.  Gift Certificates.  For restaurants or the movies or a spa day.  Anything that encourages the couple to spend time playing together.  It's so easy to lose track of each other in the busyness of day to day life and every couple begins marriage thinking it could never happen to them.  Help them see that it doesn't.

3.  Plastic Storage Containers.  For a couple who hasn't been living together before the wedding and hasn't already established a household, this can be a much appreciated gift.  To give it real bang....put a pantry item in each container....flour, sugar, tea bags, coffee, pasta, beans, etc.

4.  Photographs.  Are you good with a camera?  How about one of those photo books.  You could make one about them growing up separately, how they met and fell in love....the possibilities are as wide as your imagination.  You could also make them a photo calendar or appointment book.

Photo Source

5.  Family Heirlooms.  Weddings are sentimental times and therefore the perfect time to pass on treasured family heirlooms....Grandma's china, great-aunt Bessie's silver, Dad's grandfather clock, the linens toiled over by long ago relatives, great-grandmother's box of recipes.  You get the idea.

6.  Feed their hobby.  What do they like?  Are they into wine?  You could send them on a wine tasting tour or set them up with all they need for a small wine bar at home.  Whatever the happy couple likes to do you can find some gift to reflect it.

7.  Classes.   Sign them up for classes at the local community college...most offer continuing education/adult interest classes.  How about a cooking, photography, money management, ballroom dancing....

8.  You.  Do you have a talent that would be useful in setting up a new household?  Construction, electrical, or plumbing skills?  Are you a decorator or gifted with a paintbrush?  Can you work magic in the garden?  Do you sew?  Are you an amazing cook or baker?  Create your own gift certificate and be specific so it doesn't get out of hand.  For example if baking is your talent, you could create a gift certificate good for one dessert a month for the first year of marriage.

9  Outside Entertaining Essentials.  Like Christmas ornaments, picnic and grilling supplies are something most newly weds don't have yet.  You could give all the tools and an array of barbecue sauces.  Or cute, summer-themed unbreakable tableware and matching linens and throw in a cute string of patio lights.

10.  Something Really Different.   How about getting a star named after them?  International Star Registry will do that for you.  Or there is a company out there that will write the couple's name in a heart on a beautiful tropical beach and take a picture.  There are a lot more things along this line you could do.  Search the internet for ideas.

Now there's no excuse for giving a toaster at the next wedding you attend.

glitter-graphics.com

Now, on to the counting with Ann because I need to remember....

101.  A little black poodle swimming in the pool...always her eyes on me.

102.  The tang of barbecue sauce dripping from ribs grilled to perfection.

103.  The satisfaction of hard work and a job done.

104.  Ants working together to carry a morsel across the sidewalk and up over the hose without ever slowing down.

105.  Progress with the church remodeling.

106.  The lonesome song of a frog late in a summer night.

107.  The sweet smell of summer on skin.....sunblock and coconut, sweat and dirt, chlorine and popsicles.

108.  A rainy day, movie day.

109.  Lightning bugs drifting in the evening darkness.

110.  The whisper soft kiss of a cool breeze on summer hot skin.