Today I’m excited to share a blog post with you guys that I put together with a little help from some of my best girlfriends…
The Best Wedding Gifts
I reached out to a handful of my friends and asked them to share a little bit about the wedding gifts they received in the past. I posed the following questions to them:
- What was the most creative/thoughtful wedding gift you received?
- What wedding gift do you find yourself using the most often?
- What is one item you registered for that you ended up not using much at all?
- What is one gift you didn’t expect to use or love that ended up being one of your favorites?
- Stick to the registry: Yay or nay?
(Big thanks to all of my girlfriends who weighed in! I am not sharing their names with their answers in this post for privacy purposes since blogging has taught me that this is a very, very small world and I wanted them to feel like they could be totally honest with their answers without fear of who may, by some slim chance, see this blog post!)
Ryan and I usually stick to the registry when it comes to giving wedding gifts, but I’ve also strayed a few times for a close friend when I was pretty sure I had a great gift idea in mind that would be a little more personal and might mean something special to them.
If you’d like to weigh in, I’d love to hear your answers to these wedding gift questions in the comments section of this post!
- My dad gave my husband his favorite classical guitar which is a pretty big deal in our family!
- A homemade wreath for our front door along with a personalized doormat.
- At my bridal shower, I received a gold necklace with our wedding date engraved in Roman numerals on a thin bar. Love love love it!
- We received a high quality SLR camera – Perfect for documenting our honeymoon and life as husband and wife together!
- Art with our wedding date.
- Since we didn’t really register for the wedding, any of the donations we received for the Humane Society and local food bank were the most thoughtful.
- I loved the gift you gave me with our wedding picture framed in the middle and the maps from where we are from framed on either side.
- A beautiful glass decorative plate from Tiffany’s engraved with our wedding invitation. It was such a surprise and was so thoughtful. I love that I will get to see my wedding invitation in our home forever now.
- Our blender, towels and every day silverware.
- Definitely our Wusthof classic chef’s knife.
- Cutco knife set! It’s amazing!
- Definitely kitchen stuff from our registry.
- Our toaster (I never knew that you could have an amazing toaster!) and lamps (we registered for a lot of lamps – haha)!
- Our Wusthof knives and our pans – without a doubt!
- Serve ware. I’m happy to have it when I need it, but that’s not very often.
- Extra pans… I use most of the same ones all the time.
- A mandolin slicer.
- A salad spinner.
- A cupcake carrier. Why did I register for this!? Ha!
- A panini press. We probably use it twice a year if we’re lucky.
- Pyrex glass storage containers. We use them every day!
- Dyson vacuum for wood floors. I expected to use it, but I did not expect to love it so much! (Professing love for a vacuum makes me feel so old!)
- A clothes rack on wheels.
- Snowshoes!
- A wine aerator. It makes such a difference!
- A cake platter. I have used it an embarrassing amount of times. Plus, since we received it before our wedding and loved it so much, it was the cake stand we used for our wedding cake!
- I loved getting gifts from my registry, but I usually gift cash. Not sure why I do that…
- Yay!!! Registry gifts are always a winner.
- We got many of our gifts from our registry but we loved things people got us that weren’t on there like Christmas stocking hangers and home décor.
- Yay! But money is always a very appreciated gift as well. We were able to pay for our honeymoon with the money we received. We also have a bit leftover and are hoping to put it toward a new couch that we need.
- Mostly “Yay!” but I liked getting random, creative gifts as well!
- It depends… Some of the BEST gifts I received were not on our registries (Tiffany plate, amazing cook books, necklaces, thoughtful quote books). I guess these gifts were more geared towards gifts I received at my bridal shower, but the gifts that seemed like people took the time to think of something that spoke to me or my personality were my favorite. In this case, receiving something off the registry for my shower was fun. However, off the registry gifts for the wedding seem to be much more random (more like random house things we probably will never use), so regarding wedding gifts, unless it is something personalized, stick to the registry. Our registry was full of items we would love for our home, but couldn’t see ourselves actually splurging on!
- Yay! Though a non-registry gift can be amazing, 95 percent of the time they are just a little too “out there.” I’d definitely stay away from gifting art. I’ve heard horror stories about strange paintings, statues, decorative vases, etc.!
Questions of the Afternoon
- When it comes to wedding gifts, do you usually stick to the registry or veer off in favor of something else?
And feel free to weigh in on the main questions from this blog post, too! Here’s a quick list for easy reference:
- What was the most creative/thoughtful wedding gift you received?
- What wedding gift do you find yourself using the most often?
- What is one item you registered for that you ended up not using much at all?
- What is one gift you didn’t expect to use or love that ended up being one of your favorites?
- Stick to the registry: Yay or nay?
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Love, love, love this post! I feel that I had some of the some opinions as the others. I do feel that it’s always best to stick to the registry unless of course you are super close to them and have another gift idea in mind. Great post!
I stick to the registry. If it weren’t for registries I would be clueless lol. I’m also a fan of honeymoon registries, I think it’s cool to surprise a couple with drinks or some type of crazy adventure!
Thanks for this post, I’m at that place where more of my friends and family members around my age are starting to get married. I’ll have to keep your friends’ comments in mind!
One of the best wedding gifts we received was a stainless steel trash can—we randomly registered for it and got it as a gag gift. However, we use it everyday and is the most useful gift ever!!
We just got married in August, and some of my favorite gifts were the ones that didn’t come from our registry! It depends on how well I know the couple whether I stick to the registry or try to buy something a little more unique!
omg love this blog post!!!! will def be using this as a reference 🙂
I usually stick to the registry but sometimes if I have a really good gift idea I know they will love, I don’t mind straying.
The two gifts we received and didn’t expect to love so much were a vacuum cleaner and corningware.
We actually ended up getting 5 coffee makers even though we didn’t register for any!
This list was VERY helpful to me because I am in the prime of all of my friends getting married. And I’m planning my own wedding, so this is also beneficial for that! Thanks so much!
Ooh! Perfect timing for this post. I’ve got a few weddings coming up, so this will be very helpful!
Giving the New York perspective (and as someone who is getting married Saturday): in NY you can do registry gift for engagement or shower gift, but you will be looked at as funny if you give anything but cash. Most NY and NJ weddings just have a “cage” or box for envelopes and nowhere to even put a gift. In fact, most brides take their registries down after the shower.
Interesting b/c I’m from the same NY/NJ area and have a totally different perspective! My husband is from the Midwest and his guests all gave us cash and my guests all gave registry gifts! Literally 100% split!
I gave my favorite wedding gift this Christmas (it was a few months late!). My SIL and her husband grew up next door to each other and their parents have been best friends for years. But they only became close and started dating a few years ago, despite being together for countless holidays, vacations, etc! I had a painting done of their childhood homes, hers on the left, his on the right. I talked to a few artists on Etsy, picked one, and sent pictures/details and they did a FABULOUS job. My SIL and BIL were so surprised and it was special to give to them on Christmas when we were together since we don’t leave nearby. They’ve hung it in their apt and already gotten so many complements. Super special to remember the family and friends they grew up around!
Would you mind sharing info about which artist you chose? I have a friend that just got married and her and her new husband have the exact same story (growing up on the same street but not dating until later in life) and this is a great wedding gift idea! Thanks.
Fave reply was the friend who didn’t register and folks donated to the Humane Society. That really says a lot about the couple, as well as the donors. Thoughtful on both sides.
That one was my friend Minda. She has such a wonderful heart! <3
I like to give personalized gifts that are useful and I know the couple will enjoy. For example, my fiancé and I gifted our friends a tent for their wedding because we do an annual camping trip with them and they didn’t have their own. When they received the tent in the mail they knew it was from us before even reading the card! It was a great feeling giving something a little more personal but also knowing they will definitely use it as we have our camping trip every summer. For another friends wedding I was a bit tight on cash and knew that I couldn’t afford something really nice on their registry so I decided to knit them a blanket. It was nice seeing the surprise of the bride open it at her shower and it felt special that it was something homemade. They keep it on their couch and it has gotten them through some COOOOOLD new England winters!
I say go for the registry as its always a safe bet that you’ll gift something the couple is looking for. However, if you do decide to go the personal route, make sure its something you know the couple will use and is practical for their lifestyle.
Our favorite wedding gift was our save the date and wedding invite matted and framed. We love having it hanging in our house and guest love to look at it! We now do this for people close to us and it is always a hit!
We got a Nintendo Wii (in 2008) and used it all the time! It was the best. Our wedding was very last-minute so pretty much everything else was cash. Our friends also splurged and got us a limo to go to our reception which was so unexpected and thoughtful 🙂
My standard is to give a gift from the registry for the shower and money for the wedding. However, when I am a gift recipient, I prefer to be surprised. I’m about to get married in May, so the gifts I have received so far are from my bridal shower.
What was the most creative/thoughtful wedding gift you received? A monogram door hanger
What wedding gift do you find yourself using the most often? A clothing drying rack. Not sure how I lived so long without one.
What is one item you registered for that you ended up not using much at all? Not sure yet – we’ve left a lot of things in the boxes since we are moving soon after the wedding.
What is one gift you didn’t expect to use or love that ended up being one of your favorites? The iron and steamer.
Stick to the registry: Yay or nay? Yes and No
I have been a guest at 17 weddings since 2006. I usually gift something from the registry, as well as a gift that is not included. I try to include some thought and time for the gift. And I always include a gift receipt in case the bride changes her mind, or doesn’t like the gift, or she gets 5 casserole dishes.
FYI, some places, like Bed Bath and Beyond, allow guests to add to the registry, and show the item as purchased. I did this for my best friend’s wedding (I was her co-MOH) and got her a photo frame for her wedding photos.
Just seeing this made me laugh, Julie– Will and I are headed out right now to register for our wedding 🙂 We’ve struggled so much because neither of us feel good asking for gifts but we know from experience (my sister’s wedding) that a non-existent registry can be a pain for guests. Agh!
Love this post! I’m still in the thick of friends marrying off left and right (curse/blessing of the mid-20s, I swear). I usually stick with registry items, but I’ve thrown in little extras before (like purchased something from the registry and something little that wasn’t). A favorite is getting friends the game Quelf. It’s so much fun, and they have all proclaimed to love it!
Love what someone wrote about getting a nice camera – that’s a great idea.
While it was a gift I gave to a friend, it’s probably my favorite gift I’ve ever given. One of my college friends was getting married at a historical church in Charleston, SC (her favorite city, the city where she did her undergraduate degree, and where she met her husband). In the Market, I found an old slate tile that had been on a roof of a building in Charleston that had a painting of the church were she was getting married. I loved it and knew she would as well. She has displayed it in each house she has lived in since her wedding.
I like to stick to the registry but if you feel so compelled to get something personalized, make sure the name is spelled right! We got some super cute Baltimore wine glasses (where we’re from) but our last name is spelled wrong! Haha what do you do with that?!
My husband and I gave his best friend and his wife a helicopter tour in Hawaii on their honeymoon. They were completely surprised and thrilled when they arrived and the info was at their hotel!
I usually stick to the registry for the bridal shower and cash for the wedding. I have only gotten creative for the bridal shower for my brothers finance (now wife). My brother and her were beginning to drink wine so I bought them a carrying case, 4 bottles of sweet wine for them to try, my favorite bottle opener, wine glasses from their registry, and wine glass charms.
One of my favorite gifts was a cookbook with a gift card to our local grocery store. It was perfect because I needed to learn to cook for two and it is so expensive to start a kitchen! You just take for granted that you have things like salt and pepper…and that stuff adds up quickly!
Fab idea for a post! OK, my answers…
* What was the most creative/thoughtful wedding gift you received? >> Sheet music for our first dance song framed and printed with our initials.
What wedding gift do you find yourself using the most often? >> A glass fruit bowl.
Stick to the registry: Yay or nay? >> Yay, but I think it’s OK to supplement the registry list when you are close friends with the couple.
I just got married this past weekend and the best gift that we received was from my parents. In addition to hosting the wedding, they surprised us with a live painting of our first dance. By the end of the night, we had a custom paintingof our first dance in the ballroom where we were married. it was so touching and so personal. If you arent into giving a money or want to do something more personal, I would highly recommend looking into hiring a live painter. It was
My husband gave me a My Dreamlines sketch of my dress and his suit for a wedding gift. I am now addicted to this idea, as I was blown away with mine. I have given it as a bridal shower gift of her gown and one as a wedding gift of her gown and his suit. I didn’t have photos of them so I gave them a gift card and they could work directly with the artist. I love personalized and touching gifts and wow this one knocks it out. I wish I could describe the looks on everyone’s face at the shower, as the rest of the wedding party and mother’s looked a little disappointed that they didn’t give it. <3
Love to read about wedding gifts post, now in america its good trend to present gifts to grooms, bridals as well as friends of grooms and bridal, Today’s top trending gifts for grooms include wallets, pens, cuff links, money clips and golf gifts etc, and as we know all bridals love to jewelry gifts.These sharing of gifts more happy moments more special.
All wedding gifts are very uniques and innovative. I really liked it. Thanks for sharing.
We got a Spectra sundial gift certificate for our wedding and it was a great gift, it allowed us to wait until we found our first home and then have our anniversary sundial made for our family room. It makes rainbows in the room when the sun shines and has a special date line on it that the time shadow follows on our special day each year, and it even has a special mark on that line that celebrates the actual time we got married! Honestly, it was no problem that our friend went off registry for this gift because it is so amazing, appropriate, and hand made just for us by the guy who designed it. We like it so much that it is now our go to gift for when friends get married!