Best Wedding Gifts 2023
It's that time again. The wedding season is upon us. If you haven’t been to one yet, chances are you are due to at some point this year. There is no escaping it. People are getting married left, right and centre. Invites to celebrate with loved ones are exciting and it is always an honour to be invited to share your nearest and dearests’ special days.
As a wedding guest you have several big decisions to make, most important of which are what to wear and what to buy as a gift. For the first, check out our blog on what your wedding guest outfit says about you for hints and tips on wedding guest outfits. For wedding day gifts, keep reading as we suggest our top 10 wedding gift ideas for couples. Hopefully this will inspire you to gift greatness.
Gift List Items
A very modern way of managing wedding gifts is when the couple make a gift list with a particular retailer or supplier. Gift items are preselected, and guests can register, purchase and have delivered any option to suit their budget, safe in the knowledge that the wedding couple already like the item. Wedding gift lists are great as wedding gifts for couples already living together.
Historically couples didn’t live together before getting married so wedding gifts for couples tended to be household items for their new home. Nowadays home gifts for couples tend to be those requested rather than essential items.
Personalised gifts
Often a wedding means a name change for one or both parties. Personalised couple gifts such as towels, bathrobes, mugs, rugs, homeware and artwork can be decorated with new names in recognition of their union.
The good news is that personalised wedding gifts can be anything from personalised keyrings and coasters to whiskey glasses, furniture or commissioned artwork. A personalised wedding gift shows care, attention and thoughtfulness and can range in cost depending on your budget.
Plant Gifts
This might seem an odd one to some but for those who are green-fingered plant gifts are the perfect couples gift ideas, especially to celebrate a wedding. From small houseplants in personalised plant pots to fruit trees or shrubs for the garden, a plant gift is a lasting reminder of their special day and the cherished person who gave it to them. What better way to look back and reminisce on your wedding day than having a cherry blossom that blooms around your anniversary, or a fruit tree that fruits at the same time of year as you got married.
His and Her/Her and Her/His and His Gifts
So, we would class personalised gifts as wedding gifts that celebrate a new shared couple’s name. His and her, his and his or her and her gifts are more like paired gifts where there is a matching set. At the lower end of the budget scale you have matching mugs, bathrobes and keyrings, or towards the higher end you might have clothing, glassware, furniture or luxury gifts for couples like matching luggage.
Baked Treats
What better way to wind down after the high of a wedding day than with baked treats as a wedding gift. You can get almost anything delivered these days, from personalised biscuits to traybakes and delicious cookies and cupcakes. There are some wonderful companies out there that will create bespoke sweet treats dedicated to the happy couple, which make a super cute couple gift instead of more traditional (read boring and inedible) wedding gifts.
Commemorative Gifts
Unlike personalised wedding gifts, commemorative guests celebrate the occasion rather than couple. These are great as wedding gifts for couples who have everything. Our suggestions include first dance song lyrics, cute map graphics of the wedding venue or spot where the proposal happened.
Think also customised vinyls of wedding songs and first dance tracks, framed wall prints of the wedding venue with the date on, personalised comic books and newspaper reels. Essentially anything that has the wedding date on counts as unique gifts for a wedding. Depending on what you opt for, they will also be more friendly on the budget that some of our other wedding gift ideas.
Activity Gifts
Activity gifts are a different and fun way to give a wedding day gift. We’re thinking of things like couple’s gin tastings, cookery courses, couple’s workshops and outdoor adventure activities. This type of wedding gift will completely depend upon the happy couple themselves and what they’re into, but don’t underestimate the enjoyment that your loved ones will get out of doing something out of the ordinary together.
Experience Gifts
Slightly different to an experience gift, how about giving an experience as an unforgettable wedding gift. Whereas an activity gift requires you to do something, gift experiences for couples are more about unique experiences. Examples might be a night away somewhere exciting, like a dark skies cabin with a retractable roof for stargazing, or a couples spa day with couples’ massages and pamper treatments. If you’re feeling extravagant, be creative and buy them a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience, one that they’ll remember forever.
Subscriptions Gifts
Subscription or membership gifts can offer prolonged enjoyment for the happy couple and something to get pleasure out of more long-term than standard gifts. You can get spice club memberships, where recipes and spices are delivered every for those who like cooking. Seed subscriptions are perfect for avid gardeners, flower subscriptions for local British flowers delivered monthly, or sweet treat subscriptions. Coffee subscriptions are another way of spoiling a couple, by having delicious freshly ground coffee delivered each week or month.
For a membership gift, look at their local spa, National Trust or English Heritage. These types of wedding gifts prolong the enjoyment they can get out of their gift and can be bought again and again as couples anniversary presents.
Gift Hampers
Never underestimate the impact a gift hamper can have on a recipient. There are companies that organise special wedding gift hampers, you can make your own or you could get one delivered after their honeymoon. By gifting a collection of delicious foods, treats, drinks, gifts, or all of these you can spoil the newlyweds with things they perhaps wouldn’t buy for themselves.
Personalised wedding gifts such as this show care and attention to detail and make a nice change from homeware, money or gift list items.
Summary
If you’re totally unsure as to what to buy as a wedding gift, then giving cash will always be appreciated. In fact, some couples may even ask for donations towards their honeymoon or their favourite charity, for example, in lieu of wedding gifts.
Try not to spend more than you can afford, tailor your gift, whatever you choose, to the wedding couple and don’t overthink it. Most couples invite you to their wedding for the pleasure of your company on their special day. A wedding gift will always be appreciated, but it’s your presence that will be remembered.
