If you’ve been invited to a wedding and are unsure what to gift the brides or grooms, consider two factors: your own personal budget, and your relationship with the couple.
A couple tying the knot is always a wonderful reason to celebrate. If you’ve been invited to a wedding and are unsure what to gift the brides or grooms, consider two factors: your own personal budget, and your relationship with the couple. First and foremost, choose a gift that comes from the heart.
Family Member
If a daughter, cousin, or grandson is getting married, you’ll want to dedicate extra time and care in choosing a wedding gift. First, find out if they have a honeymoon or charity registry. A contribution to either of these might be their preferred gift. If they have a gift registry set up, don’t feel compelled to stick to the list. You can be creative with your gift choice as long as you’re keeping the couple’s personal taste and preferences in mind.
Some appropriate gift examples are a nice piece of artwork for their home (as Etsy highlights), a membership to a wholesale club like Costco or a kitchen appliance the newlyweds might not buy for themselves, like a high-quality blender or an espresso machine.
Suggested price range: $100 to $150
Close Friend
Deciding what to give your friend on his or her wedding day can be tricky because you may have already spent a nice chunk of change as a groomsman or bridesmaid. Consider asking others in the wedding party to pitch in for one of the more expensive gifts listed on their gift registry and have everyone sign a card expressing warm wishes to the married couple.
Some gift ideas for a friend who’s tying the knot include: a bottle of their favorite wine, a photo book filled with memories you two have shared, or a luggage set if you know they’re going on a honeymoon vacation.
Suggested price range: $75 to $100
Coworker
Being invited to a coworker’s wedding can be exciting. Don’t spend a fortune, but do choose something befitting his or her personality (their work space decor can give you some hints). If you’re still stumped, picking something off the gift registry is always a safe choice.
Want to go the money route? Glamour suggests that if writing a check, you should address it to an individual unless you are certain the couple has a joint bank account.
On the wedding day, you can give your coworker a beautiful set of stainless steel flatware, a gourmet gift basket you made yourself, or a gift card to their favorite restaurant.
Suggested price range: $50 to $75
Remember, give from the heart and forget outdated rules of thumb like waiting a year to give a wedding gift that’s equal to the monetary amount of your dinner plate. With enough good sense and thoughtfulness, finding a gift that expresses your appreciation for the married couple will be a piece of (wedding) cake.
