Bridal Club Magazine
Wedding gift list advice
A classic gift list
Even if you think of yourselves as unconventional types, it's
worth considering some of the standard wedding gift-list
inclusions. There's a reason why bedlinen, plates and glassware
feature on so many wedding gift lists: they're useful, plus you can
choose luxurious versions that you wouldn't necessarily buy for
yourself. Don't feel the pressure to ask for pots and pans if you
rarely cook, but do bear in mind that your tastes and needs might
change with time, so the wacky lampshade that looks fab now could
get on your nerves in a matter of months.
Shops offering gift lists
Do your homework before deciding where to have your gift list.
Questions you should ask include: Can guests order gifts by phone
or online as well as in person? How easy is the buying process?
What experiences have other couples had of particular companies?
Are there any perks? For example, some companies offer gift
vouchers as an incentive to couples who register with them, while
others have been known to provide free use of a personal shopper.
Use WeddingPath's Wedding Directory to research some of the
possibilities.
A multi-store gift list
If you don't want to commit to a single shop, try
Marriagegiftlist.com, a free service that allows you to create and
manage your own list. You get to choose items from a huge range of
online stores, including favourites like John Lewis and Marks &
Spencer.
Go for a long, varied gift list
Make your gift list as long as possible to give guests plenty of
choice. Be sure to include a good mix of items, at a wide range of
prices, so no one will feel pressured to over-spend or to buy items
they don't like the look of themselves!
A travel gift list
More and more couples are asking friends and family to help them
live out their travel dreams. With the Trailfinders wedding
gift-list service guests buy travel vouchers which can either be
put towards your honeymoon of a lifetime, or saved for future
travel. Contributions can be made online, by phone, by post or in
person through any UK Trailfinders travel centre.
A wine gift list
Many wine merchants, including Balls Brothers will help you put
together a list of your favourite wines from which your family and
friends can place their orders. It's a great way for the couple who
already have everything home-related to establish their own
'cellar'.
A charity gift list
A charity gift list enables you and your guests to mark your
union by improving the lives of others. Good Gifts, Oxfam Unwrapped
and The Alternative Wedding List all have some truly ingenious
ideas with feelgood factor aplenty.
Use your weddingpath
Some couples are uncomfortable with the idea of including
gift-list details with their wedding invitations, as this looks as
if they are pressurising their wedding guests to buy a gift. The
best way to get round this is either by word of mouth or by
creating a wedding website and adding a dedicated gift-list page.
Include the web address of your weddingpath on your wedding
invitations so guests will know where to go for all the wedding
details, including info about your gift list.
Asking for cash gifts
If the idea of a gift list just doesn't appeal to you, these
days it is perfectly acceptable to subtly inform people that you
would like to receive a gift of money instead. Use a page of your
personal weddingpath to charmingly explain that, while it is the
guests' presence rather than presents that means a lot to you, a
cash gift would be hugely appreciated. Composing a poem is one way
to convey this, although a simple couple of lines is just as good,
and can seem more heartfelt. It's a good idea to decide in advance
what you will spend your cash gifts on. This ensures that, as a
courtesy, you can inform each guest what you bought with their kind
contribution - perhaps in your post-wedding thank-you cards.