Choosing a wedding gift for the happy couple may seem like a pretty simple thing to do. You just pop out, choose something, get it wrapped and the job is done. Right? Wrong! It’s never that easy – you agonise over what would be appropriate, what you should spend, should it be practical or not. Before you know it you’ve been wandering around the shops for hours and got nowhere.

Before you waste even more time, let’s look at some criteria that should be met by the perfect wedding gift.

Make it personal

Buying for someone you know well like a close, personal friend or relative gives you the opportunity to personalise the gift. Even though the couple may have created a wedding list for guests to use, you have the advantage of knowing what they like and you can buy accordingly.

Choose a gift that appeals to a passion they share, like music or art. Perhaps they collect glassware, in which case an attractive piece from glassware designers like Orrefors would be a fantastic choice and you can be sure would be well received.

Choosing for the boss

If you have been invited to the boss’s wedding you’ve really been given a difficult task when it comes to the gift! You don’t want to appear cheap or that you don’t care about his or her happy day, but nor do you want to spend too much – you don’t want your boss to think your salary is enough to buy an extravagant gift! In this case, it’s important that you know what would please your superior without spending an arm and a leg.

You’ll know what he or she likes if you’ve worked together for a significant period time and in this instance you should definitely go with what you know. If you’ve been paying attention you might even know what his or her other half enjoys and again, go with that!

And for those you don’t know well…

You might think that buying for someone you don’t know all that well is going to be difficult, but it’s often the opposite. First of all, find out if they have a gift list somewhere – it’s usually included with the invitation. They do? Great! Choose a gift that fits your budget from the list, safe in the knowledge it’s what they want – or at least what they think they want. In all probability it will include things they need to kit out their new home so you can’t go wrong.

If the couple has not registered anywhere, then a generic gift will do nicely. It should express your generosity of spirit and your wish that the couple have a fantastic wedding day and life together.

This could include a gift basket filled with wine and gourmet foods for the couple to enjoy from their honeymoon hotel suite, linens or towels embroidered with the couple’s initials or glass / crystal ware (again, a designer piece by the likes of Orrefors would be ideal).

A wedding gift should express your best wishes for the couple and it’s not the price of the gift that counts but the sentiment behind it. It definitely should not advertise how much money you do or don’t have! Pick the gift to suit the couple but also your budget and you can be confident that it will be well received.

Author Bio: Trevor Richards is writing on behalf of Pyramid, retailers of Orrefors designer glassware.

Category: Advice
Keywords: weddings, wedding gifts, wedding presents, wedding lists