Fun and Interesting Wedding Gifts

Fun and Interesting Wedding Presents

We’re into wedding season, and hopefully you’re not panicking about bringing a present. We’re here to help!
You have one year to give a present. Ideally, you would ship the gift to their home two weeks before the blessed event, but what if you have five weddings? That could put a dent in your budget. So work with your friends if you need to. A good rule of thumb is to give the present within the first six months after the wedding.
Also, if the bride and groom register before the wedding, feel free to choose items for their birthdays or holidays. And by the same token, feel free to not use the registry.
You shouldn’t feel that you’re buying your way into the wedding.

How Much to Spend?

As with most things, the cost of attending is a bit more than just the cost of the present. So if you’re watching your budget, you will want to add up all the incidentals like an outfit, gas, hotel if you spend the night somewhere else, etc., and decide if you want to choose to attend or not. You can still send a present or a card.
Per Modern Bride magazine, the average amount of a wedding present is $75. Summer Krecke, deputy editor of WeddingChannel.com, offers a few guidelines based on the guest’s relationship to the bride or groom: If it’s a co-worker’s wedding, you should spend $75 to $100; a relative or friend, $100-$125; and if it’s a close friend or close relative, anywhere from $100 to $150 or more is acceptable.
Also, if you’re part of a destination wedding, such as Hawaii, the bride and groom do not expect an additional gift. Your presence should be present enough since you shelled out a lot of money just to be there.

Unique Wedding Gift Ideas

• Culinary Cooking Classes. Are your friends foodies? Skip the stand mixer and get them some classes that they can take together to learn some new skills.
• Gift Certificates for Massages. They’ll need it after writing all their thank you cards.
• Indoor Garden. If your friends love their veggies, get them something like an Aerogarden so they can grow lettuce or tomatoes (or flowers) all year.
• Subscriptions. You can get really creative like an annual subscription to the Rancho Gordo Bean Club. Don’t forget to throw in a cookbook.
• Memberships. Do they love a local museum or aquarium? Get them something they’ll enjoy using often.
• Park Pass. Do they love hiking or camping? Look into a state park or national park pass that they can enjoy and thank you each time they use it.

Weirdest Wedding Gifts

Here’s probably what not to do. Remember, you have time after the wedding, so don’t panic and buy something from the gas station on your way.

Monetary Oddities

“$10 in scratch tickets.”
“$100 worth of quarters.”
“A graduation card with $7.”
“A hundred $1 bills rolled up in a rubber band.”
“Boxers with money in them.”
“Two cents and a nasty note inside a card.”
“A check from my husband’s friend, and in the ‘for’ line, it said ‘vasectomy.’”
“A check that bounced.”

Weird…but Useful

“A hurricane evacuation backpack full of MREs (meals ready to eat), first-aid kit, ponchos, etc.”
“A pink can opener with the word ‘love’ on it.”
“A used walking cane.”
“Asparagus.”
“24 double rolls of toilet paper.”
“Dental floss.”
“Octopus-shaped baster.”
“A high-heeled shoe cake server.”
“A magnifying glass.”

Weird…and Useless

“Dog shock collar — we don’t have a dog.”
“Pirate flip-flops.”
“A 3-ft. SpongeBob SquarePants pirate doll.”
“Autographed picture of Bret Michaels.”
“Bronze kangaroo.”
“Fake vomit.”
“A cat suit.”
“A picture frame with the wrong initials on it.”

If you’re married, what was the best wedding gift that you got?