Personalized gifts are very appropriate for rare occasions. Most gift-giving occasions are special, but a few symbolize particularly rare or hard-to-accomplish events. These occasions include graduations, weddings, births, and milestone anniversaries.



Graduation from a college or university carries a very different connotation than graduating from high school. Graduating from high school is a big event in a teenager's life, and most parents will get the graduate a large gift to mark the occasion. Most of the time, the gift will mark the celebratory atmosphere of release that goes with the graduation. People other than the parents might want to give the grad a personalized gift in the form of a pen or a book in token of the grad's achievement.

Graduation from university or college is a different matter. The student who is graduating from a higher institution is marking a more somber event, a path that was taken by choice and whose ultimate realization comes only years of very hard work. University graduation gifts tend to reflect the more somber tone of the event, and a personalized gift that includes the name of the graduate, the date, and the name of the giver will be held close for a very long time.

Personalized gifts for weddings are usually given by the bride and groom to members of their wedding parties or to people who made a special contribution to the event. The gifts are usually engraved with the name of the receiver, the bride and groom, and the wedding date. Some good ideas for groomsmen include engrave pint mugs or tool sets. Bridesmaids can receive a bracelet, necklace piece, or commemorative plate. People thinking about giving personalized gifts in recognition of wedding help should also consider gifts for their parents, the Master of Ceremonies, and anyone who contributed music for the ceremony (and was not hired to do so).

The birth of a new baby always includes an abundance of personalized gifts with the baby's name and date of birth on them. These little gifts will always be treasured by the parents, long after the little one has outgrown them. Some good ideas are little decorated pillows on which the baby's information can be recorded in thread, baby spoons with the name engraved, or sleepers with the baby's name on them.

The celebration of a milestone anniversary is another time where it is highly appropriate to personalize your gift to the couple. Picture frames and commemorative plates are especially appropriate, and should have the names of the couple and their original wedding date, as well as the year of the anniversary, engraved upon them. The big milestone is usually considered the 50th, although the 60th is actually the diamond anniversary.

There is no better way of demonstrating that you care about someone or to say thank-you than to personalize your gift. It is a special demonstration of affection, and it will also be more highly valued by the receiver as it is clear that thought went into the giving process.