Wedding lists ? love them or hate them? Are they a labor-saving device for time-pressed relatives or an exercise in brazen cheek? While you're making up your mind, think of the alternative ? buying a gift for the wedding couple that is from you, thought of by you but has sentimental value that will long outlive the set of silicone baking trays.
?We're getting married!? sings the gleeful invitation. Oh good, you think. Also falling out of the envelope are a photocopied map to the church and a strange, unassuming little list of things. Have they accidentally sent you their shopping list? And why does it have bells and cupids on it? It's a wedding list, of course ? an insight into the married couple's, needs, tastes and socioeconomic aspirations. You imagine their kitchen with little gaps on the worktops where toasters, toast racks and wrought iron toast scraping units should sit; the bed bereft of sheets and pillow slips; the bedside cabinet without a ? what?
Yet the moment you have the wedding gift list in your hands, you instinctively know it's a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, it makes the task of choosing a wedding present simplicity itself. You know it will be wanted and appreciated, and nowadays you don't always have to physically leave home to buy it.
But on the other hand, it agitates something of a hornets nest inside you. Some couples get a tiny bit too greedy, and this makes guests resentful. There are certain weddings to which you're pretty certain you'd remain uninvited were it not for the wedding list. And finally, it can look like a statement by the couple that you have no taste, you shouldn't even try to dream up something nice and that you will be instructed what to buy and from which shop.
No wonder so many couples are choosing a middle way. Recently a little note has appeared on some invitations saying ?wedding presents are not expected; your presence is enough? or ?Please bring no wedding gifts. Donations to Adopt a Celebrity will be accepted.?
Okay, now we have a triple-edged sword situation. What on earth would you get someone like this? Of course, it will depend on how well you know the couple. If you've had a snoop around their house, you might have noticed a few gaps that need filling.
Or they might have mentioned in passing how much better their life would be if they had a couple of personalized wine glasses or a set of his ?n? hers eye masks for the night after the wedding night.
And before you get the wrong idea, Getting Personal is a web-based treasury of gift delights with page after page of unique gifts, ranging from the romantic to the hair-raising, with plenty of laughs along the way. In essence, there are endless opportunities to find a gift that could have been made just for them.
The site is categorized into occasions and themes which are then divided up so you can zero in on a specific event on the calendar (and yes, they do calendars, too). Navigate through ?Occasions? to ?wedding gifts? and all of a sudden you'll be spoiled for choice. In fact, one look at this page and you might just pop the question to your nearest and dearest just in case someone buys you a champagne balloon flight (and no doubt you'll find a subtle way to suggest you need one).
Perhaps the ultimate recognition of their eternal togetherness would be to have a star or two named after the couple. On moonless, romantic night walks, they might well pause to focus on the heavenly body that's beaming its love rays into their dewy eyes ?
Or perhaps something a little tongue-in-cheek, like a humorous book or personalized doormat, is more to their taste. There are also dozens of wedding day keepsakes on which their married names can be printed, engraved or otherwise immortalized. And there are the wedding gifts that simply tell the couple that you appreciate them, care about them and instinctively know that it will mean something.
Please visit http://www.gettingpersonal.co.uk for our range of personalized gifts.
Wedding gifts with photographs are among the most memorable and appreciated of all wedding gifts. A personalized photo keepsake becomes a treasured reminder of that special day when the couple started their lives together. Photo gifts have become far more sophisticated than they used to be. The sublimation dyeing process and digital imagine makes it possible to transform a photograph into a unique and very special personalized wedding gift on almost any kind of material. From inexpensive keepsakes like picture mugs to once-in-a-lifetime heirloom treasures like photo quilts, personalized wedding gifts with photos will make a very special impression on the happy couple.
Inexpensive Photo Trinkets
Photo trinkets are perfect little present that can accompany any larger gift and add that personalized touch to let them know how much you care. Add a pair of photo latte mugs to an espresso machine for a unique and memorable wedding gift for a pair those coffee loving friends who just tied the knot. Have two mugs printed with a photo of the couple together, or have the bride on one mug and the groom on the other, wrap them up along with the machine and subscription to a coffee club for a very special treat that the happy couple will use every day.
You can apply the same principle to many other personalized photo gifts. Print a mouse pad with a favorite photo of the bride and groom to give along with a new computer, or use a pair of personalized photo key chains as gift tags on any other wedding gift. Remember, a gift doesn't have to be expensive to be special and memorable.
For the couple with a quirky sense of humor give a gift that they will truly appreciate. Upload favorite photos of each of them and have them turned into caricatures that can be hung on an office or family room wall. For those with a Pop Culture bent, have a photo of the two of them turned into a snazzy Pop Art poster, framed and ready for hanging. Of course, you don't have to confine yourself to photos that can be hung on a wall, or even to just one photo. Celebrate their entire relationship with a Rubik's Cube made up of six photos of the happy couple, both together and separately.
Future Family Heirlooms
Give a photo wedding gift that is destined to become a family heirloom by combining the photograph with a beautiful craft. Create a lasting memory with a polished granite plaque laser-etched with the happy couple's cherished wedding photo. Combine it with a granite laser etching of their wedding invitation to make a very special pair of wall plaques. If you would like to give a high-quality gift that is a little bit softer, think along the lines of a family heirloom quilt created from a montage of family photos and embroidered with their names and wedding dates.
If you love the idea of personal photos on fabric, but a quilt is a bit out of your price range, you might consider the same idea on a smaller scale. An heirloom photo throw pillow printed with a photo that you upload will bring that special personal touch to your wedding gift at a far lower price.
Photo Wedding Wine Bottles
What couple would not welcome a gift that helps make their wedding day more memorable while cutting down their costs at the same time? Volunteer to provide the wine for the reception and order enough personalized wedding photo wine labels for a couple cases of bottles. Each wine label is printed with a photo of the happy couple, their wedding date and a personal message of up to three lines.
You can, of course, order a dozen of photo wine labels and use just one on a special wine bottle for the happy couple's first toast, or opt for a bottle of champagne, wine or non-alcoholic wine in a hand-etched bottle engraved with a personal message from you to the happy couple. With photo personalization, the options are endless.
Personalized Photo Wedding Keepsakes
Photo keepsakes are always a welcomed wedding gift. They carry memories that cannot be duplicated. One ever-popular wedding keepsake gift is an engraved glass invitation photo frame. Add your own photo of the happy couple, or leave it empty for them to add their favorite wedding photo. The wording of the engraving is taken from their own wedding invitation, so you know it will be appreciated.
Whatever you choose as a wedding gift, a photo will make it far more personal and unique. Whether you choose something for the wall, something for a table or a photo quilt to throw over the back of a sofa or bed, your gift will be remembered and treasured forever.
Both C Hanker & Suzanne_bradley1 are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
C Hanker has sinced written about articles on various topics from Wedding Gifts, Arts. Unique personalized and at affordable prices, delivered quickly and guaranteed with a smile.. C Hanker's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.
Suzanne_bradley1 has sinced written about articles on various topics from Public Relations, Wedding Gifts and Family. Suzanne Bradley is a freelance writer who writes about family and gift giving, often focusing on a specific kind of gifts such as .. Suzanne_bradley1's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.