Wedding Gifts | Budget Wedding Blog

This week I've been contacted by a national magazine and asked for my opinion on wedding gifts. This was the question posed...

This of course got me thinking. As an attender of many a wedding I have often been a bit torn by the gift situation, especially when it's a very expensive wedding to attend and also when the people getting married earn waaaaay more than I do. I mean I don't want to sound stingy or like a total cow here but if you put together a gift list of stuff I can barely afford and that you don't really need it's likely I wont buy anything from it...

This was my professional response:
I favour the honeymoon gift list over presents, with many couples, as you say, now setting up a home way before they tie the knot most couples already have everything they need. I find the inclusion of a poem asking for money way too cheesy but many people feel it softens the blow of flat out asking for hard cash! A lot of couples having set up a home already find it difficult to pull together the cash to go on those luxury long haul holidays, most of my holidays included a tent before my honeymoon...

One thing that I think is often overlooked is the gift of a promise, I know of couples who have asked for a donation of time & skill rather than money, say they've recently bought a new house which needs decorating, or their garden needs an overhaul, giving a day of hard graft is much more valuable to them than a nice set of new tea towels.

It can be extremely expensive to attend a wedding these days, with pricey hotels, transport, buying new outfits and gifts guests are easily shelling out a couple of hundred per wedding that they attend and when you're in your mid to late 20's and all your friends are getting married it can be a serious financial issue! So I think people should value the home made gifts, the offer of shared skills and contributions in time.

My usual solution to the gift isuue is to make something personal, but if you're not a crafty type here are some gift ideas from those that are....

From Instajuntion

From Mr Teacup

By Tamsyn Lewis

Vintage Designs Reborn

From Oakdene Designs

Finally I think in planning your wedding you should consider your guests, are your mates all skint after just finishing Uni? Have most of them just had babies/ bought houses and have some serious financial priorities other than you're totally awesome party?  If you're not the cast of Made in Chelsea then don't plan a wedding that's going to cost each of your guests £400 to attend. It's unlikely they'll just not come because of the money but you'll be causing some serious grief that you likely won't ever be aware of.