Have you been invited to a wedding but you have no idea what makes a great wedding gift? Look no further than my list of the best wedding gifts that every couple will love.
I’m a bit removed from the wedding season of my life. We have a family wedding coming up and it’s the first wedding we’ve been to since 2018. I am out of wedding gift practice. If you’re in a similar situation, it can be hard to decide on the right wedding gift. Do you buy something from the couple’s registry? Opt for a personalized gift? Go rogue? Slip some cash in an envelope and call it a day? Finding the bets wedding gifts can be overwhelming.
As I thought through the wedding gifts I received when I got married, the wedding gifts I have given over the years, and the relative success and failure of each to decide on what to give as a wedding gift next week, some thoughts started to gel in my head. There are good wedding gifts and bad wedding gifts. And I want to share with you the best wedding gifts so you can work from a short list the next time you’re invited to a wedding. Heck, I’ll even throw in a few wedding gifts to avoid too so you’re not tempted to stray.
Best Wedding Gifts
Cash
Cash is king. It’s not just on the list of the best wedding gifts, it is the best wedding gift. No contest. It works if you know the couple well or not. There is no question in your mind that the couple will use a gift of cash. In my mind, there is no drawback to giving cash as a wedding gift. It’s my go-to wedding gift.
Quality cookware
If you just can’t bring yourself to give cash as a wedding gift, the rest of this list of best wedding gifts is for you. First up, you can’t go wrong with quality cookware. Focus here on the word quality. If the couple has selected bargain brands on their registry, skip the cookware. But if you see brands that we know will stand the test of time (think All Clad, Le Creuset, etc.), go with those!
Now, my favorite cookware items to gift a couple for their wedding are simply the pieces that will get used the most. Think about what you use most in your kitchen and go with one of those. My most-used cookware includes a stainless steel frying pan, a Dutch oven, a cast iron skillet, and a heavy sauce pan. I think most people would be thrilled to receive any one of these items.
Appliances
Repeat after me: do not go rogue with appliances! If you want to purchase a small kitchen appliance as a wedding gift, you must stick to the couple’s registry. These days, there are so many different contraptions with different functions. Get the couple exactly what they’ve determined they want or need in an appliance, so their counters don’t end up turning into an appliance graveyard.
But beware the couple who loads up a registry with a ton of small appliances. Sure, a margarita machine might sound cool, but it will get used maybe once before it stops in the garage for 7 years on its way to Goodwill. Stick to appliances that will get used often and will last (this is another plug for avoiding cheap brands). The small appliances that get the most use in my kitchen are the food processor, blender, stand mixer, and basic coffee machine. Some of these items were wedding gifts that we received a decade ago, get frequent use, and are still kicking.
Dishes
Dishes are another item that deserves to be on the list of best wedding gifts because of sheer volume of use. Are you sensing a theme here? I really like to buy people gifts they will actually use! Anyway, dishes make a great gift, but I highly recommend opting for the everyday dishes that might be on the couple’s registry instead of fine china. You don’t want your gift sitting in the cabinets in the laundry room for years on end without seeing the light of day!
Everyday luxuries
Especially if the couple you’re celebrating is older and more established, the best wedding gifts are those that elevate some of the basic items they already have. I’m calling these items everyday luxuries. You can call them upgrades.
Some of my favorite everyday luxuries to gift a couple for their wedding include super lush bath towels, premium bed sheets, and an espresso machine. These are items that most people want but wouldn’t buy for themselves. This vibe is what you want if you’re looking to gift an everyday luxury to the happy couple.
Personalized gifts
If you want to stray from the couple’s registry, or the couple doesn’t have a registry, a personalized gift is a great option. Want to go this route, but not sure what to get? I’ve got some ideas for you.
Handmade keepsake
If you or someone dear to you makes something with your hands, a handmade keepsake makes a great wedding gift. Think about items like pottery vases, knitted blankets, or paintings. If you’re not crafty, consider putting together a binder with sleeves into which the couple can slide recipe cards or online print outs so they can make their own family recipe collection.
Wedding commemorations
I loved the personalized gifts we got for our wedding that commemorated our wedding. A photo frame or a wall clock with the couple’s wedding date, a Christmas ornament to celebrate the new family, or even a cutting board with the family name all make great gifts.
Experiences
Don’t want to give cash but don’t want to add clutter to the happy couple’s life? The last category in my list of best wedding gifts is for you – experiences!
Honeymoon activity
Especially if you’re close with the couple, purchasing an activity that the couple can do on their honeymoon is an excellent gift. Activities abound regardless of their honeymoon destination. Buy them a cooking class in Tuscany or a catamaran cruise in Hawaii. Remove one activity from their honeymoon budget – I know they’ll appreciate it!
Spa outing
The run-up to a wedding is stressful, y’all. Help relieve some of that stress by booking a spa outing for them for after the wedding. Go for the place that has the whole nine yards so they can make a day out of their couples massage by lounging in the sauna or hanging by the pool drinking cucumber water.
Sporting event tickets
If the couple is into sports, step a little bit outside the box and buy them tickets to watch their favorite team. Spring for the upgraded tickets if you can. If they normally sit as high as possible, bring them down a section. They’ll have a wonderful memory of better seats forever!
What to avoid
That does it for the best wedding gifts. Now, what should you avoid? I’m not going to go into great detail here. This will be more of a rapid-fire section of no nos.
Kitchen gadgets
No one uses a cherry pitter regularly. Don’t buy it (or any other random, specialized kitchen gadgets), even if it’s on the registry.
Gift cards
This might just be a me problem, but I really struggled receiving a ton of gift cards for my wedding. They got lost in the hubbub of the wedding, and I hate to admit that some of them just never got used. Cash is infinitely better!
Anything focused solely on one member of the couple
Save the super specific gifts for the shower or bachelor/bachelorette parties. A wedding gift should be for the couple, not one member of the couple.
Other posts
Looking for other gift ideas? Check out these posts:
I hope I’ve given you some ideas with my list of the best wedding gifts. Are you headed to a wedding soon? What are you gifting? Share down below or over on Instagram @sarainseason!