Do you need wedding gift ideas for your favourite cousin, best friend or for your best buddy from office who is getting married in this year? You love and adore them so obviously you start thinking right away what you want to give the new couple-to-be. You start thinking, searching the internet about a good gift that they will always cherish and remember.
But wait! You are invited for a virtual ceremony and all your love and blessings have to be contactless!
Well, not all is lost. This does not mean the gift also has to be just in your thoughts and prayers –virtual. You can and you must express your love and happiness for the couple by giving them a memorable wedding gift. Wedding gifts are always about the sentiment and spreading more joy and happiness.
The new normal way of things has opened up great ideas and avenues for wedding gifts. You do not have to really do last minute shopping and buy something just for the heck of it. You can plan and give the gift later too without the pressure of handing the gift over to the couple or their family on the stage where the bride and the groom look hassled and tired and you will never know if the gift really reached the bride and groom as you handed it over to an uncle or aunt manning the gifts on the stage.
Some of the popular gifts that so far have been a mainstay include cash, vouchers (from the ones who have had no time what-so-ever to buy a gift), show pieces, consumer durables (popular amongst consumer goods is of course a juice processor or an iron! Yes, people do give an iron too; please do not be very surprised).
We spoke to a few people who are set to be married in this year or got married in small, intimate ceremonies and have collated this list of what the brides and grooms really want.
1. Cash: still very popular and couples love it. It is also a very safe bet as it allows the couple to spend it on whatever they like. So if you are the risk-averse types, then go in for cash and complement it with some nice words of blessings and good wishes.
2. Home Décor or home utility items: since many of us are working from home and practically being at home most of the time, it is a great idea to gift some vibrant home décor items. Gift a statement piece (home décor), if you know the couple well, or bed sheet sets, sofa cushions and cushion cover sets or even fancy table ware with table linen. You may also want to personalize these gifts. Many small business owners can help you personalize these items. Couples are also being very practical and suggesting to receive home utility items and basic home items, especially if the couple will be moving into a new home (whether rented or owned, doesn’t really matter.)
3. Donate for a cause: in many ways, this pandemic has made many people more sensitive and empathetic towards the world’s problems. Increasingly, couples are requesting their guests to make a donation towards charity of their choice. Two of the couples told us that they have requested their guests to make charitable donations towards two organisations, each working in the space of environment and healthcare respectively.
4. Hand crafted, personalised gifts: One couple, we spoke to told us that they love personalised and unique gifts. As we all know, many handloom weavers and small handicraft artisans, at-home artisans, have suffered during these tough times. It is a great chance to buy local and search for such gems online. Items like hand painted decorative bottle sets, coasters, hand painted table ware bowls, paintings and wall hangings, fabric wall hangings, hand embroidered cushion sets, et al make for good personalised gifts.
5. Microgreens sets/gardening sets: if the bride or groom are health conscious or love gardening at home, it is a great idea to gift them a microgreens growing set to add a dose of nutrition to their daily meals or some home gardening tools, plants, accessories. These are somewhat less traditional gifts and of course very personalised.
6. Gold: Go with something more traditional. Some couples appreciate light weight gold coins or brides also like trendy but traditional gold jewellery. So it may not be a bad idea to explore this option too. But it may not be advisable to send it in mail or courier. If you will be present physically at the ceremony or have plans to meet the couple separately once they have settled in then it may be a good idea to explore this gift option.
Go ahead and make it personal, invest some thought in the gift as now you have the luxury of time to choose from the many options available in the market. And this something that you will buy will truly be a gift that your friends will remember you for. So make it special for your friends.
Leave a comment for other ideas that you may have.