Wedding Gift Ideas: Presents Every New Couple Will Love

Whether there’s a registry or not where the couple have pre-selected all of the gifts they’ve set their heart on, there’s still a definite knack to gift-choosing.

The best wedding gifts are when there’s a link between you and what you’ve chosen. It makes the gift doubly meaningful as not only is it something they’ll enjoy in their home, but it will remind them both of you and their big day.

For example, if cocktails on a Friday night is a bit of a tradition that you share, you could select something that you’d expect to see on a glamorous drinks trolley, like a whisky decanter or designer ice bucket. Make that link even more known by writing in their wedding card the thinking behind the gifting.

The reason why so many wedding gift ideas concern the home is because traditionally, the bride and groom wouldn’t have lived together beforehand. Their wedding day meant their marital home would be waiting for them to move into, and so the presents would be destined to fill and furnish it. The gifts would be a healthy mix of functional and fancy, ranging from towels and bed linen to indulgent throws for sofas and beds.

Today, that tradition is still the case for lots of couples, but for many, they will already be cohabiting and will have all of the essentials covered. Don’t assume that means they won’t need replacing though.

A common misconception is that when a couple already lives together, they’ll have everything for their home. Often, they’ll have bought basics or they’ll have been in their home for years and now their tastes have evolved and matured, paving the way for long-awaited updates to their interior. Approach it with a luxury wedding present mindset, seeking out the items for their home that the heart really wants – a wedding is an occasion for beating hearts after all, and the gifts should be no exception.

Some couples are known for their hosting expertise. Theirs is the house where the dinner parties always happen. So for any budding chefs and wine connoisseurs due to tie the knot, a perfect wedding present idea is something food or drink related. Wedding gift budgets can vary hugely from below £100 to into the thousands. I

f yours is at the higher end, think bigger than accessories and consider adding to their dining room or kitchen in a furniture-shaped way. Remember that wedding presents are about investments that will hopefully stay with them for a lifetime, meaning items such as dining tables and chairs can be an enormously generous and appreciated gesture. Or, concentrate on the tabletop with upgraded crockery and glassware or a full cookware set of saucepans, frying pans and casserole pots. It’s a perfect foodie wedding gift for couples because they can use them every day of the week.

For more inspiration, think about the pieces you always admire at a dinner party and note down to add to your own collection. Decorative napkin rings, multi-tiered cake stands, serving bowls and platters and fancy cutlery sets are all likely to score highly on a wedding wishlist.

If food isn’t their thing, a unique wedding gift idea is to head down the artistic route. While everything in the home is very personal, art is an area where you really do need to know their taste inside-out. Maybe you’re already aware of whether they’re impressionist people over realist, surrealist or cubist.

Perhaps you’re sure that a traditional oil is more their style than a contemporary, graphic piece. But if not, do some due diligence first to make sure that whatever artwork or sculpture you choose will complement their home’s aesthetic.

Frames, trinket boxes and storage trunks to carefully enclose wedding-related items that they won’t ever want to part with are always well-received on a gift list.

The frames they can use at the side of the bed so that a picture from their wedding day is the first and last thing they see each day. Or, with enough frames, they could turn them into a gallery wall, dedicated to when they said ‘we do’.

Trinket boxes are perfect for storing wedding rings when they take them off at night, or larger storage boxes can be a place where they treasure keepsakes like wedding stationery and all of their wedding cards to read over in years to come.

Some people prefer to buy a wedding gift for the bride or groom specifically, rather than a joint present. That might be because they aren’t certain of what their shared taste is, knowing more what they like respectively and not wanting to risk choosing something that neither likes.

If that’s your plan as a guest, presents that are typically very popular are throws and blankets spun from gorgeous yarns like mohair, alpaca and cashmere; exquisite scented candles that are larger than the sort they would typically buy for themselves and will last for years to come; jewellery boxes specially for what she wore on her wedding day; and vases with a note saying it’s for them to always have flowers from the wedding bouquet in their home. Another luxury wedding gift is premium Egyptian cotton bed linen in a sublimely high thread count.

Now to him, and what wedding presents generally go down well with the groom. Barware is often a big hit, cue the whisky tumblers and bottle set, the wine carafes and the champagne coolers. But also think about things for the parts of the home that he might want to make his own.

A study often comes high on the list of ‘man cave’ parts of the house, so items like bookends, designer clocks, paperweights and stylish games tables will likely be met with applause, never mind a thank you card.

Whether you’re the quirky one or they are, choosing an unusual wedding gift (such as a striking sculpture or piece of art) is a surefire way to make it stand out from the rest of their pile of presents. But unique doesn’t have to mean ‘out there’.

Objects made from natural materials will be innately unique. With the likes of marble, granite and wood, there will always be a difference in patina, in pattern and colour, meaning no two pieces will ever be the same. If individuality in character is what appeals to the couple for whom you’re buying, then a product made from a natural material is therefore a good way to go.

But if you’re someone who enjoys taking a risk, the unusual category of presents also encompasses choosing a present that challenges the couple’s typical taste.

Yes, it means there’s a high chance that they might not enjoy what you chose, but there’s also the hope that it will broaden their horizons, introduce them to something new and mean there’s certainly one piece in their home that has a spirit of adventure – what better metaphor for the start of married life?