photo by Bonnie BonBon
I was wondering if any of your readers had ideas for
frugal wedding gifts? My youngest sister is getting married and I
would like to give her something nice but our budget is limited. I'm not very creative or crafty, so it has to be something
simple to do. I am a mom of 7, as well, so time is limited. -Michelle
I'd love to hear your ideas and suggestions for Michelle. With "wedding season" fast approaching, I'm sure many of us could benefit by hearing about your frugal but thoughtful wedding gift ideas. Post away!
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I have been giving nice journals to newlyweds recently. My fabulous six years with my darling has gone so fast and I wish I had recorded lots of the details of roller coaster ride from the start as well as lists of blessings, adventures, emotions, good luck, people who have stayed at our house, vacations etc. It’s such a great way to celebrate life and they are not expensive.
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What I’ve done in preparation for many showers/weddings coming up on my hubby’s side of the family was this: I emailed every female in the family looking for recipes. I compiled the recipes and organized them into 3 ring binders. I decorated the binders by personalizing them to each person, then attached a couple of hot pads, and a couple kitchen utensils. Instant gift! I actually did this for Christmas the year before last for DH’s aunts, mom, and grandma. Now I have a great gift to use when his sisters and cousins get married!!
Another idea is if they’re going on a honeymoon, make a little basket for that. You can include snacks, sunscreen, whatever you think might be useful to them.
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What I did for a family member was a photo book at CVS. I had 9.00 in ecbs. The photo books go on sale every couple weeks for 9.99. There for it was 1.00 out of pocket. It was very simple I took basic pictures at the wedding then just inserted them in the photo book at the kodak Kios. You don’t have to be crafty to do this. When I gave it to them they were very happy they finally had pictures to show friends and family. The photographer did not even have the picture back to them but I did. It was a great gift and very cheap and easy.
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A Gardening Mix is a great frugal gift.
Check out this link to find out more
http://bleacherbottom.blogspot.com/2009/01/frugal-wedding-gifts.html
More ideas:
scrapbook starter pages, volunteer to serve at the wedding or to help decorate, handmade thank you cards, recipe box filled with recipes, coupon book, homemade bookmarks with books like The Power of a Praying Wife/Husband, The Complete Tightwad Gazette…
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Not sure how practical it is now that its almost February…but a basket full of Christmas items is a HUGE hit. How many newlyweds have enough Christmas ornaments and decorations for their tree or house? You can even add some christmas wrapping and tags to the mix……make it a real theme basket. There may still be some sales out there….I saw some at Target recently. But for others who use this idea – shop after Christmas for those 60-70% off and you’ll be suprised how nice a basket you can fill……
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When Christmas items go to 75% off around the New Year, I stock up on ornaments, lights, garland, wall decorations . . . this year I even found really neat nativity sets for $3! The very best is when you can find “Our First Christmas” ornaments that don’t have the year on them.
When we’re getting ready for a wedding, I buy a storage tub (or sometimes I’ve already purchased a few if I see them on sale) and fill it with Christmas decorations. I tie a bow around the tub and, voila . . . a great gift!
I got married at Christmas time and we received lots of this kind of stuff, but people who get married in the spring, summer or fall often have zero Christmas decorations when it comes to December.
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Two ideas:
1. I was given a 9×13 casserole in one of those to-go bags that comes with a hot/cold pack. I’ve seen them at Target for under $15 I think. The casserole dish has a lid, so it’s great for freezing meals, or taking a prepared meal to a potluck, etc. The person who gave it to me gave me a little scrapbook with about 12 recipes to make in a 9×13 dish – her personal recipes. I love it!
2. My close friend has a family tradition. The family members give a basket of food for the wedding night/honeymoon. The basket is loaded into the giveaway car and includes snacks, chocolate covered strawberries, crackers/cheese/meat, etc. It is a family favorite, and I thought it was a wonderful idea.
3. The ideas already mentioned about a basket of home items is fabulous. The day after our honeymoon, my hubby & I got in a moving truck and spent four days moving from Colo. to Va. Beach. I knew no one. I knew no stores. I had no coupons. We spent over $100 just getting cleaning supplies to set up our home and move in. A basket filled with these items would have been a blessing!
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Why not make them a gift basket? You can get cleaning supplies and air fresheners for their new home close to free with coupons. I’m a bride and I would really like to receive something like that.
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Once, we gave a new bride and groom a laundry basket that we stuffed full of things that most people don’t commonly give, i.e. vegetable peelers, dish drainers, kitchen scrubbies, etc. We found most everything around a dollar a piece, (except for the laundry basket) so the total cost was around $20 -$25, but there was a lot to it. Getting a new kitchen set up is not always easy and this proved to be a blessing to the new family as well.
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We arrived home from our honeymoon to find some good friends weeding and planting flowers in our garden! It was so nice to have people to talk to, rehash the wedding with and share all the fun of the honeymoon with over a cup of tea – and their gift of gardening service has been remembered for 10+ years, long after I’ve forgotten who gave me towels or a vase!
Another neat idea I’ve heard is to take some photos during the service, run out and have them processed at a one-hour photo place, frame them or put them in a little photo album and present it to the couple during the reception. Since the couple will have to wait weeks for their official photos, it’s nice for them to have a memento of the day immediately, even if it’s just a few snapshots.
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I was a very frugal bride, and my new husband and I were going to be moving into a tiny house after we got married. So we registered for the things we really needed and nothing else. (We didn’t register for china, for instance, but for the linens and kitchen items we really needed.) I remember that I really wanted people to shop from my registry.
Hardly anyone shopped from the registry, though! We got 4 or 5 new afghans, and I had no linen closet. We got oodles of picture frames and things like brass candlesticks and coffee mugs.
I understand trying to be frugal and creative. But I really recommend considering the individual and the purpose of a registry.
I’d much rather have some very small thing from the registry (like a manual can opener, or a pair of new washcloths) than some other thing that I didn’t ask for.
If you can’t afford anything on the registry, go in together with another family member or two and split the cost.
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I had my wedding a couple of years ago and I think the one of the best things I got was a HUGE set of kitchen stuff from one of my husband’s grandmothers. In there was a BIG wok style pan, lots of pot holders and dish towels, lots of random little kitchen utensils that I didn’t have/hadn’t thought of and that sort of deal.
When people move out or get married, I try to get them a give basket full of stuff I have found useful in my house/kitchen. Usually there’s either a nice basket that has lining or one of those plastic caddies you can use in the shower with stuff like: kitchen towels, an apple slicer, fridge magnet chip clips, pens, tea, a candle, a box of baking soda and some other things I can’t think of right now.
It sounds like an odd assortment but most people love it!
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My niece is getting married in July, so I’ll be reading this one.
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You could give them some nice mugs, an ice scream scoop, and rootbeer. You could also give cleaning supplies in a plastic carrier with a handle or laundry basket full of laundry items.
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An 8X10 silver picture frame to frame their wedding picture would be a very nice gift and not extremely expensive at a discount store. Or a photo album is another great idea.
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My husband is a pastor and before staying home with our children I worked in campus ministries at a university, so we are invited to LOTS of weddings and wedding showers. I LOVE giving gifts, so when we went down to one income, I had to break my cardinal rule of wedding-gift-giving, which was to ONLY buy something off of their registry. This was my reaction to getting LOTS of random things when we got married that we could not use. We couldn’t afford to do that anymore. So, I had to think creatively. I typed up our favorite 60 recipes and included 4 different cards with the recipes that tell how to use them for gifts, meals for a family with a new baby or death in the family, and hosting people in my home. These recipes are a HIT at every shower that I attend. I’ve even had people offer to BUY my set. In her thank you note to us, one bride wrote that it was helpful to get a whole host of recipes that were “tried and true” rather than a huge cookbook where you’re “crossing your fingers” every time you try a recipe.
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When my son got married, my daughter contacted each member of the wedding party, parents, grandparents, and siblings and asked each to prepare one 12×12 scrapbook page that highlighted their relationship or a memory with the bride or groom or both. She collected them at the rehearsal dinner, inserted them into the scrapbook that she had purchased, and then presented it to the bride and groom. It was an amazing gift and her only expense was a scrapbook, she prepared one page, and her time to contact everyone.
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I just got married this past April, and one really thoughtful gift came from my aunt who collected family recipes and wrote them into a special recipe book. It’s also one of the gifts that I use most often!
Also, my husband’s grandmother gave us cash (also one of my favorite gifts!) and included a book of stamps in the card. It was such a thoughtful thing, since I had tons and tons of thank you notes to send out, and it saved me just a little postage $$ and a trip to the post office! Since then, I have included a book of stamps in each of the weddings I’ve attended this year.
One last thing that I loved was that without my knowledge, two of my bridesmaids made a copy of our housekey before the wedding. (Yikes!) When we got home from our honeymoon, our pantry and fridge were stocked with essentials, and there were flowers and a bottle of wine waiting for us on the dining room table.
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I just got married in June and here are some wedding gifts I enjoyed getting/would like to have received:
1)All the women at my shower gave me recipes. I love those recipes, especially ones that are easy yet delicious.
2)When we first moved in our apartment after the honeymoon we would have had absolutely nothing if it weren’t for my mother-in-law. Some things you could get as a kind of “housewarming gift” are: toilet paper, ziplock baggies, paper towels, quarters if they don’t have a washer and dryer, soap, laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, tissues, some drinks and snacks, etc.
3)If you are a good cook and can somehow find the time, a few freezer meals so they don’t need to cook the first few days they get back from the honeymoon would definitely be appreciated.
…haha are you noticing a theme here? Food?
4)You could also buy an address book and put all of the family members addresses in it, or make up a calendar with each person’s birthdays and anniversaries in it.
5) These can get a little expensive, but if you are able to get food storage containers such tupperware or rubbermaid…I am always running out of those it seems like.
There are a lot of great other ideas posted too! I hope you will be able to find something that fits your budget and time allowance!
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I like to give a framed copy of “The Wedding Prayer”. You should be able to easily find this prayer online. I type the words of the prayer on the computer, print it out on nice cardstock, and frame it in a nice frame. I put the couple’s first names and wedding date at the bottom of the page, too. Sometimes I add a graphic. Once I used a black outline of a tiny flower and ribbon. I actually colored it in with markers to match their wedding colors. The couple loved their personalized gift and had no idea it was homemade.
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I found cheap but cute and solid color fleece blankets on sale. I bought some at Old Navy after Christmas for $3 and they have others at Walmart and places like that for under $10. I take them to a monogramming shop and have the couples new name stitched in one corner. It’s usually under $10 for the monogramming. It’s a cute and practical gift with the new family name on it.
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A couple of gift ideas I have done:
This one requires a little time but it is worth it! Shop after holiday sales all through the year and then give the couple a box of holiday decorations for each major holiday. Shopping after the holiday has passed means you can snag CHEAP decorations!
Another great gift is to get a couple of bath sized towels or hand towels and either do it yourself, ask a friend, or take it to a local tailor and have them monogram the couple’s initials. Very personalized and usually pretty inexpensive! (I got two bath towels with his and her names on them for about $15 including the price of the towels!)
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if you have an ikea anywhere near you-it’s a great place to get housewares, kitchen gadgets, and home decor for really, really great prices. you could fill up a nice basket without breaking the bank and give them stuff they will definitely need. cheaper than walmart and much better quality.
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We’ve pulled togther a themed basket for several of our friends, and I always hand make something that relates — for one friend, I cross-stitched two kitchen towels, and then did a colendar filled with different kinds of pasta and pasta sauces; for another, we did a similar bathroom supplies basket with some hand towels that matched what they had registered for. I found one book of hand towel cross stitch patterns that I use over and over again, and both it and the towels can be obtained from any craft store (paired with a 40% off or more coupon).
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A friend of mine gave me cleaning supplies, toilet paper, paper towels, dish detergent, washing detergent etc. She gave it to me in 2 huge gift bags but I love the laundry basket idea.
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This is really quick an easy…
If anyone in the couples family has a family recipe book that includes recipes that they grew up on, you could simply photo copy the recipe cards or pages and put into a small binder. This can be particularly fun when they are really old recipes, hand written ones, with special notes included and what not. For example…i have the recipe of the tuna macaroni salad my momma made my daddy on their very first date (and that little note is included). Things like that!
You could also take a hat box, or any size/shape box, photo copy (in black & white) pictures (they could be of the couple through dating, engagement, wedding, or of them growing up…you could be creative with which pics you choose) cut them out and decapague all the many pictures into a collage onto the box. Around the middle of the box or around the lid you can tie a thick ribbon, in the colors of their decor. It’s a fun accessory for a room and great for storage. And it’s also a great way to wrap any other small presents you choose to get them. Plus it’s cheap because you can copy the pictures on a regular copy machine. They don’t have to be fancy or on photo paper. In fact it works better on regular printer paper.
Lastly, you can do the same idea as above but decapague the pictures onto a Large wooden letter (using their last name initial) You could add a small ribbon or one really good picture in full color or you can just do it simple with all black & white and no extra ribbons or anything.
Good luck and have fun. I’m curious to find out what you end up making and how much it ends up costing!
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Okay I thought of 2 more…
1. You can pick up a shadow box at michael’s (use your 40% off coupon)…inside it fill the back with a piece of paper or cloth that is the colors of their wedding or just pick a white, cream, or black solid paper. In front of that use double sided photo safe tape to mount their wedding invitation. You can use another solid paper to make a mat or frame around the invitation so it stands out some. It can be as simple as that or you can add a flower from their wedding (just use the fake ones) like we had calilies so ours has 2 lilies and a small ribbon tied around them in the color of my girls dresses. You can add a picture of them on the wedding day or anything else you come across. It can be as simple or as detailed as you’d like.
2. My mom always does this…and now is a great time because you can still find thanksgiving and christmas stuff on clearance. And you can get valentine’s day and easter stuff already. But she always gets 1 or 2 things for each holiday so they can decorate around the year. Like a hand towel for each holiday, cookie cutters, themed platters, etc.
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When my husband and I got engaged, my sister in law made us a homemade ornament for our Christmas tree that said our names, and under that, “Engaged” and the year. My other sister in law got married that year and she also made her one that said “just married” and their names with the year. The ornaments had a bride and groom, or in my case just a man and woman with our color hair/eyes, but I love mine so much, it was the sweetest custom gift!!! After I got it, I started looking up how to make them and it doesn’t look that difficult, but it is one of my favorite gifts, so so thoughtful. Just search for homemade clay ornaments. I’m going to be making these for my friends for sure! I’ll post a picture of mine on my blog tomorrow if you’re curious. (becomingfrugal.com) Good luck!
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I almost forgot, this is more for a bridal shower, but when my sister in law got married, I made her a “bridal emergency kit.” you could easily make this with cvs items, but at the time I wasn’t a frugal, go figure! It contained a whole bunch of last minute things a bride might need on her big day, including deodorant, tylenol, hand wipes, safety pins, bobby pins, lip gloss, compact face powder, extra nylons, band aids, hair clips, travel sized hair spray, small mirror, etc. basically anything you can think of that she might need in a pinch on her special day. If you’ve been in a bridal party before you can think of a ton of things. I looked up “bridal emergency kits” online and found a ton of ideas, and some people even make these and sell them. I bought a makeup/purse type bag at cvs and put all the items in it and wrapped in in a big bow, with a custom tag I made on my computer that said ” (bride’s name ’s) emergency bridal kit” and she loved it.
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If you scrapbook and can find good deals on supplies or have some on hand, make a wedding scrapbook with places for the couple to simply glue in their own photos. It’s a keepsake that they personalize, but also a time saver.
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My husband retro’s old windows in homes and replaced them with new windows, so when he does this he brings home the old wood windows. I have used a four pane window for pics of the couple and the invite displayed in a cute wall hanging. To using a two panel window and chemically etching the name of the couple on the top pane and taking the bottom pane out and replacing it with sheet metal and homemade magnets with the glass pebbles and their pics.
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It takes a little planning, but when I’ve done this it hasn’t cost more than about $20 (especially if you can find a 50% off coupon for the fabric store). If you can sew a straight line on a sewing machine you can make a quilt to give the bride and groom to use as the guest book. I did it for a baby shower, but it would obviously work for a wedding shower or wedding gift.
I bought a few different coordinating colors of plain fabric (quilter’s calico or even solid color broadcloth), pre-washed it, and cut it into 10″ x 10″ squares (depending on the final size of the quilt you can adjust the size of the square but leave room for the seam allowance). I brought the pre-cut squares to the shower along with fabric paint, ribbon, and a few embellishments. Everybody decorated their square and I sewed them together once everything was dry. I just used a few yards of fleece for the backing and tied it together with some ribbon. If there are special people who can’t make it to the event, you can mail the fabric square, have them decorate it and mail it back to you to include in the quilt so they can still send their well wishes.
You could also find a cheap quilt (or maybe use a “sentimental” one that’s been in the back of your linen closet for a few years) and people can sign the already made quilt with a fabric marker.
It’s even cool if the bride has multiple showers because you can do it at each shower with the different guests and incorporate all the squares into one quilt. It’s a nice symbolic way to show the new bride and groom that they’re surrounded by love and support from all the different groups of friends and family (literally and figuratively). I’m doing this for my brother’s wedding in May…which means he’ll probably get the finished quilt next year
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When I threw my sister’s bridal shower, I asked that everyone picked a room in their new house and created a gift basket designed around that room. It was amazing how creative people became and I know my sis and her hubbie were so excited about the baskets. Some examples were
Bathroom: Cleaning supplies, bathroom cups, toilet scrubber, shower cleaners, etc…
Kitchen: Cooking Utensils, Towels, Dish Rack, Pot Holders, etc…
Office: Paper, Pens and Pencils, Paperclips, Stapler, Tape Dispenser, etc…
Laundry Room: Detergent, Softener, Dryer Sheets, Home Drycleaning Kit, Lingerie Bags, Laundry Basket, Bleach
Garage: (one of my favorites) Large Trash Can, Hose, Shovel, Snow Shovel, Rake etc…
Dining Room: Candles, Seasonal Table Runners, Trivets, Centerpieces, Napkins and Rings, etc…
You get the idea. . . the cool thing is that you can shop thrift stores, clearance sales and drugstore deals to get your baskets filled on the cheap. As long as the basket is filled with nice things that a new married couple can use, they don’t care where they came from. It makes it really cool when several people do this together and there ends up being a basket for nearly every room!
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If you know about the wedding more than a year in advance, my favorite gift to give is a year of decorations or ornaments for the holidays. After every holiday, shop the clearance section for very low priced plates, napkins, window clings, ornaments, deocrations, etc. When it comes time for the wedding you will have a years worth of decorations to give the new couple.
Some other ideas, a tote filled with wrapping paper, scissors, and tape.
A beach bag filled with towels, sunglasses, and sunscreen.
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My mom, sisters, nieces and I created a scrapbook family recipe book as a shower gift for my nephews fiance. It turned out great! We had recipes from my great grandmothers and great aunts in there as well as a few from my nieces. 5 generations of recipes. It was huge and it took quite some time, but we had a blast and my nephew’s fiance just loved it!
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Two ideas:
Spices are super expensive especially when you need to stock the pantry. I often give 3-4 along with recipes using them.
The last wedding I went to I got nice kitchen towels in her kitchen colors. Found some at Ross for about $1/each, but they were not the cheap felling kind. Then I included several cookie cutters. They were actually dificult to find, so I am going to keep my eyes open from now on and pick them up after holidays during the 75% off sales and keep them for the next wedding gift. I included my favorite sugar cookie recipe.
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For my sisters wedding I got one of their engagement pics. and got it copied onto a plate that they can display in their house. It turned out so nice and it was a hit of the wedding!!!
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When I got married a friend of mine gave me a laundry basket full of “supplies”. TP, Paper Towels, kitchen towels, soaps, etc. I LOVED IT!! It is a great gift.
Also, you could help stock the kitchen. Give bulk dry items. Maybe around a theme. Like Spaghetti noodle, sauce, etc.
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I have purchased glass freezer mugs that a friend registered for (using a 20% off coupon at BB&B!) and personalized them by using glass etching cream to put their last initial on them. When I do etching, I put contact paper (not clear) on the area I want to etch, trace the design on (sometimes I free-hand, but not for a set), cut away the letter with an exacto knife, and follow the etching cream instructions. Then I added a tag to the box with something like “glass etching by Gina.”
In general, I like finding something on the registry that I can enhance with little extras… an assortment of teas to go with their kettle, for example.
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I got married about 8 years ago and we were really poor at the time. (funny still are) My husband and I ended up spending a lot of the money we got on gift cards on toilet paper and other house hold items I think a gift basket would be great! Load up some of your freebies or cheepies and if you could include a coupon binder that would be awesome show her how to same money who doesn’t want to know how to do that! You might think this is not nice enough but when she is not using her gift card to buy toilet paper and something she really wants she will love it!
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Could you maybe join another couple in purchasing a gift, and split the cost? Though I’ve been married for almost 7 years, I just recall getting some very strange gifts that didn’t fit into our 500 sq ft 1br apt, meanwhile we had to use what little money we had on things we needed, like laundry baskets and towels!
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I like to give a gift card to a place like an ice cream or coffee shop ($5-$10) and include a note that encourages the couple to still take time to go on “dates” after they are married. The people who have gotten this are usually pretty excited to have a free date!
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I haven’t read through all the posts yet, but getting some nice towels and then having them monogrammed with their initials is very nice. Or get them guest towels and have “guest” monogrammed on them. I know several people that have a embroidery machine, so this is easy for me to say – they always do it for free for me.
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I think you should stick with the registry or else get something that everyone will use around the house. A lot of people at my wedding did not use the registry and it was really inconvenient. I have to do tons of returns. It’s not that I was ungrateful, but for example I had just purchased a new set of pots and pans before the wedding because I got a great deal on them. Then for our wedding my sister in law bought us a set of pots and pans (obviously not on the registry) so I had to return them. That happened with A LOT of other items and it took A LOT of time to return it all. The items I got that I already had and couldn’t return went to the local goodwill. If would have rather had a really inexpensive item from my registry than something I didn’t want/ already had. If you can’t afford a registry item, I’d definitely do the cleaning supply basket… It’s a great idea! You could get all kinds of cleaners and scrub brushes/ sponges and put them in a nice basket. Everyone uses cleaning products and you can get them really cheap after coupons!
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There is a great website called Frugalweddings.com I just recently got married and I used this website a lot they have some great gifts on there that would be very nice! Also if you know your sisters theme you may be able to find stuff for her (with her theme) for cheaper and then you would be helping her and getting your gift at the same time! I had a lot of people buy me things that were useable for my wedding and it was seriously the best thing! it cut cost for me and they didnt have to worry about finding a gift! Oriental trading is another good one they have bride and groom wine glasses that are really pretty something like that would be nice! If all else fails remember that Christmas just ended and a lot of places still have Christmas stuff on sale a lot of new married couples dont have stuff like that that you would put out during the holidays and they will appreciate something to help decorate for the holidays!! So many things you can do I wish you luck and Congratulations on the new brother in law!!
Megan Renee
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When we got married 4 years ago, one of our friends framed our wedding invitation. She added a few embellishments like glittery flower stickers. We loved it and still have it displayed in our home. You could also speak with the minister and get a copy of the vows to type up in a pretty font and frame. Either of these ideas could be used in a double frame leaving one side blank for a wedding photo.
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Though not romantic, but very practical–one of our favorite wedding gifts was a simple set of screwdrivers. We still use them after 13 years of marriage! We have given good quality hammers, screwdrivers, etc. and the recipients have often commented months later what a great gift that was! If it’s a special relative or friend, we often just give a gift certificate to Home Depot. Newlyweds can always use tools to get their new homes set up!
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I gave monthly kitchen towels – a set of 12 or 24.
They were easy to find at T.J. Maxx and Bed, Bath and Beyond, and if the holiday was not upcoming, the towels were cheap. I also give this gift as a housewarming gift.
I give Valentines, St. Patricks, Easter, spring (2), summer, fall, winter, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas towels. By having a theme, I do not have to match a kitchen color, and everyone can use a kitchen towel and it is nice to have a new one each month. So my gift does not last forever, but it does last at least a year!
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My sister is getting married in just over a month. We are providing the flower girl and all the expenses that go along with it. SO I’m on a SUPER tight budget!
My B-in-L to be really enjoys cooking and mentioned that he would like to have fresh herbs growing at their home. So I found 3 clay pots (sealed and painted them in their colors(( i also put their names on one each and their married name on the one that sits in the middle)), window sill tray, a bag of organic soil, 3 herb packs and watering can. Pop it all into a thirft store basket.
It really turned out nice and they were really surprised! All for $15 including wrapping from Dollar Tree.
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I know one of the most memorable gifts that we received at our wedding was a plaque for our front door/ doorpost that read, “(our last name) est. (year)” on it.
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I like to go with consumable gifts or practical gifts. One of the more unusual gifts we received was a full-sized cooler. Ours came in handy when we returned from our honeymoon to find that our refrigerator had quit working! You can usually get them fairly reasonably around Memorial Day. After 15 years, it’s one of the few gifts that we still use on a regular basis.
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I just got married in June, so I’m pretty “fresh” as far as remembering good and bad gifts.
One of my faves was a basket full of practical needs such as dishsoap, handsoap, toothpaste, tbrushes, air fresheners, meds, etc. It was so helpful to move into our apt. and have little necessities like that!
I gave a basket like this to my cousin in January and it was one of their faves as well.
The awesome thing about this…I got everything in the basket for free or “nearly free” from good ol’ CVS and Riteaid.
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I love to quill! Quilling is also called paper filagree. This is a simple, inexpensive craft that can turn out beautiful work looking like you spent hours! One thing that I do for “to be” couples and wedding receptions is frame and mat the wedding invite, quilling flowers, scrolls and roses around the corners of the frame. The total project usually costs me around $20 but is a gift to be cherished for many years to come!
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Some of my favorite gifts from our wedding are ones where people gave us their favorite household item. For example, someone bought a kitchen timer with digits so you don’t have to press “minute” many times, and a note explaining that they have the same one, and hope we love it as much as they do. The items weren’t particularly expensive, I’m sure, but they were so thoughtful, and we get far more use from them than from crystal candlesticks!
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We just got married a year and a half ago, and I was so thankful for the practical gifts! For newlyweds on a budget it’s GREAT not to have to go out and buy cleaning supplies. My MIL gave us a big box of Melaluca cleaning supplies and I was so thankful for that! We also got some fun gift baskets. One of them was a cute basket with pancake mix, a bowl, pancake flipper and blueberry syrup. YUM! We were also given a picnic basket, which is a great basis for a gift basket! Just add a bottle of wine, an outdoor tablecloth, maybe reusable plastic place settings (you can find GREAT deals on these at Walmart/Target towards the end of summer).
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I like the theme idea, someone gave us a small trash can filled with pens, pencils, post it notes, stamps, paper clips etc, that really came in handy one time i wrote down the recipe for my mom’s yummy lemonade and included all the ingredients she would need for it and a gallon pitcher, long spoon, and ice cube tray another gift I received was a plastic storage tote filled with Christmas decorations
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IF the couple is not into coupons why not teach them how to, and giver her a coupon binder full of coupons to get all the free and cheap things themselves. I think teaching newlyweds how to save money and be frugal is the best gift you can give them.
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I forgot-another frugal but useful and unique gift I have done is something I saw on Martha Stewart an few years ago. Its a sewing kit. You take a ball jar and place in it sewing notions (white thread, black thread, buttons, straight pins, thimble, and needles). Then you put a circle of fabric between the lid and rim. You can tie with ribbon. I suppose you could even get a permanant marker and put the person’s name on it. You can buy most of these things at the $1 store. And once I found various flower bulbs and a stepping stone on clearance at Walmart. I snatched them up and headed to big lots where I found a couple gardening tools (cheap) and gave them as a garden them gift. It was in Sept. when things like that go on sale. The couple could have planted them then or waited until spring.
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I think some of the “best gifts” Aaron and I got were the ones from the heart – it didn’t matter how much was spent, just that people celebrated with us on the day that we became a family!
But that being said, you have to get a gift. Here are a few of my favorites (please keep in mind, I had established a home already when I went to college, so I “traded up”, so to speak, on a number of items):
- a Waterford crystal vase, straight from Ireland. Okay, not the most inexpensive, but my late Grandmother LOVED Ireland, and my Great Aunt Betty (her sister in law) got this for me because she knew how much I missed my grandma on my wedding day. It was the vase that held my bouquet at the dinner and dance.
- a quilt, in colors both Aaron and I like, that was embroidered with our wedding date on the back. It doesn’t match anything in our house, but it comes out for romantic picnics in the evening on our living room floor, anniversaries, etc.
- a basket of household supplies. Even WITH an established household, I was just too darned busy to remember that I ran out of Windex weeks before the wedding.
- a collection of family recipes: both from the family that the giver and I had in common, as well as her other side’s recipes. How fun!
- a few thrifted vintage cookbooks. My weakness!
- Table linens and napkins. I never registered for these, and boy, was I glad someone thought to get a relatively neutral set for me. Whoops!
I’ve also given gifts that the newlyweds might not have actually thought to get – fun stuff that isn’t “household” related. Gift certificates to a bookstore if they like to read, a restaurant gift certificate for the 1st month anniversary, “pretties” for the bride, tools for the groom…
Really, anything goes as long as it is from the heart, in my opinion!
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My sister just got married (like this past Sunday) and their Guest Book was a photo album of their engagement pics done through Shutterfly. It turned out really nice and could be a great gift if you’re able to use the frequent specials that Shutterfly or others offer!
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A very cut and inexpensive idea is to put together a wish book, that was something we got and I still use it 13 years later. A wish book can be a simple journal decorated for the occassion with a fancy pen attached. Both items can be found at the dollar store or on clearance alot of times. The book came with a special note inside the front cover letting us know that the only way to fulfill our wishes was to remember them and the book was for all the wishes we would have for our future. I put little things in there like: “I wish for a day of landscaping work from my husband without asking.” This may sound simple but it helps us to communicate things we want without the nagging and as newlyweds you generally find you don’t know each other as well as you think.
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One of the best gifts I got were lawn chairs and a cooler….something you don’t think about until you need them!
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Another book suggestion: A Do-It-Yourself book for around the house would be a great gift (we gave one to my brother-in-law-to-be this Christmas and he loved it!). Also, a road atlas is something many people might not have.
And just a comment on all of the recipe/homemade-cookbook ideas: let’s not leave the guys out! My husband cooks more than I do and most newly married women I know don’t do the majority of the cooking. Ask men in the family to contribute recipes and include basic info (how to hard boil eggs, make corn on the cob, what it means to “scald” milk, etc.) for the less experienced cooks
I love seeing all these great ideas!! I’m going to use a few for my sister’s upcoming wedding. Thanks!
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(1) Christmas decorations / Seasonal items
(2) Beach Towels & Sunscreen
(3) SHOP ON EBAY!!! As a rule you can almost ALWAYS get anywhere from 30-90% off on Ebay. Also if you plan to get a gift card or shop at a certain store, type in the name of that store with “gift card” or “coupon” and you will more than likely find someone trying to get rid of a gift card they received from there.
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I often give Christmas ornaments as wedding gifts either one larger one or several smaller ones. These can be personalized for the wedding couple based on their interests and can quite often be bought on sale either after Christmas or using Hobby Lobby and Michael’s coupons. If the couple is older they make a nice addition. If they are younger I might get a basic set of lights, glass balls and spray paint pinecones gold with wire hangers for their first tree. It is also nice to give a sturdy plastic container to store them in.
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One of my most meaningful wedding gifts came from the pastor (mostly from his wife) who married us. She found a beautiful wooden box that was big enough to hold recipe cards. She carefully copied out a really nice collection of a about 30-40 of her favorite recipes and wrote little notes on them about what she serves them with, how she adapts them, etc.
Although I’ve now moved the cards to an album that holds many new recipes, I’ve kept the box and think of her everytime I see one of the cards in her writing.
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One of my most favorite wedding gifts was from a family in our church. They made up 3 dinners for us and tucked them away in our freezer for us to have during the time after our wedding. It was such a blessing while we were in the process of unpacking our belongings, setting up the kitchen, still trying to locate specific items, getting adjusted to life together, and resting and recovering from all the craziness leading up to the wedding, to be able to just pull out a home-made dinner from our freezer. We just needed to heat it up in the oven and we were ready to eat. Wow, was that nice. I’m sure that it was pretty easy for them to do. They probably just made a little extra when they were making their own meals and set it aside for us. Chicken Pot Pie, noodle casseroles, and Chile all work well for this. It’s been nearly 6 years and I still remember how much I appreciated this wedding gift.
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I know this goes without saying, but I think the best way to be both frugal and thoughtful is to really think about what best suits the situation of the couple, and also what they have or haven’t registered for. I often look at the couple’s registry, and then try and find a great deal on something I know they want/need (or something similar — perhaps a different brand, or the same item at a different store where I can get a better price).
People get married in all sorts of situations these days, and while a lot of these gifts are great ideas, the same gift that would be great for one person would be a waste for another. A couple moving into a new home together may love a basket of cleaning supplies or pantry items or basic kitchen supplies, but if the couple is moving in to a home that one or the other has already lived in for months or years, these items may just be one more thing to try and find space for!
We had a some “helpful” people buy us things that weren’t on our registry that they thought we had missed (things like a crock pot and a clothes iron). We didn’t register for them on purpose, because my husband or I already owned them (in fact, we each owned a crock pot before we were married!) and we thought it would be a waste to replace them with new ones just because we were getting married.
We were of course happy for all the gifts we received, even the ones we had to return (or re-gift if we couldn’t return them if they had no receipt!) because we already had the item in question…but I’m sure most gift givers would rather have their item used instead of returned!
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For almost every wedding gift, we buy a couple of card games and board games at Target.So far all the recipients have thoroughly enjoyed, it’s fun and no one else will do it.
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Sorry I wasnt able to read all 200+ comments to se eif this was posted, but here’s one thing i do…
If I know around holiday time that there will be a wedding the next year, i like to get them their first Christmas ornaments at the after christmas sales. Esp ones that say “our first Christmas” just have to make sure it does NOT have the year.
We got a bunch of stuff like that when we got married and i just LOVE it! A pretty heart ornament, one with a couple ice skating that says “Our Christmas together” a cool cord that connects all the cords, a storage box for ornaments and some angels, etc.
But shopping at the after Christmas sales is a good way to get it at a gREAT deal!
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I think an easy and cheap gift is giving holiday gifts. For example, up until this last week or two, you could still find wrapping paper and gift bags in stores from Christmas. Ornaments and other home decor were marked way down too. I just bought 3 rolls of Christmas paper and 2 pacakges of tissue paper for under a $1.50. Bundle them together with ribbon. It would look super cute to have an ornament attached to the ribbon. It’s a gift everyone will use and super cheap.
I also think using your freebies or super cheap things you have bought are a great idea. Buy a reusable bag from one of your favorite stores and fill it with the neccessities you have to go buy when you get married. Kleenex, shampoo, lotion, toliet paper, paper towel, etc. I remember spending so much money the first time my husband and I went ot the store because we had so much of that little stuff we needed to get.
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When my best friend got married I was only about 20. We had been best friends for years and she was like a second daughter to my mother. They didn’t have a registry for their wedding, so it was slightly difficult to figure out what to get them. In the end, my mom ended up making them homemade Christmas stockings. Over the years she had made homemade Christmas stockings for everyone in our family (ex. my brother and I both had green stockings with little Santas all over them, but mine had lace around the top b/c I am a girl). They are so simple to make and you can customize them to the person’s tastes/interests. Hope this helps~
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One of the best gifts that I recieved was from my cousin who was my bridesmaid. She made CD’s that had about
10 of my and my future husbands favorite songs, including our “first song” dance. She bought the cases and CD’s on sale for cheap.She burnt about 100 of these and then printed our names and our wedding date
on the sticker that went on the CD itself. It was also in our wedding color. She then bought clear CD covers. We
put stickers on the cover of the CD with the guests name and table #. This was a great gift to us!! And a great momento for everyone.Everyone still talks about them!!!
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Our standard wedding gift is sign that bears the “new family’s” name. My husband takes a weathered board and using a router writes the family name (i.e. “The Robinsons”) neatly (this could also be done with a wood burner)and then stains the wood. Add two eye screws to the top so that it can be hung.
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most of us have bought up holiday clearance items: christmas, valentines day, easter, 4th of july, halloween, thanksgiving. you compile a giant box of these items for the new couple to have on hand for the various holidays !! you can also make holiday wreaths to go along with this as well as tucking in some reciepes & your own holiday tradition ideas !! most new couples are very grateful for this type of help. ( its very reasonable right now , because all the x-mas items that are left on the shelves are dirt cheap now) good luck !!
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How about address and stamp envelopes for thank-you cards? If money is really tight, no need to put a stamp on them. Just a cute return address label with their new name and address the envelope to their guest list. Put a cute ribbon around all the thank-you cards.
I know I’d be appreciative.
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A plain white cake wrapped with ribbons or candy dots placed on the cake I have found these in white looks extremely elegant is very easy. I also have a glass blown heart for a topper I have used on lots of cakes. If you can not do a tall cake well (which I can not) use several cakes layed out on pretty cake plates three or four and the center cake can be two or three layers this gives plenty of cake even for a large wedding. I did one where the brides cakes were white and the grooms cakes were choc. Everyone loved these. The bride cakes had pink ribbons the choc groom cakes had black it looked like a tux and a dress. (IT was so simple it was extremely elegant!)
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i did the cvs basket (his and hers) for a friend
and i think the recipe idea is a great one.
i got married in november and BEG you not to give a picture frame. i committed the same offense when i was in college – i got my sister a gorgeous silver picture frame with the date engraved on it.
she loves me, and would never hurt my feelings, so the silver frame now decorates her country style home. and is very out of place.
she – on the other hand – is giving the hubs and i some trees and helping us plant them. and the assistance planting them is the best part of the gift!
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I went to my sister’s wedding last month and they had these really neat guest books for Polaroid pictures from Adesso Albums. They are very reasonable and a gift that the couple will have forever. I know what it’s like to have no time, I have four of my own kids, but the website is really easy to navigate through. I just got two albums for my friend’s wedding next year. They also have digital print albums too and sell everything you need right on their site.
http://www.adessoalbums.com
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The last two wedding gifts I gave were purchased from http://www.fruitfulvinecreations.com. I bought wall lettering with the last name of the couple and the year they were married. Ex: Smith Family
Est. 2008
I got them in black lettering. It cost about $20.
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I got a framed invitation and loved it – I wished I had also framed the vows we wrote. If it is family or a close friend you could get a copy before and frame it with the invitation or leave a spot for a wedding photo.
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I am trying to think of something myself for a wedding and shower for my cousin this summer, I have several tried and true but was trying to think up a new one. Here is what I have done before.
-picnic basket (bought on clearance of course!) and filled with some dishes, spatula, candle, matches, salt, pepper, ketchup, mustard, table cloth, cloth napkins (that match) aluminum foil, charcol, a bottle of sparkling cider. I figure all they need to do is add the “food” and they are set for a fun date together.
-large strainer, box of pasta, jar of sauce, cheese, bread
-scrapbook/cookbook. Gather recipies, photos, and notes from family and friends, put them together into a cookbook where you can think about your family as you do your daily things.
-dvd OR gift card to video store, popcorn, movie theater candy, bowl, bottles of coke
-laundry basket with household goods
Obviously some take more $, others more time, but you get the idea.
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Several Suggestions:
A together bowl. I buy a nice mixing bowl (can be purchased on sale at TJ Maxx, Homegoods, etc.) that matches their color scheme (check their registry). I then fill it with things to cook together… any combination of the following – pancakes, popcorn, spaghetti and sauce, chips and dip mix, Brownie or cookie mix, pizza crust mix, be creative! I include a spatula, and/or a whisk!
Attach a note that says – This is your “together bowl” filled with things you can do just the two of you. Enjoy the time together!
Luggage Tags: These are easy to make with your computer and self laminating tags from an office supply store. Put their new name and address on them!
Make them a couple of casseroles and freeze them. If possible, put them in the freezer at their new home and attach cooking instructions. If Neccessary deliver them a day or two after they arrive home from the honeymoon. Leave some candles and a cd (homemade is fine) and a note saying, “Dinner is ready for the next couple of nights, find something creative to do with the time you might spend cooking dinner!
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For my cousins wedding I gave her a copy of all my favorite recipes and the non-perishable ingredients to go with them. I tried to pick from my favorite recipes ones that were unique and she probably hadn’t had. I was able to buy the ingredients a little here and there to stretch out the cost and she loved it.
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I always watch clearance racks for universal gifts. I once scored a Shark dustbuster-like thing for $7 at Kohl’s.
A gift I would have appreciated would be a few freezer meals for when the couple gets home from the honeymoon. Not having to go to the store that first day back, jet-lagged, would have been a god-send!
My favorite gift was from my cousin who offered to come help set up the reception hall with me and my parents the day before our wedding. It was great to not have all that stress on us!
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I’m doing a series of gifts for the honeymoon when my brother gets married in a month. Because they are missionaries, they can’t take a lot of things with them so the gifts have to be small, or flat or perishable. They are honeymooning for a couple of weeks in the states, using a car, so I plan to give them a box of wrapped gifts when they leave the reception. Here are some ideas for what will be in each gift, with instructions to open one gift per day on the honeymoon:
*A package of snacks for the honeymoon (we were starving when we reached our hotel room)
*Coins for hotel vending machines
*CD made with our favorite love songs and their favorite love songs to listen to while driving
*Fireproof DVD
*a Dave Ramsey book
*Some advice cards
*Special letter to the bride and groom
*Popcorn and cocoa mix for a “night-in” in a hotel
*Love quotes/verses from the Bible
*Breakfast basket
*A packet of special family recipes that my brother loves
*Paper plates and napkins
*Wet wipes and hand sanitizer
*Favorite marriage book (Like Love and Respect)
*T-shirts that say “My Husbands Rocks” and “My Wife Rocks” (www.christianbook.com)
*Restaurant gift cards
I hope this little gift-a-day thing will be very memorable and fun for them and most of the gifts will be used up so they won’t have to pack much
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I have given a tub full of Christmas decorations a few times. I stock up on things when they 90% off after Christmas and fill a whole tub for a few dollars. Things like ornaments, stockings, tree skirt, placemats, hotpads, twinkle lights, ornament hangers, etc are much appreciated when the couples first Christmas comes around!
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I purchase a baking dish set at IKEA for around $6. I place in it one of my favorite recipes and then wrap it in gold tulle with a beautiful big ribbon. Altogether, it costs around $7-8 and looks BEAUTIFUL!
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Spices! I remember when we were first married. I didn’t even have salt and pepper! Even though I bought frugally, I still spent more than $20 on spices! (This was 27 years ago.)
Give a gift basket with spices and other little kitchen tools you know the couple would use if they cook, i.e., various types of knives-paring, boning, chopping, etc., zester, potato peeler, measuring spoons and cups, pan scrapers, etc. One kitchen item we received and still use–a set of steak knives!
I took a lot of stuff for granted as far as kitchen tools, I mean everyone has knives?!, right? Except for me when I first got married. It takes a lot to equip a kitchen with the basics.
Elaine in OK
HS Mom of six, four graduated, two to go, one 2nd grader and one preschooler (This is what happens when you have two more children after you turn 40.)
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One of my favorite gifts that I’ve ended up giving myself was an “emergency wedding kit”. It was in a beautiful box with a ribbon and “Heather’s Wedding Kit” typed out and nicely applied to the top. Inside was everything you possibly need at the last minute right before your wedding that you could possibly forget. For instance, a nail file, a comb, lotion, clear nail polish (in case a nylon snags), a small mirror, tooth brush and small tooth paste, small mouthwash, small sewing kit,granola mix, etc. I can usually get a box and most things at the dollar store. I usually include a small thing of pain reliever too (I had the worst headache ever before mine, but didn’t have any in my kit). Most of these things are things I now get with coupons. The great thing is it’s an unusual memorable gift, it’s inexpensive, easy to do and so practical! I used almost everything in mine.
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I was looking for cheap gifts for Christmas and decided to give my parents an HERB GARDEN. The seeds are cheap and all you have to do is get it started, buy a nice container on sale, and put them together in a beautiful way. If you don’t want to do it from seeds you could probably buy the herbs already started at a home and garden store soon.
I use my herbs when I cook and it always adds a little bit more to the recipe
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What I have seen done I think is really cool and I wish someone would have done it for my wedding…..I have seen people get a shadow box from say michaels and they have coupons every week for 40% a regular priced item. Then when you go to the wedding you take little keepsakes (invites, napkins, favors, pictures, etc.) and put the different things in the shadow box and then they have a keepsake of everything to hang on the wall to remember their special day! It would be given after the fact but with the shadow box and hot glue or craft glue it would be pretty inexpensive. Good Luck
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Put together a kit. (i.e. movie kit, date night kit, spaghetti night kit, game night kit, etc)
For spaghetti night you could find a cool, inexpensive serving bowl filled w/ a box of noodles, jar of sauce, martinelli’s cider, etc. Depending on your budget you could just keep going with the theme.
For a movie night kit, buy a popcorn bowl, microwave popcorn, movie treats, and a cheap dvd.
I think you get the idea. Good luck!
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i love all the comments above and the Family Recipe book idea is great! An additional book idea is to collect some really great house hold hints from family and friends and divide into catagories – laundry, cleaning, how to be a housewife and retain your sanity ( I need to read this chapter), etc.
Give an address book with the names and numbers of repairmen, emergancy numbers, etc.
Give a date book with the birthdays of both sides of the family marked. You could add some homemade cards.
I love the idea of giving a prepared coupon organization system – you could get a few copies of coupons in the newspaper that week and arrange them in the organizer for her.
I developed a basic filing system for my niece when she married. It was something she could add to and change but gave her a place to start. ( you get a ton of appliance books that need ‘a place’ as well as gift receits and this gives her a place for them.I have the labels saved to the computer and when each of my children moved out I started them one as well.
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I think a thoughtful gift for a wedding to give the couple their wedding invitation framed. You can have it professionally done (Michael’s, AC Moore, etc often had coupons for framing discounts) or just buy a nice frame and do it yourself. This is what I almost always do for my friends and they always end up on the wall!
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I just posted pictures of two gifts that I put together for my sis. http://lindasporchswing.blogspot.com/2009/02/bridal-shower-gift.html – here I posted about samples as a gift.
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My mouth starts to water when I saw that deliciously designed cake. But anyways, you can create your home-made wedding gifts. Just a little creativity and your done. Wedding gifts need not to be expensive. What’s great about home-made wedding gifts is you can have your own design the only limit is your mind.
Good luck!
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