Category Archives: gifts

I Should Have Guest It Wasn’t Free

A wedding invitation is akin to a golden ticket. Your choice to include the recipient in this milestone of your life shows their importance. However, most brides, nor guests don’t initially realize these come with a price. Here is a short breakdown of some of the expenses:

Attire: Most buy a new outfit. Everyone wants to look their best and spend on average $155 on something special. If there is a dress code, it likely will be more. Your bridal party also must pay for their ceremony dresses too.

Gifts: Presents are typically given whether one can attend or not. The range is $50 to $100 for a friend and $150+ for those closer or family. The ladies (or gentlemen) who go to your shower and/or bachelorette party usually give additional items.

Travel: Guests from out of town have more expenses due to accommodations, flights etc. Prices of travel have increased exponentially due to the pandemic and space is limited. If the time can be turned into a vacation, many find the costs more budget friendly and easier to save for.

Other: Members of the wedding party usually foot the bill for the bridal shower and bachelorette party.  If you have a cash bar at your reception, tabs can quickly add up. If you choose a child-free wedding, some will have to find babysitters. The list goes on.

Statistics: A 2022 survey showed most people were invited to an average of four weddings a year and spent as much as $3,000 attending each. Nearly two-thirds of guests feel financially stressed. 37% said they couldn’t afford a present or new outfit and one-third had to decline attending because of the costs.

Nothing is impossible with things such as pay-later programs, establishing a wedding guest fund in one’s budget or renting rather than buying. Keep in mind, if some you care about can’t share in your big day, it’s likely nothing personal and they will be there in spirit.

You’re My Favor(ite)

Your guests are honored to be invited to your wedding as much as you are to have them share one of the most important days in your life with you. Each token of your appreciation can be given at the end of your reception or placed in front of your invitees’ seats.

Spread the Love: Rather than giving gifts, choose a charity meaningful to you. Leave “in lieu of cards” at each seat or table to let your guests know you’ve donated on their behalf.

Potted Succulents: Even those who don’t have green thumbs can take care of one and they last forever. Succulents come in endless varieties and can thrive indoors or outside. Add a personalized note saying, “Let Love Flourish” or “Grow Together.”

Share the Luck: Lottery tickets are fun, unexpected and something many people don’t often buy. Add a clever touch by sealing them in “For Richer or Poorer envelopes.” Maybe your special day will bring luck to your guests.

Plantable Wish Cards: These are something your guests probably haven’t seen. Write a wish or leave it blank so everyone can make their own. Then, they just plant, water and watch them grow. Each card contains annual and perennial wildflower seeds.

Measuring Spoons: If you or your guests love to cook, silver heart shaped spoons are an ideal favor. They are accurate in size and can be inscribed with clever messages. Perhaps “A dash of love or “A spoonful of laughter.”

Thoughtful, lasting tokens with meaning serve as reminders of your connection with those close to you for years to come. Additionally, personalization with a unique message about love or well wishes are preferable over inscriptions with your wedding date. All are easy on the budget but will show your gratitude in special ways.

Gifts for the Girls

Everyone at your wedding is important but those standing next to you at the altar hold a special meaning. Aside from being closest, they’ve helped get you to your big day. Alongside saying how thankful you are for their time and assistance, a keepsake is a tangible reminder of their value.

Although it may seem like a task you can leave for the last minute, doing so may make it obvious by limiting your options. You don’t want to settle for something or worse, have your bridesmaids feel as if you did.

While you should stay within the same price range (whatever that may be), don’t give your bridesmaids the same present. Even though it’s easier, they don’t have the same interests or wants. Selecting gifts with special meanings lets them know you took time to show how valuable they are to you. Add a touching message to make them even more personal.

While each contributed to your shower, decision making and preparation, your maid of honor had the most responsibilities. Giving her a pricier or extra special gift is appropriate. Don’t be too extravagant though as that may make the others appear insignificant.

If the presents are ones to be incorporated in your wedding, it’s best to give them while getting ready so they aren’t accidentally left behind. Otherwise, doing so at the rehearsal is great. That way, the girls can take them home without worrying about keeping track of them during the festivities.

Sometimes it seems as if there’s another cost at every turn. With all the love and support your closest friends have given you, this should be an expense you are more than pleased to include in your budget.

The ABCs of Registries

Who doesn’t love getting gifts especially when you choose them yourself? Wedding registries might be the only time you get to do so but some things that should be considered when making them are for your guests.

Complete your registry at least six months before your wedding so everyone has time to choose what to get you for not only your big day but engagement parties, showers etc. Also, being such a special gift, invitees don’t want to rush at the last-minute or get you something other than what they’d like because of a time crunch.

Register for enough gifts to give your guests options but don’t go overboard and choose things on a whim you’d never use. The number of items needs to be at least equivalent to your guest count. An easy way to achieve that is by breaking down sets (such as cookware) into individual pieces.

Items of all price ranges should be included even if your guests tend to be generous. You don’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable if gifts are out of their budget. Many smaller ticket items can be creatively combined in fun ways to look more lavish.

Personal items should remain just that and not be included. As much as you may want a new wardrobe for your honeymoon, your registry is not an appropriate place to ask for it. Request things you and your fiancé can share now and in the future. However, there’s no harm in asking for a nice camera to capture the adventures you will share or items to entertain as your lifestyle will be changing.

Thank each person within two weeks of receiving a gift. Although you will be very busy with planning (and life in general), doing so will keep you from getting overwhelmed down the line and ensure that no one falls through the cracks.

Your registry isn’t a secret but never include it on your invitation. Instead, it should be shared by your family, bridal party or wedding website (if you have one). You will appreciate the thought and consideration put into each item you choose as they will last for years to come and remind you of this special time in your life.

An Overview of All Things New

Each year, the world of weddings experiences growth in the form of new trends, ideas and possibilities for brides to add to their already infinite number of options. 2017 is no exception and brings with it some exciting and fresh alternatives for just about every aspect of your big day. Some of the notable highlights are below….

Do Things Separately: Bridal stores will be filled with an increased number of both two-piece gowns and traditional ones with detachable skirts to remove for your reception as customizable dresses are the latest “must haves.” Separates are appropriate for all seasons as skirts exist to match the bottom of any wedding dress. In the winter, pair one with an elegant, embellished sweater or match it with a sleeveless, lacy top during the warmer months. Detachable skirts give you two dresses for the price of one so your ceremony can be formal with a floor length gown that you simply remove when the reception begins and it’s time to let loose and celebrate.

A LITTLE Bit of Glitz: Gone are the radiant, bright colors that flooded every aspect of weddings last year. More popular are bouquets made of ivy, local succulents and other greenery and color palettes based on tones of beige, creams and shades of gray. To add some elegance and glamour, the trend is to add gold or metallic accents through stemware, table runners, bouquet ties, ribbons, etc.

It’s All About Location: The general tendency of late to promote local businesses is spilling over into the wedding industry leading more brides to “keep it local.” Opt for decor that is representative of your community (while keeping in line with your personality). Choose a menu that celebrates what sets your area apart and gives your out-of-town guests a feel for what your life is truly like. Not only does it give back to local vendors but you will be guaranteed to have a comfortable, relaxing day.

Honorable Mention: An increase in couples will be asking for less for themselves and more for others. More infrequent are registries of household items, money for a honeymoon or wish lists filled with fun, new gadgets. Instead, brides and grooms are compiling options of charities from which each guest can choose to donate to in their honor. Most likely, you already have most of what you need and there’s immense gratitude and satisfaction knowing that those who require help are able to receive it because of your special day.

The fun and innovative ways to plan your big day that are emerging for the new year are endless. Take some time to explore all the possibilities because you may very well fall in love with some ideas that have never even crossed your mind and will turn your current vision upside down.

Here’s to You

Seemingly, your wedding day is all about YOU as it is the day YOU have dreamt of your entire life, the day YOU have lost sleep over, stressed about every detail of and, for the most part, YOU are the focus of. However, in actuality, has nothing to do with YOU as it is a symbol of YOU becoming WE and, without your fiancé, there wouldn’t even be a wedding. Show your partner in life how much he means to you by giving him a meaningful gift on your special day that will last as long as your marriage and be a reminder of your love for him.

Have his closest friends and family make short videos (which can be easily done on their phones and sent to you) sharing how they met, why they love him so much, a favorite memory and some words of wisdom for your future together. Compile all of them into a single movie, play it at the reception and your thoughtfulness will knock his socks off.

Make arrangements for a guest who had to decline your invitation, leaving your groom feeling really upset, to make a surprise appearance. If they did so due to financial constraints, pay for their travel. If the reason was a prior commitment, reach out to them and let them know just how much their presence would mean and how disappointed your fiancé was to learn they would be unable to attend. Not only is it a gift to both your husband and the guest but also to you when you see the excitement and joy on his face.

Keep a journal of what has led up to your ceremony including each decision and the reasons behind them, the smallest ways he has made the stress of the entire process worth every second, how you have chosen things to incorporate his tastes and the excitement the experience has evoked about spending your life together. It is a tangible demonstration of both your devotion and commitment and he will be touched by how much you did to make your wedding flawless.

Of course the type of gift you give your future husband is both endless and easily personalized dependent upon his likes and dislikes. One thing it is not dependent upon is a budget as, whether you can afford to spend a million dollars or merely pennies, the importance of the gift is the sentiment behind it and the demonstration that, while most people were focused on you, you were focused on him.