What was your favorite wedding gift?

[diebitter]

I seriuously can't remember any gifts we got, it was a long time ago.


A really nice picture frame will certainly get used - maybe even for a wedding photo.

[NicksDad1970]

The picture frame is a good idea. That's all I remember I received besides the cash.

[Misfire]

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$, hands down.

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[rja87]

No one wants you to buy them something, $ is the best option.

[Fast Food Knight]

Do they have a registry? If you're not sure, try going to www.weddingchannel.com and typing in their names. It will list everywhere they're registered. This would be a good jumping off point.

FWIW, some of my friends who recently got married complained of receiving gifts like picture frames and other home accessories that were not on their registry because the gift givers wanted to be "original." Apparently the stuff doesn't match anything else they own and just sits in a box in a closet.

[VoraciousReader]

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FWIW, some of my friends who recently got married complained of receiving gifts like picture frames and other home accessories that were not on their registry because the gift givers wanted to be "original." Apparently the stuff doesn't match anything else they own and just sits in a box in a closet.

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People like this don't deserve wedding presents of any kind, in my opinion.

A registry is for the convenience of those that might choose to remember your occasion with a gift, not a grown-up list for "Santa".

Edit: And, personally, a house where everything is matchy-matchy always comes off as kind of regimented and unfriendly. A little chaos interrupting the "style" really makes the room.

[DrewDevil]

I was the groom, so none of the wedding gifts were for me.

[VoraciousReader]

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I was the groom, so none of the wedding gifts were for me.

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The trick is to make sure the bride has a lingerie shower. Then ALL those gifts are for you.

[DrewDevil]

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FWIW, some of my friends who recently got married complained of receiving gifts like picture frames and other home accessories that were not on their registry because the gift givers wanted to be "original." Apparently the stuff doesn't match anything else they own and just sits in a box in a closet.

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People like this don't deserve wedding presents of any kind, in my opinion.

A registry is for the convenience of those that might choose to remember your occasion with a gift, not a grown-up list for "Santa".

Edit: And, personally, a house where everything is matchy-matchy always comes off as kind of regimented and unfriendly. A little chaos interrupting the "style" really makes the room.

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I don't necessarily disagree with what you said, but what's the point of going "off the reservation" and buying something that's not on the registry? They've just given you an exact list of what they want. I think it's great, because I hate shopping and I can just find something that costs what I want to spend, click click, done.

Plus, I'm not sure what I think about your desire/willingness to impose YOUR style/"chaos" on the couple's home. I mean, if you find something that's not on the list that you really think they will like anyway, then that's one thing. But I don't get why you think your taste is superior to theirs when it comes to how they want to appoint their own living quarters.

I didn't really pay much attention to the gifts we got, but most of the ones that were off the registry list are still sitting in their boxes, because my wife didn't want them displayed in our house. So those creative/chaotic people just wasted $50-100 bucks showing us their style.

I don't get it.

[VoraciousReader]

I don't know why you assume I shop off the registry. I almost never vary from the registry if there is one available. If I do, it's always to add a little something extra that I hope the couple will appreciate and like.

Examples of gifts I have given for weddings/showers:

1. BBQ equipment they registered for + 3 different barbecue sauces.

2. Teapot and kettle (registry) and selection of green teas.

3. Hamper the couple registered for filled with rolled up white washcloths, small registry items, and a teddy bear which I dared to choose myself with a gift card.

4. Crystal vase from registry with little slips of paper. I asked each person questions about the other one like "what was the first thing you noticed about him?" and put the answers in the vase.

5. Waffle iron (registry) and real Vermont maple syrup.

These are only the times I have added extra. People that I'm less close to get a trip to the online registry and a credit card.

But I still maintain that it is extremely tacky to complain about someone that took the time to choose something that they thought you would like. "So inconsiderate to shop off of the registry!"

Which is, quite frankly representative to me of the way a lot of people think about their wedding...a chance to hit the gift mother-lode. I find it mildly nauseating.

The style comment was more of an afterthought, kind of my way of saying that although your first impression is the something isn't your style, you might find that you felt differently if you took it out of the box and put it in the room. Frequently I have found something that I look at and think "that just doesn't "go"" actually adds something to the space. That's not me trying to force my personal taste on anyone, it's me saying not to close yourself off to being surprised.