While I totally get the concept behind wedding registries, when I go to a wedding, I like to take a gift that is personal & unique (rather than just the crockpot the couple registered for). To be honest, I’m the same way with birthday and Christmas gifts for family and friends. I always like my gifts to be from the heart. If you’re looking for some ideas for a unique wedding gift, look no further. I’m here to help.

Spices

As the saying goes, the best way to the heart is through the stomach. Lots of couples register for kitchen items but may forget what actually happens in the kitchen, the cooking. Consider gifting them with a starter set of spices to help make each meal special.

Here are some suggestions:

• You can gift the couple with a mixed spice box, or starter set that includes some of the staples for the kitchen.
• Consider adding custom blends of spices.
• Pick spices that are local to the region where the couple lives.
• If you know the couple loves to travel to a specific area or loves a particular type of food, consider spices that are unique to that region.
• Look for natural & organic spices.
• You can also throw in extracts and flavorings.

Recipes

Let’s face it, we’re not all Rachel Ray in the kitchen. But most people can follow a recipe without poisoning their loved ones with their cooking. Gifting the newlyweds with recipes to cook together during their marriage can be both a heartfelt and useful gift. Whether you choose to gift them one special recipe or a handmade/personalized cookbook, I’m sure this gift will be used for years to come.

Recipe ideas:

• Purchase a cookbook binder and write in some of your favorite recipes. Leave space for the couple to add their own as the years pass.
• Use a bookbinding (or photo book) company to print a personalized cookbook.
• Have a special recipe engraved on a serving dish or platter.
• Print a recipe on an apron or tea towel.
• Check out Southern Living for even more suggestions.

Night Sky Map

One of my favorite romantic movies of all time is A Walk to Remember. When Landon buys Jamie a star, my heart melts. Take inspiration from Nicholas Sparks and create (purchase) a custom star map of the night sky from a date that is important to the couple.

Here are some options:

• Day they met
• First date
• Engagement
• Wedding date (if it’s a belated wedding gift)

Wine

Wine is the classic housewarming or hostess gift, and it can also make a great wedding gift. Look for wine from a region that is special to the couple or a vintage that marks a special date in their relationship. (For a couple also setting up a house for the first time, consider throwing in a corkscrew – they may not already have one).

Map

I recently purchased a watercolor map of Neverland for a friend who began talking to her current husband during a performance of Finding Neverland the musical. While the gift wasn’t on my friend’s registry, I loved seeing her face as she opened the gift at the wedding shower. It reminded her of that special time. Maps of any kind can make great gifts. Whether the map is of the city where the couple met, or where they plan to set up house, it can be a reminder that there is no place like home.

Christmas ornament

This idea came from my mom, and let’s be real, my mom always has the best suggestions. She has two rotating gifts for newly marrieds, and this is one of them. She and my dad always buy a Christmas ornament whenever they travel to a new location or pass a milestone, so she tries to pass that tradition on to new couples in her life by gifting them with a first Christmas ornament of their own.

Some suggestions for finding the perfect ornament:

• Keep the couple’s personality in mind.
• Think about a location important to the couple.
• What other milestones are they passing right now? (New house, new baby, new job, etc.).

I’ve heard that couples can often remember who gave them each wedding gift. Whether they open their broom closet and bring out the Swiffer Sweeper from Aunt Karen or glance at the silver service in their china cabinet (do people still use china cabinets?) from Grandma Helen, each item represents someone who loved them and took the time to celebrate their new marriage. No matter what you gift the newlyweds, I’m sure the most important gift of all will be your love & support.

 

By Katie, Amative Creative writer