Best wedding present?

[PrincessPerky]

I have a wedding to go to this month and next, and I was wondering what anyone remembered from their own wedding as a good gift?

I can recall three things from mine:

1. An engraved frame, that is still in the box cause we had no photo to fit...pretty but, not in use.
2. A Crockpot, I used for a good while, but it broke.
3. A Toaster, mostly I remember it cause we already had one.

of course there was money, and some miscellaneous dishes.
But nothing really stood out as an awesome gift.

How about you?

[disneysteve]

Interesting question. Let's see what I can come up with after 18 years. Of course, the answers will vary based on the person. I can't remember the last time we used our crockpot, but it was memorable because we got 5 of them as wedding presents. We got one laser-carved wooden picture frame that is now hanging on our sitting room wall with a wedding photo. I'd have to say the most unique and personal gift was a wedding needlepoint the maid of honor made with our names and the wedding date. That is also hanging in our sitting room. Another gift that we use every year is our Passover Seder plate (we're Jewish).

Those are the ones that came to mind first.

[jIM_Ohio]

Money for family and close friends
a gift off registry otherwise
unless I don't like them- then I might give them a gift I have not opened yet (I have never done this, but my basement is full of useless junk never opened.

It really bothered me if someone got something which was not on registry- because so much is about coordinating colors, so that person which gave me a cannister set with some weird decor on it has a gift which has never been used...

yet I can tell you my aunts uncles and cousins on my fathers side pretty much gave us half or more of our formal china- so whenever we have thanksgiving dinner or another important meal, I think of them...

give a gift which makes people think about you the rest of their life.

[ktmarvels]

Hands down the most used wedding present in our house is our rice maker/steamer. While I'm sure we have other used wedding gifts none of them stand out as something we got from our wedding. However we just purged 3 blankets, 2 handmade, which were rarely used due to their style and lack of use in Florida.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by jIM_Ohio

It really bothered me if someone got something which was not on registry

True. Most couples spend a lot of time selecting the items for their registry. They pick items that they like, that go together, that fit the decor of their home. Then along comes uncle Harold and aunt Martha who decide they want to give something unique or unusual.

That said, my wife and I have been known to go off-registry when giving a gift. However, we always look at the registry items first and select something that complements the type of decor and color scheme of the registry items.

[jIM_Ohio]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

True. Most couples spend a lot of time selecting the items for their registry. They pick items that they like, that go together, that fit the decor of their home. Then along comes uncle Harold and aunt Martha who decide they want to give something unique or unusual.

That said, my wife and I have been known to go off-registry when giving a gift. However, we always look at the registry items first and select something that complements the type of decor and color scheme of the registry items.

We received a few off registry gifts which are used
we received many off registry items which were returned or put in basement
It was probably a 1:3 ratio- for every 1 item we use now, 3 were returned or are rotting away in basement.

I always say if you know the person, giving a gift is EASY. The main issue is how well you know the couple getting married to level where you can go off registry. Marriage is wierd in that some people want certain things you never knew they wanted. I know some people which have been married for a while but don't use formal china- so making assumptions that "all married people need this" is not smart, and the people which went off registry, I know who those cheap bastards are, and they are remembered by me for going off registry- so if you go off registry, you better KNOW what you are doing, or hope the couple does not have an SOB like me in it

I do not need xmas lists from anyone I shop for- I know them well enough to know what they use or like. But for weddings its always from the registry or its cash.

For xmas Once in a while I need to ask my wife if she is a size 4 or 6... once in a while I need to check with the parent of a kid to know if they can do a certain skill (little kids and legos- some people won't buy my kids small legos or put them away when we arrive at their house, but my kids don't put anything in their mouth, so issues like that sometimes need a little research).

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by jIM_Ohio

The main issue is how well you know the couple getting married to level where you can go off registry.

Absolutely. If we don't know the couple, we buy from the registry. If we can't afford anything on the registry, which has happened, we give cash.

[em1880]

the best wedding present we got was a george forman grill and the magic bullet (blender thing) we still use both 6 years later.

[sandrark]

- A 50's-style kitchen clock.

- Calphalon cookware (on our registry)

- A beehive 50's-style blender

- Stemware from Mikasa (on our registry)

- Flatware from cash gifts

- Mikasa china pieces (on our registry - used cash to finish it out).

- Bar ware glasses - very heavy and cut-crystal-style - not on our registry, but still used.

- Cut crystal vase - not used often, but it's lovely when it is.

- Place mats and napkins (not on our registry), coordinated with our registry china

- Large, hand-painted serving bowl. Not on our registry, but very useful.

- Roasting pan with rack and cover (not on our registry, but very useful).

- Gift certificate to Sears, with which we bought some patio furniture.

Sandi

[PrincessPerky]

Thanks for all the input.

I still dunno what we are going to get them...they live with family, so nothing needed for the kitchen.

[mandyjune]

How about a digital picture frame for their new house? That's pretty cool. I'd love that as a gift!

[scfr]

My cousin did my wedding flowers for me. She had a floral business on the side, and she just charged me the cost of the materials. She provided her expertise and labor as her gift to me.

A friend who had a photography business on the side took our wedding photos and gave me the negatives as his gift to us. I just had to pay for having the pictures developed and bought the album on my own.

Friends and family helped me cook the food for the reception, and my aunt even bought some of the ingredients herself.

It doesn't get much better than that ... Things we needed for our wedding created by loving hands that helped us save a lot of money.

Other than that, we too appreciated very much when we received gifts that were on our registry. The few "off-registry" gifts we received mostly sat in storage for many years and then ended up being sold before we moved cross country.

[snafu]

I always check the registry and try to buy something unusual from the list. If there's nothing that appeals to me and I know the principals well, I give money. The most unusual gift I've given is a Spa Day at a hotel at the resort they went to for their honeymoon. That couple had not lived together and I doubt they had been intimate.

My favorite wedding president was a heavy, cut glass, salad bowl which we still use nearly daily. It's beautiful and makes the most ordinary green salad seem special.

love the idea of digital picture frame, I don't hacve one and it's on my wish list!

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

PrincessPerky, have you been to the wedding yet? I was thinking that they might still very well need kitchen and household items if they are living with family. Maybe they'd have to put them away for a while, but they might still really feel good to be able to start off their own household with some special things. Do you know them well enough to ask?

The last wedding gift we gave was a folding chair! It was on the registry! Who'da-thunk-it?

[creditcardfree]

The kitchen items we received are many of the ones we still have and use today. Bread loaf pans, coffee maker, pasta strainer, kitchen sissors, pyrex baking pans, mixing bowls and a cookbook all come to mind.

We received a nice check from my parents...that helped start our emergency fund!

[terces]

Best wedding gift that I have and see everyday is a small glass table my mom made for us. Dried flowers from my wedding are inlaid in the glass. Thankfully it has survived over 20 years of numerous moves, kids, and dogs.

[PrincessPerky]

cool table!

Went to one wedding not the other, no we really don't know them that well.

[PrincessPerky]

BTW there is no registry for either...

[LuxLiving]

A relative stocked our freezer with beef. That was a great one. Coming in next as favs? Cash is/was/will be King baby!

[am_vanquish]

We continue to give cash. I'll never forget driving to the airport with DW for our honeymoon and going through all the cards yanking out the cash.

We didn't expect to get that much cash, so we had already gotten quite a bit of cash for spending money. It actually made me nervous to have that much money hanging around on a cruise ship and walking around Mexico.