What's the best wedding gift you got?

[BatsAtDawn]

The daughter of a family member is getting married at the end of September. We're close in age, get on really well and I want to get her and her husband a great gift.

If I were just buying for her it would be so easy, but obviously as a wedding gift I want it to be something both of them enjoy.

Can anyone tell me what gifts they loved getting, or any that really were no use? Budget is probably £150 as I'm also paying for some little elements in the wedding (nothing massive but enough I don't want to go mad).

A little cross stitch with our names and the date on. In fact, other than the odd plate and piece of cutlery, it’s all I’ve got left.

my sister received a custom painting of the cottage where her partner proposed. I have seen other custom paintings of the couple but I find someone people don't want their own face on their wall.

She received from me a pamper hamper gift box from a social enterprise who hire individuals with a barrier to employment to pack their gifts. It was a really special gift because every pamper product had a story of making the world a better place e.g. bath salts that are made by a company who hire disabled people. A little bit of luxury that everyone still talks about today
socialstoriesclub.com/products/pamper-hamper-gift-box

Lastly she got their names made in wire that SIL gave her, custom made from Etsy. E.g. Mr and Mrs Davidson-Smith. They have it in their hall as you walk in and its a lovely touch.

When we got hitched back in the Dark Ages, a Dsis asked whether I’d like something beautiful and useless. She gave us a lovely little Indian silver box, which we’ve still got.

The only other thing that’s survived for so long is a Kenwood Chef from another sister - a brilliant present in a completely different way.

Unless you know people’s tastes extremely well it’s very hard to know, but one thing that often seems to go down well is a plain silver photo frame.

TBH dh and I just give cash nowadays.

I love the idea of the responsible hamper. That is very "him" whilst the indulgent bits are very "her".

It is really hard to not do money. I normally would but this time I'd like it to feel quite special, and something they'll want to keep.

A really good, sturdy bed tray from John Lewis. My DH often gets up at the weekend and makes us a pot of tea and toast to eat in bed - of all the wedding gifts we got (apart from the canteen of cutlery) it's definitely the one we use the most, and something that will last years too. Handy for tv dinners and picnics in the garden too.

I got married last year and tbh, I was most grateful of the cash gifts.

We got little token gifts such as Mr & Mrs mugs, photo frames, champagne glasses, champagne, which were great. Apart from the cash, someone brought us a voucher for a weekend away from buy a gift, that way they can pick it themselves too!

We got some fancy glassware, a sketch of our wedding venue, and some beautiful wooden boards for the kitchen. All are special (even though we haven’t used some of the glasses yet in case they get broken!).

Are they wine drinkers? My DH would probably say the expensive bottle opener he put on the wedding list was his most-used gift, or this Eto wine saver/decanter which is slightly temperamental but beautiful.

We got a slow cooker from an aunt & uncle; it wasn't on our gift list but it's been a god send and is still being used 23 years later!

Definitely a good quality air fryer

We asked our wedding guests to get us a 'date' (if they were inclined to get us anything) as we prefer experiences to 'things'.

We received several restaurant and local hotel vouchers, a kayaking tour voucher, a speed-boat trip, a voucher for a fancy picnic, and probably the most imaginative was a nice bottle of wine, a voucher for a local cheese place, posh cheese biscuits and an 'at-home escape room' puzzle for a cosy winter night in.

Some people gave us cash which we've put aside for other activities we fancy doing as and when they come up.

Lots to look forward to in our first year or two of marriage and nice memories to cherish.

A night at a vineyard with wine tasting

A date night! Vouchers for cinema and meal out. Things that we do do anyway but felt like a treat as it was a thoughtful gift.

A cool bag picnic bag with picnic rug. In the bag the giver gave a little champagne, a corkscrew, hand gel and a cardboard cake stand.

Best gift we got by far and we still use it now 11 years later.

A joules picnic basket with little plates, cutlery and glasses.

We use it fairly often and it does feel like a nice luxury item (much posher than the carrier bag we would usually have taken)

Not very original but our most useful presents by far were the John Lewis vouchers that we used for the car seat and other baby bits a few months after the wedding!

From different people we got a rose and a fruit tree - both of which are still going strong in the garden many years later and have brought a lot of enjoyment - and the gifters have loved when we've pointed them out when they visit to see they have been well loved and appreciated. Obviously only a good option if they have a garden/don't instantly kill all living things/are likely to stay in their home for a few years to come.

Our friends chipped in and bought us a dualit toaster. (We got married young!!) 25 years on and we use it every day. 😊

this one

A beautiful wicker picnic basket and picnic blanket. It wasn't on our list and I still love it (20+ years later).

Another couple bought us a barbecue, which was perfect for us as we didn't have one at the time and, again, not on our list.

I bought my friend a picture from the local art shop as I wanted to get her something completely unique. It was expensive at the time but 22 years and three houses later it’s still hanging on her living room
wall.

Crystal red wine glasses. Partly because they were a gift from a much loved (and hugely missed) uncle, but also because we wouldn’t have paid that much at the time for wine glasses and they feel so heavy and decadent even for a fiver a bottle wine.

We had a large dinner service which most of our guests contributed to. I love it, and we will have it forever, but I don’t feel as warmly about it as I do the glasses.

A lovely framed print of a watercolour painting of an area we both enjoy visiting makes me smile when I look at it too.

Completely forgot that my parents bought us a painting. It is on our living room wall 15 years on. It was one that we chose, but if you know that they like a particular artist or style of painting, that would be lovely.

a le creuset casserole pot (go to outlet for better price). It should last a marriage!

€100 to spend on honeymoon. We went for a fancy meal and wine pairing we wouldn't have done otherwise and still think of it regularly.

We got some crystal champagne glasses which at the time I thought 'meh'. But nearly 30 years on they are still used and cherished, and I recall the workmates who clubbed together to give them to us.