What can I get my friend as a wedding present??

[SausalitoSue]

I am so bad at knowing what to buy people.

I’ve asked if there’s a honeymoon fund we can donate to but there isn’t.

I would buy a plant or tree but they live with parents at the mo.

My mum has got them a giant oak salt pig with their names engraved, which was well over £100, but I know that’s not their taste and is just a generic wedding present and will end up in the loft.

A cheque feels impersonal and would have to acquire a chequebook. Do people give cash at weddings?? How much?

Old childhood friend getting married but I clearly don’t know her very well anymore. Have met fiance about twice. She likes the outdoors (wildlife, walking, foraging etc), crafts, books.

Help!

Cash!! I didn’t request cash or anything but I didn’t get a single presen

Just cash!

I gave childhood best friend 250£

See that feels like an embarrassing amount - I’d bloody love to receive £250 but I think she’d be shocked and ask if I want some of it back 😆

Cash or gift vouchers would be what I would suggest. Cash is probably easier.

Give whatever amount you want. £250 from the previous poster seems a very high amount to me.

National Trust membership?

£50 John Lewis gift card for when they move out.

Was thinking exactly that

Huh yeah why didn’t I think of a voucher 🤔 sounds good. I think I wanted to give something more personal and special but I think it’s a sad realisation that I don’t know her very well anymore, otherwise I’d know what to get her!

Cash. It's £100 for a wedding although thats probably the minimum you should give.

I am from a background where people never gave cash, but the first time I did it was a bloody revelation and now i do it every time. I give £50. If it's a close blood family member I give £100.

We definitely didn’t get £100 per guest/party for our wedding 😆 whew that would have been amazing! How times have changed. Does sound reasonable nowadays though!

Don't give cash or vouchers because hitting on the right amount is so tricky, and embarrassing.
I would give her a book about walks in one of the National Parks. I've got a couple of those, they contain lots of maps and information for your hike. Very useful.

Our most used/appreciated after the fact wedding gifts are nice to have items we use semi regularly but wouldn’t necessarily have splashed out on ourselves though are good quality/will last - and every time I get them out I remember a) the gifter and b) the wedding. For us / this includes a nice wine cooler and serving dishes.

If outdoorsy a nice quality picnic blanket - thinking one of those wool ones.

If in doubt - if I know where a couple is going on honeymoon I try to get cash in that currency. Always useful/well received and I feel like it’s one step up from cash in terms of showing care/effort.

It’s not £100 for a wedding it’s whatever the giver wants to give. There is not set amount

That’s true - whenever I use any of our wedding gifts I think of the person who gave it to us, I still remember who gave us everything!

I’d do some nice Mr and Mrs mugs (Emma Bridgewater for example) and some cash in a card.

There really isn't a rule like that.

It’s so nice you want to show your care for her by getting her something to remember.

Have you got time to go round to hers and investigate what you could get an elevated version of - or ask her mum (if you are childhood friends and know her)?

This is the sort of present that ends up in the charity shop. Do people really want Mr and Mrs branded mugs? It seems more of a hen/stag do novelty item. if they’re not going to like an engraved present, they’re not going to want generic branded mugs.

Cash is definitely the best gift if they haven’t specified. There is no expiry date, they can spend them anywhere, and you’ll know it will be in something they want. If you want to wrap something up a bottle of champagne is celebratory (but only if you know they like it!).

This. It's a gift, not a response to an invoice.

Local foraging course/day or a trip to see birds of prey or something similar?

That's a nice idea.

Cash! £100 seems a reasonable starting point but agreed I’d give more to a good friend. Also depends on the circumstances though as I’d hate for a friend who is struggling with money to worry about how much to give for my wedding!

We asked for no gifts (8 years ago), but if people would like to give something then honeymoon contributions. The largest contribution we got was £1,000, the smallest about £10, we really appreciated all and were equally grateful for people who made it our wedding but didn’t contribute.

To balance out people suggesting a physical gift, we were also given some soulless unwanted presents (quite bulky as well - our wedding was abroad!) like bathrobes and throws. Not our taste and generic - took them home to be polite but got rid of as soon as we could.

Well said, I couldn’t agree more!

I would have kept the bathrobes, they're actually really useful..

I think it’s horses for courses because I loved the ones I was gifted but fair point.