To ask for help with wedding gift for colleague?

[Dinosauraddict]

Hi, I really need some help, so hope IANBU to ask here! My colleague is getting married, we all get on but aren't close (none of us socialise outside of work, very different characters, clearly aren't going to wedding etc). I've done a team card and collection so we can wish them congratulations and got about £85 which is great. Colleague is male, none of us have ever met his STBDW. I need to get something this weekend, and I really need ideas??? So far options I'm considering include - nice champagne flutes, maybe some chocolates or fizz, perhaps a jokey book about married life? I am married and found we got quite a lot of duplicated stuff (Mr & Mrs mugs in particular) so want to avoid that. The couple have lived together for years, own their own home so don't need starter kit, and they haven't asked for anything particular. If there was a gift registry I wouldn't know about it (and this is a surprise so I don't want to ask). Sorry for length - but help?

Actually scrap my suggestion; they are loads! Am sure they never used to be!!!

@bestbefore I've always fancied the turquoise le creuset myself - but could never justify the cost!

This is an utter minefield. Thanks everyone for thoughts. Will go into town tomorrow and update once I've found something. Do keep any other bright ideas coming!

John Lewis voucher is always good.

We were given a gorgeous keepsake box from a local ethical import shop. It's flat on top, so can stack easily, and big enough to store trinkets, cards and other wedding mementos.

I'd get one of those and put £50 inside. It's ok to give cash. I once gave a relative a print of a picture he liked in plastic frame with £500
of notes peeping out behind.

Not a frame - you have no idea of their decor. And they will probably end up with 10 to go alongside their mr and Mrs mugs.
Don’t get anything that is to be on display in their home. You run the risk that it’s totally not to their taste.

Just give them the cash or a JL gift voucher with a bottle of champagne all wrapped up nicely.

Le creuset rainbow mug set from jl with gift receipt. Nice box not offensive easy to exchange!

Not a photo frame! You don't know if they have a theme at home so might not match. For example, all our photo frames are black. If someone got us. Silver one (let alone engraved 🤮), it would be shoved in a drawer, never to see the light of day.

A John Lewis voucher? Hmm, we would really have to go out of our way to get to a John Lewis. Never shop there. Anything you can get on there, you can get cheaper from Amazon.

I would go for cash, or Amazon vouchers (although, when I was quite new in my job, I was tasked with doing a collection for one of my officers and got him Amazon vouchers, which didn't go down well as I work for a trade union 🙈 - lesson learned)

Spend £5 on a cheap photo frame
Go to your bank and get four new £20 notes with the rest of the collection money
Put the notes inside the frame as if they're a photo
Just make sure that they realise that it's real money

Do not give any engraved tat. You can’t send it to a charity shop or regift and do it gets binned. Anything engraved is by default tat.

No champagne glasses - who wants off glasses?

Emma Bridgrwater do mrs and mr mugs if you must go down the personalised gift route.

No champagne people get loads.

You can use John Lewis vouchers to buy food in Waitrose and so useful. Same with m and s.

Honestly if it must be a gift as opposed to JL vouchers I would go with classic glass wear (of the non wedding themed variety), or say a good decanter. One nice and useful thing I got for my wedding was a silver scroll type thing to keep wedding certificates in.

Whatever you get, definitely YES to giving them the gift receipt with it. Then you have A Thing To Present, your colleague can look suitably touched and grateful (then return it later ).

Now I really want those Le Creuset rainbow mugs someone mentioned above!

So, after FIVE HOURS walking round town (I am pregnant, slightly grumpy, and very much exhausted), I have decided to put together a hamper thing made up of the following:

• John Lewis champagne flutes (not wedding ones)
• John Lewis cake serving set (not wedding themed but could be used for wedding)
• Hotel Chocolat 'congratulations' chocolates
• Bottle of Prosecco
• Mr & Mrs book
• Confetti
• Some nice mugs with their initial letter on
• A couple small jokey things I know are linked to their hobbies.

Hopefully, they'll like that. Or at least appreciate the effort!

Well done OP . Don’t forget to include the gift receipt.

I love the fact everyone always says JL vouchers. What if you live nowhere near one, like me?

Sorry but that’s just lots of tat! Please say you know they drink? I’d only use the mugs!

Has he got a wedding list somewhere you can see?

oops sorry missed the update that you've done it-well done op!

greenlaveder JL vouchers can be used online too.