Wedding gifts – your ultimate guide to choosing the perfect wedding present for the big day

With a wedding on the horizon (whether it’s your own or one you are attending as a guest), you may be wondering how to choose a wedding gift. With choices ranging from wedding gift list companies to cash, honeymoon contributions and everything in between.

Choosing the perfect wedding gift can sometimes present a challenge, from what to buy through to the wedding present amount.

It’s a generally accepted norm that if you attend someone’s wedding – especially if you are there for the whole day – that a gift is given to convey your well wishes for the happy couple. But what do you ask for as a wedding gift if it is your wedding day? Or if you are attending a wedding, how should you choose a wedding gift for the happy couple?

People have different views on this and some say you shouldn’t expect flash tokens from guests. But let’s be honest – getting a bevy of treats really is an upside of the day. If you are the married couple to be, it is also a great opportunity to treat yourself to something special and potentially save money down the line.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve heard horror stories of spoilt couples demanding guests contribute a certain amount to pay for the day (don’t be like them!) and this certainly isn’t the way to go. 

You want your nearest and dearest there to make fantastic memories, not for financial incentives. But after all the blood, tears and table plans – it may just be your best chance to kit out your home or pay for that dream honeymoon you’ve been considering. 

Looking for inspiration? Read on for some great ideas on how to choose a wedding gift:

Money

Is it okay to ask for money for a wedding gift? Well as the old saying goes, cash is king – and for good reason! 

Offering the ultimate in flexibility, a cash gift from your guests can be spent as you see fit. Whether it’s towards your honeymoon, household goods to furnish a new place or to help pay off some of the (now gigantic) credit bills you’ve somehow accumulated. 

Some guests may prefer not to give cash for this very reason.

They may prefer that you have an actual gift to cherish rather than some easily accessible money that may be absorbed into spending elsewhere. We’ve all been in the position of accidentally frittering away a sum of money intended for a more exciting cause, and it’s understandable that some will opt for something more tangible and lasting.

This will be for you to judge, but if requested most will be happy to oblige. Especially if you have stated what you intend to spend the funds on, such as that dream honeymoon to the Maldives (see below). 

Don’t forget, your less organised guests will always be happy to fall back on a cash wedding gift as a last minute option. We think it is okay to ask for money for a wedding gift, and there’s a good chance you will have some cash to put towards something special even if many prefer to opt for a more formal gift. 

Wedding gift list companies

With an abundance of wedding gift list companies out there such as John Lewis and Prezzola in the UK, a wedding gift list offers a great opportunity to treat yourself to those essential or indulgent items you haven’t got round to buying. 

With a huge range of high quality items from leading brands, this could be the perfect time to upgrade that hand-me-down cutlery set, buy those posh wine glasses or treat yourself to some plush Egyptian cotton towels, a new coffee machine, or that toaster and kettle set you’ve had your eye on for a while. 

The great thing about a gift list from one of well know wedding gift list companies is that you get to pick out a number of great items at different price points and easily add them to your DIY wedding gift list. 

This is then circulated online and guests can browse and choose your wedding gift according to their budget – giving you a lasting gift to enjoy.

Big names such as Prezola – the UK’s favourite wedding gift list and honeymoon fund – offer a smooth and enjoyable process to to do this, with a wealth of amazing high end products for you to choose from. 

Just sign up (use this link to get £50 to spend at Prezola with gift lists over £200) and share the link. This will then guide guests through your pre-selected choice with a mix of cash, gifts, honeymoon contributions and more available on the one list.

With curated lists of the most popular wedding presents online – they will take away a lot of the hard work from you. Sign up now and Prezola are also offering £50 towards your list when your gift list amount is over £200.

Our top tip: Pick a broad selection of gifts at different price points. Most guests will fall into the £30-100 region, but offer a number of medium and higher priced options for the the big hitters to choose from. 

Please note: we may make a small commission if signing up to a gift list via our links above at no additional cost to you.

Honeymoon 

That dream trip to the Maldives, sun kissed cocktails in the Caribbean or big game safari tour in Kenya – yes please!!!

Billed as one of the best holidays we’ll have of our lives. We all want to make the most of our honeymoon and create some perfect memories from the first magical getaway as a married couple. However, if you’ve overspent on the big day itself, adding on additional £2-5000 on top of an already burgeoning credit card bill can feel like a bit of a stretch.

Well , why not ask for guest contributions towards your dream honeymoon? They will feel more at ease about steering away from a traditional gift by knowing they’re helping you make memories and putting money towards something worthwhile. 

A great option if you aren’t in need of other items and don’t want to compromise on your dream honeymoon experience. As mentioned above, this is also offered by wedding gift list companies to make the process easier. 

Our tip: ask for contributions to your honeymoon but also offer a gift list with a range of different priced options so that guests can choose for themselves.

Personalised wedding gifts 

Personalised wedding gifts are a brilliant and growing trend to give to the happy couple.

Whether its as a novelty or to give a personalised wedding gift with names, dates, slogans and more to capture the day. With the right choice, these gorgeous individually styled wedding presents can become a favourite feature for the happy couple and offer that little extra bit of thought to cherish long after the occasion.

Catered towards the couples tastes, great ideas could include personalised cheese boards, wine glasses photo albums or towel sets – all of which can be found online at Getting Personal.

Don’t forget – personalised gifts can also be great for the wedding party. Giving your wedding squad presents such as personalised cuff links, hip flasks, jewellery and more can make excellent gifts for you to give to the best man, maid of honour, groomsmen and bridesmaids.

This will add a personal nod of appreciation for helping you get down the aisle in style!

Browse a broad selection of fantastic personalised wedding gifts at Getting Personal.

Give an experience 

What do you give to the couple that have everything? 

Why not a fantastic experience to remember! Previously owned by Dragons Den favourites Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis; Red Letter Days offer a brilliant choice of experiences at different price points ranging from three course meals to spa days, vineyard tours and hotel stays. Can’t decide? 

Buy a gift card and let them choose for themselves. 

This is a great way to encourage the happy couple to treat themselves once the nuptials are done and dusted, leaving the guest safe in the knowledge that they’ve treated you to something special to remember.

Honeymoon experience 

A soothing full body massage or sparkling champagne breakfast – the choice is yours. Tying in both honeymoons and gift experiences – a number of companies now allow you to buy experiences for the wedded couple whilst they are on their honeymoon. 

Alongside gift items and vouchers, wedding gift list companies such as Prezola also offer a number of honeymoon experiences which you can add to your gift list. These range from the more adventurous such as a surf lesson or snorkelling trip for you both to breakfast in bed, luxurious spa treatments or New York City helicopter tours.

A great option to allow guests to add something magical and create some lasting memories for your honeymoon.

Let them choose 

If all else fails, let them choose your gift themselves! Depending on your perspective, this can be risky (who needs three toasters??) but actually may result in some great surprises from attendees. 

Certain guests may also prefer not being told what to do. It is their money they’re spending after all!

Although you don’t want to get multiples, waste presents or leave guests clueless, some guests will undoubtedly go the extra mile and you may get some fantastic thoughtful gifts. Just weigh up whether you are happy to leave it to them or would prefer to guide them towards something in particular you have in mind.

Contribute towards the wedding itself 

Okay so I’ve included this one to play devils advocate.

I (personally) feel that some guests may feel a bit strange about directly financing your special day unless there is some acute reason to do so (Illness for example.) There’s a good chance your very close family or parents will be covering some part of the bill if you’re lucky but it’s unlikely many of your other guests will anticipate chipping in directly for the day.

The way around this may be to pull in some favours instead of an actual gift.

A keen chef who may be willing to help with the cake or a friend or relative with a prestige car who will be willing to use it as one of the cars on the day. Symbolically exchanged instead of a gift this could prove even more valuable if it saves you from sourcing services professionally.

Charity contribution

Okay this is likely to be for the really altruistic ones and we certainly wouldn’t judge you for getting gifts for yourself – it is YOUR wedding after all! 

But maybe you have a cause dear to your heart or feel very financially stable. This could be a truly generous gesture to give to a local charity or cause. Whether a charity contribution makes up a small or larger part of your gift – of course this is entirely up to you. If chosen, we salute you!

We hope that’s provided some inspiration on how to choose a perfect wedding gift for the day. With everything from money to using wedding gift list companies if you have any other feedback or ideas – please let us know in the comments section below.