best wedding gift you received

[Anonymous]

Cash!

[Anonymous]

thank you everyone for great suggestions! i tend to usually not get very creative w/ my gifts so i'll prob wind up giving some practical/utilitarian thing(s) from the registry but i love the picture framing idea and the kennedy center gift certificate idea too.

thanks again

[Anonymous]

Money. Dh and I had already lived together for two years before we got married.

[Anonymous]

definitely money/gift cards were the best things i received. also, dishes, nice coffee maker, pots and pans from my registry

[Anonymous]

Some very simple and very elegant crystal candlesticks. They are sort of geometric and modern, not like a more traditional Waterford look. I love them and know I will use them regularly forever.

Now that my wedding is a distant memory, so are many of the gifts. Having some that are truly going to last a lifetime is really neat.

[Anonymous]

Since it's your brother, you could do or get something special for the two of them that doesn't cost a lot. One of my friends got me a platter made by a third person we mutually know who is very special to me. I don't think it broke the bank but it's beautiful and it means so much to me because of who made it. Or you could do a basket of special items for a holiday your family celebrates (ie: matching christmas stockings and a couple of ornaments, or a beautiful menorah, etc.). Or you could arrange a special meaningful treat for their honeymoon (a picnic basket with gourmet sandwiches and goodies for the beach, etc.). Or make a Shutterfly book with the wedding pictures guests post and share (since their formal album will likely just be professional pics).

Also just noticed you suggested the chef's knife. If that is what you want to do, absolutely give it, maybe with a couple of family recipes written into a beautiful recipe book? It supposed to be bad luck to give knives though but that only matters if it matters to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since it's your brother, you could do or get something special for the two of them that doesn't cost a lot. One of my friends got me a platter made by a third person we mutually know who is very special to me. I don't think it broke the bank but it's beautiful and it means so much to me because of who made it. Or you could do a basket of special items for a holiday your family celebrates (ie: matching christmas stockings and a couple of ornaments, or a beautiful menorah, etc.). Or you could arrange a special meaningful treat for their honeymoon (a picnic basket with gourmet sandwiches and goodies for the beach, etc.). Or make a Shutterfly book with the wedding pictures guests post and share (since their formal album will likely just be professional pics).

Also just noticed you suggested the chef's knife. If that is what you want to do, absolutely give it, maybe with a couple of family recipes written into a beautiful recipe book? It supposed to be bad luck to give knives though but that only matters if it matters to you.

PS: I usually suggest sticking with the registry, but this is your sibling, so I think it's different.

[Anonymous]

Wine of the month club for a full year

[Anonymous]

My SIL got us a cheese board in the shape of our home state with a heart at the location of our wedding location, our initials and our wedding date. We hang it up in our kitchen and love it. I think she got it on Etsy and I don't think it was very expensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wine of the month club for a full year

Oops sorry just saw your budget. In that price range the all clad pizza stone. It's amazing and we have so much fun making home made pizzas

[Anonymous]

On Etsy I've seen really pretty return address stamps in the $30 range. You could do one with their new married name.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On Etsy I've seen really pretty return address stamps in the $30 range. You could do one with their new married name.

Meant to add, with some pretty engraved notecards or something like that.

[Anonymous]

21:30 here. I will add, when DH and I got married, we were on the young side and both of our sisters were quite young - mine was a recent college grad with very little income and SIL was still in college. Neither got us a wedding gift and it did not occur to us for even a minute that they would or that they should. Frankly I would have been uncomfortable if they spent much from their already tight budgets on us. Both gave thoughtful, personal gifts (not terribly expensive) for my shower and were very involved and enthusiastic for the wedding and preceding events, and that meant a lot to us. If you're in school (and especially if you are younger), I think something small and meaningful is better than worrying about spending a lot or giving money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You get what they asked for, thats the best gift.

Yes! I know this seems stupid but I truly researched and wanted everything on my registry. It felt like the people who went off registry just didn't care about what I wanted or needed. Such as the people who wanted me to have crystal picture frames or the 3 people we got popcorn makers from. I loved the thoughtful off registry gifts like our name plaque but the rest just seemed rude. I dislike clutter and it was a hassle to return gifts we didn't ask for or have room for. Either go off registry or gift cash.

[Anonymous]

I loved getting things off the registry. Many people were very thoughtful. Some of my favorites - framed photograph of the skyline of the city where we were married; monogrammed towels; nice bottle of wine to be opened on our 1 year anniversary along with some wine glasses.