Wedding Gift Guide

We've got a lot of engaged friends around us, and as the parties and showers start rolling around, we've got to scramble for gifts to give. It's harder when the ladies getting married all know each other. You can't gift the same thing! Then you've got to figure out what gift to give for the engagement party, bridal shower, bachelorette, and the wedding itself. Whoa! That's a lot of gifts that can put a wrinkle in our pretty wallets.

So let's break it down into the types of gifts to give for each type of party, and cheaper ideas that are no less special.

Engagement Party
It's not customary to bring gifts to an engagement party, but some people still bring them. That's okay. If you do want to bring a gift, bring something small like flowers, a bottle of wine, or small household items like a nice picture frame or a pair of candlesticks.

You know what though? A pair of candlesticks and a picture frame? It sounds a little traditional, doesn't it? One of our engaged friends had an engagement party and we threw together a photo slideshow of the couple and burned it onto a DVD. Since we knew the couple from when we were all kids, we had pictures of them from way back when. We scanned or took pictures of the print photographs, uploaded it unto the computer, arranged them in some order, picked a nice background music, and let the Windows DVD Maker do the rest. It was easy and simple, but nostalgic and sentimental. It didn't cost much, but had a lot of impact. They watched it at the party over and over again!

You don't have to bring a gift, but if you want to, we vote for something sweet and sentimental. Even something DIY.

Bridal Shower
Most people get so confused about the difference between a bridal shower and a bachelorette party. We boil it down to this. A bachelorette party is more risque. It's the equivalent to the bachelor party, infamous for strip clubs and lots of alcohol. A bridal shower is calmer and maybe classier. Grandma's gonna be there.

Nowadays, however, many people combine the two. So a bridal shower can turn risque, with Grandma leading the pack! It's all in good fun, but figuring what gift to give can start becoming confusing. It's best to find out from the MOH what the vibe of the bridal shower would be. But remember Grandma, so don't bring raunchy gifts to the shower.




Bridal shower gifts can range from kitchen utensils to lingerie. Here's a few affordable gift ideas:

• bath related (towels, bath soaks/oils/bubbles, fluffy bathrobes)
• beauty related (lotions, creams, facial masks)
• sexier bedtime items (lingerie, lacy underwear, satin robes)
• kitchen items (dish towels, tea set, utensils like spatulas/whisks/etc)
• mood items (candles, room fragrances/incense, massage oils)
• personalized items, which can be affordable if you canvass and order early (towels, robes, pillows, mugs)

Bachelorette Party
The bachelorette party is fun and risque, and so are the gifts. Though ask the MOH, because depending on the bride, the party may not be as risque or raunchy as you would think. Here are some gift ideas:

• lingerie
• bath related (towels, robes, bath soaks/oils/bubbles)
• bar tools (shot glasses, little bottles of alcohol or vodka variety, margarita/wine glasses, martini shakers)
• personalized jewelry

Wedding Gifts
Look in the wedding registry. That's the easiest solution, but may not be the most affordable. Also, some couples don't have a registry and some would prefer money. Some don't have a registry because they prefer money.

Unless we know the couple's situation, we prefer giving an actual gift. Figure out the couple's situation. Perhaps money is the best option. For example, they may not have a big place to begin with, or they're apartment hunting for the first time and need rent.

If you're giving a gift and there's no registry, just think home goods. There are many options, from the unique to the basic. Here are some ideas:

• big white bath towels (towels can be expensive and everyone uses them. get white because they're easy to bleach and clean)
• home fragrance sets (these can be stored for a while and when used up, they're thrown away - which means it'll help in the long run but won't take up space forever)
• kitchen items (from personalized mugs to small appliances)
• tickets/gift cards to something the couple can do together

Whatever you decide to give, remember that giving should come from the heart.