How to Pick the Perfect Wedding Gift

You’ve been invited to a wedding! At first everything is perfect – you’re happy for your friends, you are looking forward to the party and everything is going swimmingly. You’re not even worried about what you’re going to wear because you’re all set with a go-to wedding dress for this season. However, there’s the question of the gift. The couple have made a gift list and you are limited to the items on the list, but how do you chose the perfect gift? Try following these steps:

Set a budget for the wedding gift

Just like a bride had to do for her wedding, you want to set the budget for the gift. There is no sense in spending too much money on a gift and then trying to scrape by for the rest of the month. If the bride and groom were sensible when they were forming the list, they have probably put a variety of items at different price points, so that there is something for everyone to buy them. And unless you are a parent of the bride or groom, there is really no need to go for the most expensive gift on the list just to try and prove your love for the couple. If you see a gift you love, and if the gift is out of your budget, you can try teaming up with somebody. Surely, the bride and groom won’t mind if they get a combined gift from some guests, so seek out the people you know who are also going to the wedding, and then budget together.

When to go rogue

A wedding gift list is there for a reason. The couple sets it up to avoid any duplicate gifts, gifts that they don’t need or simply the ones that will just add clutter to their home. However, there are some situations when you are allowed to go astray. If you know the couple really well and you know they’ve been talking about that Bertazzoni range kitchen appliance for their new kitchen, but they didn’t put it on the registry because they thought it’s too big of a gift to ask for – go rogue. Or, if you want to gift them something special and personalized, like a weekend getaway, dance classes, or a DIY collage of the family, you should definitely go for it. The bottom line is – if you’re going to go rogue, make sure you know the couple well enough to be certain that what you’re getting them is better than any of the gifts on their list.

Don’t wait too long

The wedding list operates on a first-come-first-served basis, meaning the longer you wait, the less option there will be for you to choose from. This is especially important if you have a limited budget and you want to make sure you find a gift that is within your price range. Keep in mind that all of the gifts on the registry are something that the couple wants or needs, but if you find that you are out of options, ask the couple’s family – or the couple themselves – whether a different gift you’ve thought of would be to their liking.

When should you go for cash?

There is always an option of giving the couple a pretty envelope with some cold, hard cash inside. It’s a no-brainer, they will be able to choose whatever they want, and you can give them exactly how much you budgeted for. There are some downsides, including how the gift of money can seem impersonal (unless you know that they need cash for something specific) and how much more you could potentially get with a gift: sometimes, a gift can look a lot more expensive than it actually is, while there’s really nothing to hide behind in cash. If however a honey moon is planned then foreign currency for the happy couple to spend on their honeymoon is an option which adds a little more thought to the gift of money.

No matter what decide to buy, try to think of the couple and how they will feel about the gift, and not just what you personally prefer. Everyone is important in this scenario, but the couple are the stars of the show, so cater to them.