Wedding

You want your destination wedding to be a memorable and enjoyable occasion. One way to ensure your guests get the most out of their hotel stay for your wedding weekend is to give them a wedding gift bag or out-of-town bag, also called “OOT” bags, filled with goodies and neat treats upon their arrival at the hotel rooms.

Wedding gift bags can be filled with anything from bottled water and snacks to miniature bottles of champagne and a set of plastic toasting glasses with a few fine chocolates and a scented candle. A small travel sewing kit is a winner every time. You will not believe how many of your guests will thank you for this wonderful and practical gift. It is not uncommon for guests to comment on how their sewing kit saved the day when they used it to sew on a button that popped off from a suit or dress just before your wedding.

Another idea is to research the local customs and favorite cuisines around the area of your destination wedding. Local travel pamphlets about area attractions are free in most areas. Simply contact the chamber of commerce for the area where your wedding will take place. Your travel agent is also a great resource for finding small favors to add to your wedding gift bags.

An 8″ x 5″ x 10″ paper or poly gift bag is the most common size used as gift bags. Ask the hotel host or hostess to place one of these bags on the vanity or night stand of each hotel room, welcoming your guests to your city or an exotic island or location. You may also want to make arrangements for your gift bags to be handed out by the host or hostess as your guests check in to the hotel.

You will probably want to assemble your guest welcome bags and box them up before you leave for your destination. This will make it easy to transport and deliver to your hotel. In some cases, you may want to wait until you have arrived at your wedding location so you can purchase local goodies to add to your bags. Another option is to check with your hotel to see if they have staff available to set up the gift bags for you.

Your wedding guests will be delighted to find the treasures that await them when they check in to their hotel rooms. Add a personal message by having your wedding gift bags custom printed with a personal message from the bride and groom saying ‘Welcome to Our Wedding Weekend’ or ‘Thank You for Joining Us’ along with the bride and grooms names and wedding date.

No matter what you decide to give as destination wedding favors, your guests will appreciate this token of your gratitude for their participation on your most special day.

Raymond Miller is the founder and chief editor of My Wedding Reception Ideas. My Wedding Reception Ideas offers wedding couples premium wedding favors including personalized wedding gift bags for out of town guests and destination weddings.

Is the cost of your wedding putting the honeymoon of your dreams out of reach? Not to worry; if you already have all the kitchenware and bedding you need, and if you have generous friends and family, your problem might be solved by setting up a honeymoon registry.

A honeymoon registry is much like a wedding registry. Just as a wedding registry allows you to create a list of gifts you would prefer to receive at your wedding, a honeymoon registry allows you to create a list of places you would like to go and things you would like to do on your honeymoon. The honeymoon registry enables your wedding guests to purchase portions of your honeymoon. Yes, your guests could just contribute cash toward your honeymoon, but somehow giving a particular portion of the honeymoon—dinner at a fancy restaurant, or a carriage ride, for example—is more meaningful.

Type the phrase “honeymoon registry” into your favorite search engine, and you’ll get thousands of results. There are three basic kinds of honeymoon registries:

1. Registries that require you to book your travel through the travel agency offering the registry.
2. Registries that allow you to book your travel either through the sponsoring travel agency (or other affiliated travel agencies), through the travel agency of your choice, or on your own. Usually these registries charge an extra fee or higher service charge if you choose not to book travel through the registry’s parent travel agency.
3. Registries that are not affiliated with any travel agencies, requiring you to make travel arrangements on your own or through a travel agency of your choice.
   

If a honeymoon registry sounds like the perfect solution for you, then here is a quick guide to choosing, creating, and using one:

1. Choosing the honeymoon registry

Search for the term “honeymoon registry” on your favorite search engine, and you’ll come up with plenty of results. How do you choose the one that’s best for you? Here are a few basic tips:

• Take a “virtual tour” of several different registries. Start by looking for the registry’s FAQ page, then look at a few examples of honeymoon registries.
• Look for professionalism. Does the site provide a thorough explanation of its services, including all fees and service charges? Does it explain who you can contact or what you can do if you run into problems? If the honeymoon registry is run by a travel agency, does the FAQ explain the company’s policy for cancelled or delayed travel?
• Contact couples who have actually used the registry. You can find couples by looking up old honeymoon registries and doing a web search for their e-mail addresses. Or look for e-mail addresses associated with wedding home pages hosted by the registry service. Send a friendly e-mail explaining your situation and asking for advice; most couples will be happy to offer their advice.
• Talk to someone from the registry service, either by phone or e-mail. If the registry service falls short on customer service when you’re signing up, don’t expect better service if a problem arises.
  

2. Creating the honeymoon

First, you submit some basic personal information—your names, the date of the wedding, contact information, and so on. Then you create your registry, which is an itemized list of all your honeymoon expenses. Some registries charge a setup fee, usually between $100-$150; others charge nothing to the wedding couple, but charge wedding guests a “service fee” when they buy part of the honeymoon. Most honeymoon registry websites allow you to create your registry right away over the web. Other sites put you in touch (by phone or e-mail) with a representative who helps you create your registry.

What can you list on your registry? If you can buy it, you can list it. Typical registries list transportation, lodging, activities, special amenities, and meals. Expensive items are usually broken down so guests can choose to pay only a portion of the item. For example, a honeymoon registry might list 10 gifts of $100 each toward your $1000 airfare expense.

Some honeymoon registries allow you to personalize your registry with a message to your guests and descriptions of the different parts of your honeymoon, perhaps even allowing you to upload pictures to the registry.

3. Announcing the honeymoon registry

Once your registry is set up, you need to let your wedding guests know that it exists. Many registries will provide you with printed cards announcing the registry and its web address; you can either mail them with the wedding invitation or separately. Some registries will e-mail your wedding guests if you provide their addresses.

The more tactful approach is to let your guests know about your registry indirectly. Let your parents, close friends, or wedding party members know that you have a honeymoon registry; they can pass the word along to guests. Or create a wedding web page with up-to-date information for guests, and include a link to your registry on that page. You can then list the address of your wedding web page in your invitation without directly bringing up the issue of gifts.

4. Buying gifts from the honeymoon registry

Guests look up your registry by typing your last name(s) into a search box on the registry website. After reading what you want, they click on the item(s) they want to buy and pay for the items over the website. Most registries also allow guests to purchase items by phone.

The gift-giver usually receives a certificate that is either sent to the wedding couple or to the giver (to hand on to the couple in person); some registries charge a fee to mail this certificate. Other registries notify the couple of the gift by e-mail. On any registry, you can track how many gifts you have received simply by logging into the registry.

It’s important to note that most registries require guests to pay a service charge for the privilege of contributing to your honeymoon. The service charge is a percentage of the cost of the gift; the registries we surveyed had service charges ranging from 3.5% to 15%. So if a guest wants to pay $100 toward your airfare and the honeymoon registry website imposes a 10% service charge, she will end up spending $110.

5. Paying for the honeymoon

The wedding couple are ultimately responsible for paying for their honeymoon expenses. That means that any portion of the honeymoon that must be paid prior to the wedding (airfare, room deposits and so on) comes out of your pocket. Some or all of those expenses might be picked up by your guests, although most couples’ honeymoon expenses are not completely covered by their registry. It’s wise not to plan a more extravagant honeymoon than you can pay for yourselves.

Whatever money wedding guests contribute toward the honeymoon is placed in a holding account. The registry sends the couple a check (or electronically deposits the funds into their account) on a predetermined date, usually a week before the wedding. Even though the wedding guests paid for certain parts of the honeymoon, the couple is really free to use the money for anything they want.

6. Thanking guests

It’s important to write thank-you notes to guests who bought part of the honeymoon (just as you would write thank-you notes for any wedding gift). It might actually be fun to thank guests for the honeymoon, though, because you can describe your experience in the note—you might even include a picture.

Jerry Windley-Daoust runs the Creative Honeymoon Ideas website, where you can learn more about honeymoon registries, including a side-by-side comparison of six popular honeymoon registries.

You’re looking for a special wedding gift, and don’t want to simply choose something from the registry. You want unique and memorable wedding gift ideas.

Every couple is unique. So here are a few surefire tips to help you find wonderful and unforgettable wedding gift ideas that match the couple perfectly.

Today’s weddings are as unique as the people involved. The wedding day is one of the most memorable and special events in a person’s life; and the means by which the day is celebrated and executed, are no longer routine. So you’ll want to make sure your wedding gift ideas as are tailored to suit the event and the couple.

If you know the theme of the wedding, your shopping time could be cut in half. Simply choose a unique gift, they both will enjoy that concentrates around the theme.

If you don’t know the theme of the wedding, think about the couple. What is their couple “identity”? For example, if they take a trip together… Do they go camping, skiing, golfing, to the beach, to the mountains?

Another approach… what’s their entertainment style? What do they do in their free time? The concept is to come up with something you know they both love and then choose your gift to match the topic. Here’s a sample:

A friend of mine knew my husband and I had a small vacation home on one of the North Carolina beaches. She also knew that whenever we could get away, that’s where we went. For our wedding present, she gave us a book full of photographs and information on the North Carolina coast. Inside the book were two gift certificates, one for a day at the spa for me, and one for a massage for him.

It has been almost fourteen years and we still have the book and remember the gift.

If you want your gift to be as memorable as their wedding day, here are two gifts that will do the trick:

1. Buy the bride and groom engraved keepsake boxes to safely place the special items they’re sure to accumulate as the day goes by. The boxes will safely and securely protect precious memories of the day they married for years to come. For something very special, as you’re choosing the boxes, go beyond the typical keepsake box. Specialize each box to depict the personality of it’s owner.
2. Watercolor wedding paintings make a sentimental and unique gift. You give a gift certificate that allows the bride and groom to send in pictures from their wedding day that are used to do a watercolor painting. The couple will have a one of a kind painting of their favorite photo that keeps the memories alive for years to come.

With just a little bit of imagination, your gift could be the best one they receive.

Adriana Copaceanu provides people with creative gift ideas that don’t blow the bank. Find many Unique Wedding Gift Ideas at her site. In a hurry to get a gift? Check her Gifts 911, where you’ll find last minute gifts for any occasion.

Receiving wedding gifts is a whole lot more fun when the gifts are of your choice. It is a good idea to create a wedding registry to help your guests choose a wedding gift that you’ll enjoy…and use!

Most people find it difficult to choose a wedding gift for a couple. Worrying about things like whether the couple will like it, is it nice enough, do they need it, can it be exchanged and similar things can make the shopping expedition quite tiresome. You can make things easier for your guests by creating a wedding registry.

Not only do you make things easier for your guests by creating a wedding registry but also for yourself. You will receive only things you really want and you won’t end up with 6 of the same thing. Here are some things to keep in mind when creating your wedding registry.

1. Create your wedding registry with a store that has a wide variety of things. A large and popular store like Macys is a good option to create your wedding registry with.
2. Let your guests know about your wedding registry at least 2 months in advance. If a guest has already bought you a gift, it is highly unlikely that she would buy another one from your wedding registry. Also, if the gift is not listed in your wedding registry it can put the guest in a spot.
3. Ensure that you have gifts in your wedding registry from a wide price range. Choosing only high priced wedding gifts as part of your wedding registry could be considered to be in bad taste.
4. Create a wedding registry with a store that allows you to merge the registry online and offline. This will make it easy for guests from out of town to shop for you.
5. Ensure that your wedding registry includes items that can be easily shipped. While most guests are willing to spend on the wedding gift itself, if they have to pay extra for shipping and handling they may not be so excited about it.
6. When creating your wedding registry make sure you specify your name as well as that of your spouse. Some guests may want personalize your gift and may need to know how to spell your names.
7. Creating a wedding registry online has many benefits. The online wedding registry keeps track of who bought you what. Also, you can email thank you notes directly from the website.
8. You can also create multiple wedding registries with different stores. However, be careful that the items you choose do not overlap since there is no way you can integrate different stores into one wedding registry.

Thus, creating a wedding registry is as easy as 1-2-3. In addition, it saves you and your guests a whole lot of trouble. So if you want to get wedding gifts of your choice (and not another toaster!), create your wedding registry today. You’ll be glad you did, and so will your guests.

Copyright Andrea Britt, 2005. All rights reserved.

Reprint Rights: Feel free to use this article on your website or online publication. Please remember that you must include the author’s copyright, resource box and live URL links, exactly as shown below, to the author’s website at the end of the article.

Andrea Britt is owner of CharmingWeddings.com where you can find elegant, unique wedding favors, bridal shower favors, and wedding planning tips for your wedding reception and bridal shower.

When getting married one of the things that will come up sooner or later is the wedding gift list. Do you have one? How expensive should you make the items? How specific should you be?

Generally speaking if you do not provide your guests with an indication of what you want and need then any gifts they get are probably going to be the last thing that you actually want or need. The flip side to this is that some people are not confident that the present that they buy is going to be liked or appreciated.

Depending on how close you are to the family members you invite, they may or may not have any real idea of your tastes in style and you may very well end up with a nightmare present that you have to keep around the house and pretend to love in case they come to visit. Therefore it’s a good idea to try to be as specific as possible.

A lot of department stores and big brand websites now offer the ability to create your wedding list, either in the store or online. The advantage of an online list is that it gives you a web address you can direct your guests towards, allowing them to browse through the list of items you have selected. These lists will normally link to the item allowing online purchase for the selected product and easy delivery either to the guest or the wedding venue, on the date of the wedding.

Another factor to consider is how much time people will have to spend looking for gifts. A lot of people don’t like spending time walking around shops looking for presents, and e-tail is becoming a much more popular method for purchasing.

In today’s world the majority of couple have lived together for an extended period of time before getting married. Some are bringing items and furniture from two separate households together and finding they have toasters to spare.

As a result more and more people are using their wedding lists as a way of upgrading their homes and getting in more luxurious items that they might not otherwise spend their money on.

A wedding list has the advantage of giving the guests a selection of presents the happy couple really wants. Most of the practical items needed for setting up a new home, the more traditional wedding gifts are already there.

Changing in plates and cups for more funky designer items, swapping the bath towels over to luxury bath sheets or adding some stylish soft furnishings for around the home are all more desirable to receiving another sandwich toaster to sit in the cupboard.

Why not change your cheap Tesco’s wine glasses for some Riedel Crystal, or your dinner service to something designed by Missoni Home. For more expensive items you can always ask your guests to contribute towards rather than buying the gifts outright.

Whatever gifts you decide to go for you should try to make sure that they are items that you want or will use. The most important thing though, is to enjoy the wedding.

For more Luxury Gift ideas have a look at http://www.amara.co.uk

Your best friend’s wedding is coming up and you have to buy a gift. You don’t really want to get them a blender or a vacuum cleaner or a set of dishes. You could just give them money, but that seems so impersonal, albeit useful. What do you do to find a truly unique wedding gift that will stand out from the throngs of average and mundane gifts that seem to populate weddings? A wedding gift should be something that is useful to the new couple as well as thoughtful. The first step to buying any wedding gift should be to check the store where the couple is registered, if they are at all. This will tell you what has already been purchased and what they still need. To be truly unique, however, your gift will be something that no one else will even consider getting them. Food processors and sets of towels are out of the question. Your unique wedding gift will be something astounding, amazing, and thoughtful. But what will it be? Here are some things that are perfectly appropriate as wedding gifts but are not often given. Any of them will be sure to speak to the couple and say that you cared enough to give something very different.

Artwork

A very unique wedding gift, artwork is something for the couple’s new home together but can also be very personal. This is an option that should be seriously considered before being purchased, because art is very subjective. Something that you love could be something they hate. This is also the type of gift that you need to be prepared to spend some money on. An oil painting from the local gallery blowout for ten bucks is not going to cut it. Artwork as a wedding gift should be an artist’s original and that will cost a few hundred dollars at the very least. If the couple has a favorite classical artist, however, a lower cost option could be a framed print of one of that artist’s works.

Gift Certificates

A gift certificate can be a very thoughtful and unique wedding gift, as long as what the certificate is for is something thoughtful and unique. You don’t want a simple department store gift certificate here. Find a gift that can be something tailored to suit the personalities of the couple. Are they the active, outdoors type? Try a gift certificate good for a camping trip in a national park. Maybe they are extreme sports freaks? If so a gift certificate for skydiving lessons or parasailing may be the perfect thing.

These are just a couple of examples of the special and unique wedding gifts you can come up with if you just put your mind to it. With a little bit of creativity and thoughtfulness, you can give a wedding gift that will stand out from all the others and put all the blender buyers and gravy boat givers to shame.

Your Wedding Helper
http://www.4whiteweddings.com

Having spent the last X months, maybe years, planning your wedding, then the day itself has come and gone and your wonderful honeymoon is quickly fading to a memory, you may find that you have come back down to earth with a bump. Particularly if you already lived with your fianc้ before you got married, you might be wondering where your rose tinted glasses have gone and whether you’ll ever see the end of the bills and invoices sitting on the doormat. If you weren’t already living together, you may by now be wondering what on earth you have let yourself in for, doomed for a life of picking up dirty socks and battling with a sink load of dishes.

It is perfectly normal to experience a bit of a low once the last gift has been opened and thank you note sent and you’ve watched the video for the 99th time. You have been running on a heady mix of adrenaline, nerves and passion for months on end and once all the excitement of the wedding has passed you now have to adjust to the idea of being married. Yes, this is what it was all in aid of, all those sleepless nights and sobbing over the seating plan were to get you to this point of being Mrs. Married Name and now you have to decide what to do with yourself!

The best remedy to beating the blues is to get yourself into a routine or system and get yourself back into the swing of ‘ordinary’ life and then plan romantic and exciting boosts to zap into it. Surprise your new hubby if you can get home before him, by meeting him at the front door in some sexy underwear or leaving a trail of confetti (there’s bound to be a box left over, otherwise invest in some reusable silk rose petals or cut out a pile of paper hearts) up the stairs to a candle lit bath with some romantic music playing softly in the background.

Just a small gesture such as writing a romantic message in the steam on the bathroom mirror or slipping a note into Mr. Married Name’s briefcase can give you a little fun. If he isn’t reciprocating, tell him you’d like a little excitement and attention, to be brought flowers on a whim or breakfast in bed at weekends.

Finding ways to keep the affection in your day to day lives together is enormously important and can require all the ingenuity you demonstrated in planning your wedding. The best way to keep things happy and fulfilling is to be tactile; give him a squeeze when you pass on the stairs, or a cuddle while he’s doing the dishes, snuggle up in front of the television and make time for the two of you to do things together that you both enjoy.

If you are both really feeling flat, get some holiday brochures or look online to start thinking about a holiday for next year when you have recovered your finances; start planning how you want to redecorate your home or what you would like to do in the garden. Book tickets to the theatre or a table for two at your favourite restaurant. Cook a candle lit meal or book seats in a local comedy club.

Arrange a night out or a dinner party that you can both look forward to and spend time together in preparing. Having things to look forward to is what keeps us going and makes life worth living.

Keep the dialogue flowing and discuss what you both need to feel happy and relaxed in your lives together and act on it! Now this is what being Mrs. Married Name is all about!

Sarah saved enough money on her dream wedding to pay for her honeymoon. Get advice on how to save money on your wedding. This article is presented to you in conjunction with Knowsley Website Designer. Republication is free, but all content including this resource box and all hyperlinks must remain intact.

Do you want to play wedding gift roulette, or would you rather lessen your chances of receiving a ceramic sombrero chip bowl or a clapper by taking the time to fill out a wedding gift registry?

A wedding gift registry is the perfect way to let all of your guests know just what you need to start your new life together. A gift registry is a service offered by stores to couples that allows them to compile a personalized gift registry wish list that will help well wishers in choosing the perfect present.

You may even be surprised to find out just how many stores offer a gift registry, both on-line and off. Be sure to fill out a gift registry for both to accommodate guests who prefer on-line shopping as well as guests who like to shop in person.

Gift Registry Made Simple

Whether you plan to use an on-line gift registry or a gift registry at a local store, the process is very much the same for both.

* Ask for a gift registry form at the store or click on the

gift registry link at a website in order to receive a

detailed list of gift ideas.

* Take time to browse through the suggested items to find a

brand that you would prefer for certain items, and check

out other gift registry items you hadn’t previously

considered, or may have overlooked for your gift registry

list.

* Place a check by the gift registry items that you’d most

like to receive, and if applicable, the number you need

such as eight place settings.

* When you have finished, either return your gift registry

list to the store’s customer service department, or submit

your on-line gift registry.

There is one sticky gift registry issue that many couples find difficulty handling. What to do when you’d rather receive money than fill out a gift registry?

Many couples would simply like to receive a monetary gift that will help them pay for a honeymoon trip or the down payment on a mortgage, and skip the gift registry all together. But can you just ask your guests to give you money without seeming rude? The answer is probably not. Why? Because your guests are just that; guests. While receiving gifts from a gift registry is nice, it shouldn’t be implied as a requirement for attending.

The best idea would be to provide a list of stores holding your gift registry list, while simultaneously having your closest friends and relatives ‘leak’ out the information that you could really use a monetary gift much more. This way, many guests will get the message, and you get to avoid the impression of being rude.

Gift Registry Tips

* Register with at least one national chain store’s gift

registry as a courtesy to your out-of-town quests.

* Be sure to choose items in all price ranges on your gift

registry.

* Include a list of stores that have your gift registry list

when you send out your shower and wedding invitations.

A wedding gift registry simply makes good sense. Unless of course, you really want to pull that sombrero chip hat out of the closet every time Aunt Hattie comes to visit.

After struggling with her own wedding, Michele Neisler created Wedding-Wisdom.com to educate future brides.
No matter what your wedding related needs, Wedding-Wisdom.com promises to create “marriages” between all members of the bridal community.

Their big day has nearly arrived and you still haven’t bought the couple a wedding gift yet. Well, not to worry, here are 10 wedding gift suggestions that are a little more creative than suggesting you rush off to buy them a gift voucher for the home, garden and furniture store.

1. How about a painting. Obviously selection is according to budget. Consider romantic depictions or something special to that couple, such as a painting of where they first met. You could personalise it even further by commissioning a local artist to paint a photo of the couple.

2. Buy them a tree. A small one. Don’t laugh - think about it this way. Buy a nice tree they can plant, then nurture and grow as the years go by, just like their marriage. When they look out the window in several years time they’ll be reminded of how far they’ve come as they see an established tree in the garden.

3. Subscription to a magazine. Maybe the newly wedded couple have just moved into a new house and needs some work doing to it. What better gift than a magazine all about how to decorate and renovate a house.

4. Are the couple into keep-fit? If so, how about buying them joint membership to a local gym for a year. It’s something they can do together.

5. Something that lasts. Perhaps a bottle of vintage wine or a framed wedding invitation. The latter being more personal and memorable.

6. Do they have a digital camera? If not, then this is ideal. They’ll be wanting to take a lot of photos after they get married and during the honeymoon.

7. Once they have taken all these pictures, they will want hard copies of them. It’s a practical gift, but how about a colour photo printer or a docking station for the camera that allows them to print off the photos.

8. A luxury hotel room before they go on their honeymoon is another appropriate wedding gift. Just make sure they haven’t already made reservations prior to you arranging this.

9. Now it’s time for a couple of things not to buy the wedding couple. Don’t buy them a kettle. Chances are they will have several bought for them already. I don’t know how much tea you drink, but I sure don’t need five kettles. Marriage may be thirsty work, but not that thirsty.

10. Arrghhh, no, not a toaster. Don’t do it. I’m sure we all dream of toast after we get married, but about a dozen people will also want the newly wedded couple to enjoy perfect slices of toast in the morning. I’m sure this is a tradition, but avoid the dreaded ‘wedding toaster’ gift at all costs.

Article by James Fenton of Destination Wedding Dedicated to ‘everything-wedding’ and jam-packed with wedding information!

Wedding ceremonies are the stuff fairy tales are made of. Marriages are made in heaven, it is said. Keeping this age-old adage in mind, a heavenly atmosphere is created at the wedding venue. Aromatic smells fill the air. Guests decked in their Sunday best walk the red carpet with wedding gifts in tow. Giving gifts on the wedding day is part of the ceremony. A gift symbolizes the good will guests have for the newly married. Through these gifts, guests wish the couple a long and happy married life. Naturally, when wedding gifts are purchased the most important thing that one keeps in mind is their durability. It is usually felt that a wedding gifts should make a lasting impression.
Everyone wants to make a lasting impression. Here is how:

# FOR THE BRIDE: Jewelry is on the top of the list for wedding gifts for the bride. Simple yet elegant pieces will ensure surprise and fascination when your gift is opened. You can select from pendants, chains, necklaces, bracelets, brooch pins, hairpins and earrings.

# Gift accessories include exquisite evening bags, tote bags, handbags and clutch bags. Evening gowns and formal dresses are ideal clothing items.

# Jewelry boxes, perfumes, make-up kits and bags are among other gift articles.

# Diamonds are considered to be the ideal gift grooms can give their respective brides. Otherwise any of the above mentioned items would be considered worthy enough.

# FOR THE GROOM: Formal gifts include ties, tiepins, cufflinks (gold, silver or diamond studded ones), wristwatch and pocket watch among others. Suits and shirts are formal wear that can be given as gifts.

# Informal gifts include golf club sets, baseball sets or musical instruments like guitar.

# FOR BOTH BRIDE AND GROOM: Gift articles for both the bride and groom can include funny and naughty items. However, such gifts can be given only by those who know both of bride and groom from close quarters. Otherwise such gifts can be deemed impolite. The list includes ‘just married’ goggles, T-shirts, hats, caps, flip-flops and toilet paper (!). Naughty gifts can include wedding night kits, honeymoon kits, marriage certificates, towels and robes.

# DECORATIVE PIECES: Such gifts help the couple beautify their homes. Paintings, wall hangings and show pieces come under this category.

# PERSONILIZED GIFTS: Names or even photographs of the bride and groom can be embossed on a variety of items like pillow cases, pillows, albums, wedding plates, photo frames etc. to give a personal touch to the gifts.

# FRESH FLOWERS: Sweet smelling flowers are a natural choice for any occasion. Flowers impart joy to both the sender and receiver. To enhance the impact of the wedding gift you have selected, send some fresh flowers along with it. They are bound to catch the eye of the couple.

Amit is associated with one of the best Indian Gifting website Gifts to India