Wedding gift list

Your wedding day is, in a couple of ways, about togetherness. Firstly, it’s about being together with the person you love most in the world and declaring your love for one another legally and (for those of faith) in the eyes of God. But it’s also about being together with your friends and family and experiencing this union with them as your witnesses. You want to say your solemn vows to one another… But you also want to give your guests the time of their lives. In return, it’s only natural that your loved ones might want to give you a little gift. A token of your goodwill, and something that you and your new spouse will find helpful, useful or beautiful (or all of the above) as you start your new lives together.

 

Many couples choose to give their guests a Wedding Gift List (also referred to as a Gift Register) which details some items that will help them to get their married lives off to the best start. These tend to be household items to help the newly married couple to make a home together, but some couples choose to opt for travel vouchers to go towards their honeymoon. There are no right or wrong items to put on a gift list, but it’s certainly important to have one. But before we explain why, let’s explore…

Why so many couples don’t have a Wedding Gift List

 

We Brits can get a little awkward and bashful when it comes to receiving gifts. We worry that we might appear ungrateful or spoilt when we ask for a specific gift. Many of us are conditioned from an early age to be grateful and appreciative for what we get for Christmases, birthdays etc. even when the gifts we receive aren’t necessarily on our wish list. While this isn’t a uniquely British phenomenon, we tend to be a reserved lot and giving our guests a gift list might feel unnecessary to many couples.

 

Nonetheless, there are a lot of seriously good reasons for you and your guests why you should at least consider a Wedding Gift List...

 

It alleviates the awkwardness of receiving an unwanted gift

 

What happens when you invite the gift giver over to your home and they ask you where you’ve put the item they got you? If the answer is “in its box, in the attic” or “eBay” this could be the cause of way more embarrassment than simply asking them for something you actually wanted in the first place.

 

It reduces the risk of duplicate gifts

 

There was a time when newly married couples would sit together upon returning from their honeymoon, unwrapping and unboxing toaster after toaster. While those days are behind us now, there are still many duplicate wedding gifts which a lot of couples who don’t use Wedding Gift Lists receive. Some of the most common include;

 

• Cookware
• Towels
• Tool kits
• Crockery

 

While you may get a lot of value out of one or two duplicates, it’s only a matter of time before someone’s carefully and lovingly chosen gift becomes redundant.

 

A Wedding Gift List will be updated when a guest buys a certain item, thereby reducing the risk of duplicates.

It prevents guests from overspending

 

Not all of your wedding guests will have the same budget. Some may not know what to spend, and may wind up overspending on a gift that you may already have or simply not want. Many wedding guests are conscious of the fact that the bride and groom have paid a lot of money to feed and entertain them and will want their gift to reflect their appreciation. However, if you’re inviting someone to your wedding, it’s safe to say that you care a great deal about them and would hate to see them spend too much of their hard earned money on a gift which is unwanted or redundant. A Wedding Gift List allows guests to choose a gift in line with their budget and know that it will be put to good use.

 

It ensures that your gifts reflect your lifestyle

 

It’s entirely possible to receive a wedding gift that’s completely gorgeous and extremely valuable… But just isn’t you. And if the giver has spent a great deal of their money on it, this would be a real shame. For example, receiving an expensive china dinner set might be lovely… But if you’re not the kind of couple that goes in for dinner parties and prefers to eat out, it’s probably not the best gift for them. Many guests tend to err on the side of tradition when choosing wedding gifts and this can sometimes be at odds with the bride and groom’s lifestyles.

 

With this in mind, a Wedding Gift List can ensure that you only receive gifts which are appropriate to you and your partner and the life you want to build for yourselves together.

 

It reduces clutter in your home

 

Many households, quite frankly, have a surplus of belongings. Often we don’t even realise just how much stuff we’ve accumulated in our lives until the time comes for us to move into a new home. When we have too many belongings, they stop being of value to us and become clutter. And clutter has a surprisingly damaging effect on our psychology. It can make our living space look and feel too “busy” and prevent us from being able to relax. It can make being indoors stressful and even make us feel alienated in our own homes.

 

Ensuring that you only receive items from a Wedding Gift List can reduce the risk of clutter. This can make your time spent together at home happier and more peaceful.

 

It’s potentially better for the environment

 

When faced with too many wedding gifts, you may not have the time to put them up on eBay or be able to get to a charity shop in order to donate them. As such, they can, after a while, wind up in the bin. And this can be disastrous for the environment. Fabrics and electronics in particular can leach harmful chemical compounds into the ocean when they go into landfill waste.

 

So, for the good of your relationships, your home and the planet, reduce the risk of unwanted gifts and interpersonal embarrassment. Ensure your guests have access to a Wedding Gift List.