Memorial Day is the official start of summer. Summer means we’re entering wedding season. This means that more than likely, you’ve got at least one person you need to buy a wedding gift for.

Wedding presents can be hard to pick out. Sometimes people have great registries and it’s easy to figure out what to buy them. However, sometimes all the “cool” things on the registries are gone. You’re left deciding between buying them a toilet seat cover (that will cause them to think of you whenever they use it/look at it, which is a little creepy) or being boring and getting them a gift card. Maybe the couple didn’t have a whole lot of the registry or you questioned whether they would actually use any of the items on the registry.

If you’re looking for a creative wedding gift, look no further! I’ve complied a list of some great gifts I’ve either personally given or received. If you’re out of ideas, you’re sure to find one here!

1. Custom Cookbook

Okay, this is a thing I’ve started doing for all the weddings I go to (sorry if this is a gift spoiler for any of you). I made a cookbook of all the recipes Zach and I eat a lot in serving portions for two people. It even has pictures of all the recipes I made so you can see what the dish looks like (I’m not claiming that any of the photos are works of art or anything though. I just took them with my phone). I put it together on Shutterfly. Now before I go to a wedding I just change a few things to make it “customized” and then order it. Shutterfly is always doing sales and stuff, so it usually costs somewhere in the $20-25 range. This is a great gift if you really like cooking. I would love to be able to make one with classic family recipes in it too. That’s on my to-do list.

2. Games

This gift is not for everyone, but if you know the couple likes to play games (ether just together or with big groups) get them a fun game. It’s more fun that a toaster. You have to know a little bit about the couple’s personality to pull this one off though. If they like strategy games, you might do something like Dominion or Carcassonne. If they’re super social, you might get them something like Cards against Humanity, Code Names, Secret Hitler, or Cranium. There’s also just some absolutely funny games out there like Trailer Park Wars or Pass the Pigs. Classics like Life, Othello, Payday, or Battleship are also great.

 

3. Gift Cards

We received a few gift cards for our wedding to a couple of restaurants and it was awesome! Especially for people who have already lived on their own for awhile, they might not need more “stuff”. In that case, pre-paying for an experience is great. Some couples even have Honeymoon Funds you can donate to, which is kind of fun. Even if they haven’t registered for a fund, you can still gift an experience. Living Social is great for finding unique experiences that you can purchase for them. Gift cards for a date night are also great. If you know they’re particularly fond of any local restaurants, those could be a great gift. You might also look and see if there are any reciprocal museum passes or City Passes that you could gift.

 

4. Subscriptions

Subscriptions and subscription boxes are all the rage right now Depending on the couple, you might find a great fit. You could do something like MoviePass and pay for their date nights for a couple of months. A meal subscription service like Blue Apron is fun and delicious. It would be perfect for a super busy couple or one who might need some help/training in the kitchen. DateBox is a great subscription box that sends the couple a date night in a box once a month. The box includes all the supplies they need for an activity together and some guiding questions to move the conversation along.  If the couple is really into wine, a Tasting Room subscription could also be great. With subscriptions, you’re really only limited by the couple’s tastes and your budget. The gifting possibilities are endless.

Looking for Something More Traditional?

If you want to go the more traditional route and get something for their new home, here are some things we registered for/received as gifts for our wedding that we absolutely love and use constantly.

4. An Omelet Pan

Zach makes really great omelets, so when we saw this pan we had to register for it. It’s good for more than just omelets though. We also use it all the time for small batch scrambled eggs. The non-stick works great and it cooks really evenly. If you get this pan and you want to use it for omelets or eggs, you should also check out this totally awesome omelet flipper (which we use for many things besides just omelets). Even if the couple and question isn’t into omelets, think about what types of things they do like and buy they a unique tool they might not have to help them make it or enjoy it!

5. Measuring spoons

I freaking love these spoons. They’re easy to find together in the drawer (unlike loose spoons), but they’re also easy to take apart (unlike sets that are on a ring and are hard to get apart sometimes). They also are two sided for solid and liquids and fitting into different containers. They’re great. I actually got my sister a set of them when she moved into her own apartment because I love them so much. If you’re on a tight budget or just looking to top off a gift, these are a great option

6. Pyrex

We kind of accidentally on purpose registered for two sets of Pyrex storage containers. We ended up getting both of them and kept both sets. I just threw out all of our old plastic storage containers (except a few sandwich-sized ones, since glass seems a bit much for that). Now we store everything in these containers and they’re awesome. They stack nicely and are easy to organize. Plus they’re a lot easier to clean than plastic. I trust the seals on these a lot more than I ever did any “Gladware” or other plastic containers. Honestly, it’s hard to have too many Pyrex storage containers. One set we have I actually got before I got married. I love it because one of the dishes is the exact size to half a 9×9 recipe, so it’s perfect for cooking for two (for easy reference, it’s this set).

 

Whatever you end up getting, the key is to make sure it fits the couple. Even if you’re unsure of your gift, remember that it’s the thought that counts. Whatever you get them, they’ll think of you when they use it and they’ll totally feel loved, and that’s what counts.

 

Photo by Wijdan Mq on Unsplash