Finding the Perfect Wedding Gift for Mr. and Mrs. Right

You've been invited to a wedding and need to find the perfect wedding gift. Where do you start? Is it okay to give the couple money? Should you select an item from their registry or take a chance and surprise the bride and groom with an unexpected gift?

The present you choose should depend upon your answers to three questions:

• How well do you know the bride and groom?
• Is this their first marriage?
• Did they live together before their engagement?

How well you know the bride and/or groom will determine the intimacy of your wedding gift. If you've been friends for years, then you know their passions, likes and dislikes. If you are friends with the groom, but not the bride, remember that you are supposed to buy a present for both of them. For example, don't give your buddy a fishing reel as a wedding present.

If you know the couple well, then think up something unique that is not on the registry. For instance, if the couple loves to go rock climbing, then it is appropriate to buy them rock climbing gear. When you know the couple, think wedding gifts that celebrate the interests that brought them together in the first place.

If the bride and groom have been married before and you don't know them well, it is best to stick to an item on the registry. If they have not registered at a local department store, then money is appropriate. Although a gift of money may lack intimacy, it is an appropriate wedding gift for virtually all couples: those starting out, those who have been married before and may already have the gift you intend to give them (or even duplicates of it), and those couples who just need the money.

To return from Wedding Gift to Gift Ideas, click here.

Didn't find quite what you were looking for? Search the web below: