Everyone talks about the stress on the bride during weddings, but what about the guests?! There is just as much etiquette and formality in place for guests as there is for the couple, and one important tradition is the wedding gift. For many people this is a bit of a mystery, just where do you start?! This guide should make the big day a little less stressful….for the guests.

Do I have to buy a wedding gift?

Of course, no one is going to force you into a shop and make you buy a gift, but it is considered to be the norm. We recently ran a survey to find out the shopping habits of wedding guests and found that 90% of people do take a gift to every wedding, so chances are that if you don’t take one then you’ll be in the vast minority.

It is important to remember that no one is forcing you to spend above your means and in this situation it really is the thought that counts. Personalisation is the key, so if you can find something affordable and that is personalised for the couple then you will be on the right track.

Do I Have To Stick To The Gift List?

Most couples will compile a wedding list either with a shop or independently to try and avoid people buying them the same gifts, but this does not mean that you should never stray from it. If you want to choose a gift from the list, the couple will often tell you which shop it is with on the invitation. If not, just ask them.

If you want to steer away from the gift list and buy something that you have chosen then it will be very well received. Our survey showed that 65% of couples’ favourite gift was something that wasn’t on the list, so if you do veer from the list then you could end up buying a gift that will go down very well indeed. It is always worth checking the list though to make sure that your gem of an idea isn’t something they have already asked for and is already being bought.

What Should I Buy?

Ahhh, the magic question! If you decide to steer away from the list, the next big problem is deciding what to buy. Personalised gift items always make a good impression and an engraved wedding gift with your message will always be one of a kind. If you know the couple well and know what their interests are then buy something that they can enjoy using when pursuing their hobbies, or if they have a favourite shop then you can always fall back on vouchers if you are completely stuck. Remember, the most popular gifts are those that have been personalised for the couple. It is those that are kept and treasured for a lifetime

Can I Just Give Money?

The subject of giving money is always a delicate one. Often if a couple already live together and have a small house then they may well ask for money, but this can have the affect of seeming impersonal and demanding. For the wedding guest, just giving money can come across as lazy and as if no thought has gone into it. If you are really struggling for ideas and thinking of giving money, the obvious alternative is for gift vouchers for a shop that they will enjoy. At least that way your contribution will go on something they will enjoy using. Better still, a personalised wedding gift item will always be a popular item, and even if you don’t know their interests, it can still be personalised by engraving it with your message.

If I’m Travelling A Long Distance To Attend, Do I Still Need To Buy A Gift?

Weddings are those occasions that anyone close to the happy couple do not want to miss. It is often the case that a loved one will have to travel a long way to attend the wedding and in this instance it is perfectly acceptable not to get a gift. If you’re travelling a long distance to attend then your presence will be more than enough. Obviously if you want to bring a gift then that is up to you, but you should not feel obliged in the same way you would if you had not travelled.

It would appear from an article in the Sydney Morning Herald that the trend for unusual weddings is growing all the time. It used to be the case that a parachuting bride and groom would hit the headlines, but now underwater weddings, zero-gravity weddings and even weddings on the summit of Everest are becoming the norm for thrill seekers looking for a wedding with a twist.

While exciting weddings certainly make for a good read, they present more than a few problems for any wedding guests involved, not least if your son or daughter want to tie the knot on the North Pole!

There’s also the question of what wedding gifts to buy for the adventurous couple involved. After all, what do you get for the couple who want to get married on a plane?!

The obvious choice is to get something related to the theme of the wedding, so an Ice Axe for a couple getting married on the slopes of Everest would of course be an entirely appropriate wedding gift!

As with all wedding gifts, personalisation is the key. Something that has been personalised to suit the couple involved will always be treasured, so even if you decide to be a bit more traditional with your wedding gift, having it engraved or personalised will make sure it leaves a lasting impression.

It can be tempting to stick to the wedding list if you’re unsure what to get, but a recent survey by Engraved Gift Ideas showed that 67% of couples favoured a wedding gift that was not on the list, so it is worth using a bit of imagination when deciding what to get.

Visit the Wedding Gifts Section on Engraved Gift Ideas for engraved wedding gifts suitable for even the craziest of weddings.

 If you are facing the daunting prospect of attending a lavish wedding this summer, spare a thought for the family of the personal trainer who married the heiress to the throne of Sweden. The cost of the wedding and the accompanying festival comes in at a cool £6 million, which has been met with more than a little ire by the Swedish taxpayer, who get the privilege of paying for half of it.

Cue the inevitable Facebook group protesting at the situation, but the real news is in the poll on how many Swedes want to keep the monarchy. From a level of 80% of happy Royalists in 2005, it has plummeted to 58% now. Not a brilliant time to have an unpopular wedding then.

According to reports the population are also unhappy about the Princess’s choice in men, with many said to be a little aggrieved at her suitor’s humble background.

Although this is all being played out on a very public stage, it isn’t a million miles away from most weddings that happen every day. There’s usually a vocal minority who don’t like the bride or groom, or someone who isn’t happy paying for the event, though the potential to bring down the thrown is in this case a one off.

Most people will also be able to sympathise with the family of the groom when it comes to choosing their weddings gifts. Most people have attended a large scale wedding and it can be slightly hard to know what to buy. What wedding gifts do you buy for a Princess and heir to the throne?!

Though most of us will never have to worry about attending a Royal wedding, we will more than likely be in a situation where we will have to buy gifts for a very expensive, lavish wedding.

It can be slightly intimidating and makes choosing a wedding gift even more difficult. The important thing to remember is that the same rules apply for large weddings that apply to intimate ones. In most cases there will be a wedding list to choose from, so if it’s something the couple has asked for, you can’t really go wrong. If you want to deviate from the list then that is more than acceptable, and if you are stuck for ideas then there are a few guidelines you can follow.

Judge your wedding gift by how close you are to the couple, not on how big the wedding is. There’s no point spending a fortune on a gift for someone you hardly know just because they are having a big wedding. If you want to get a more expensive wedding gift then do so, but save it for someone you are close to as it will mean more to them.

If you know the people who are getting married then you should know their interests, so stay safe and get them something that you know they will use and enjoy. Some of the best gifts are those that save somebody having to go out and buy it themselves, so unless the happy couple’s interests involve jewel collections and exotic holidays, you should be able to find something affordable that will be appreciated.

Engraved Gift Ideas have a wide selection of wedding gifts to suit all budgets, so whether you’re attending a Royal wedding in a palace or an intimate event with a knees up at the local, use Engraved Gift Ideas for a truly special personalised gift.