7.23.2009

Personal Wedding Gifts

Jen M. from Boston recently wrote in and wanted to know if I had any creative wedding gift ideas for a couple she is good friends with. She would prefer not to buy off the registry and wants to give something a little more personal – ideally, a gift that plays into the hobbies of the couple and their favorite things. She said they enjoy wine, the outdoors, and music.

Here are a few ideas – for the wine lover in them, what about a pair of stemless wine glasses, a great bottle of wine and a subscription to
Wine Spectator magazine? Or buy four beautiful wineglasses and have them monogrammed or two glasses, wine and an insulated carrier. On top of the package tie a wonderful wine stopper – they will actually use it and there are some really great ones out now.


Stemless wine glass from Crate & Barrel

Wine tasting/pairing classes are a lot of fun too. We live near the NY Wine and Culinary Center and there are a ton of interesting things go on – there should be something similar in the Boston area.

For the outdoorsy ideas – what about a picnic blanket or quilt monogrammed with their combined initials? They can throw it in the trunk and will have it forever. My kids played on one I received at my wedding so long ago. There is also a new product out there for picnics called the Victory Backpack, by
Picnic Time. It is an insulated backpack with four glasses, tons of room for food and a lot of little compartments for wine and cheese, napkins etc. It comes in a bunch of different colors and is a really different gift.

For the music lovers – what about tickets to the Boston Pops or Boston Symphony? Or combine all their favorite things – music tickets, wine and a blanket!

*Becky Knows Everything: Try not to buy one of those cutesy picnic basket things. They are overloaded with “stuff” and leave no room for the things you really need, like the food. Also, even if I don’t buy off the registry, I always take a look at it just to get a feel for the couple’s personal style and colors.

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