bridal shower gift ideas

[AbbaRabbit]

Posted: 5/8/07 at 2:19pm

my cousin and his finacee are getting married soon. the shower is on friday. they dont have a registry and were very vauge on what they wanted.

what are some gifts you have either given or got at a bridal shower that you thought were really nice?

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 5/8/07 at 2:21pm

I like giving handmade things. What's your budget? What do they like in general? No registry? That's the whole reason I'm getting married.

Posted: 5/8/07 at 2:22pm

Yes handmade is best-- like a check, with your personal signature in the corner.

[chicolini]

Posted: 5/8/07 at 2:26pm

Do they like to cook at all? Penzey's Spice Company sells a some nice gift sets that are packaged with spices traditionally given for luck as wedding charms.

Another gift I got that I really liked (and used) was a hamper full of pantry essentials (paper towels, napkins, baking supplies, pot holders, dish towels, aluminum foil, ziploc bags, etc.) It sounds silly, but it's something everybody needs and they threw in a few little wedding-related knickknacks to dress it up.
Penzey's spices

[AbbaRabbit]

Posted: 5/8/07 at 2:26pm

they like movies... alot. whenever i give paul a birthday or christmas gift, i give him passes so they can both go to the movie theater, but i dont think that's the kind of thing you give for a shower.

the reason they have no registry is becuse this is so informal. they dont have a wedding date set beacuse they're just going to wake up one day and go to city hall and get married by a justice of the peace.
they're both the products of born again parents and they want nothing to do with their own church.

edit: i'm not sire if either of them cook, but since this is their first time living on their own, maybe some easy to use cooking things would be a good idea... i'm sure they know how to cook, but i never remember paul picking up a pan and saying "i'm making dinner!"

Updated On: 5/8/07 at 02:26 PM

[KelRel]

Posted: 5/8/07 at 2:39pm

To be honest, money. Money is great because you don't know if they are tight on rent money or need something random that no one would ever think of. Write them a letter telling them how much you care for them and personal sentiments about them as a couple and enclose the money. The letter will mean a lot to them and the money will always be a welcome gift.

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 5/8/07 at 2:47pm

Sounds like money is the best in this case. Usually I give money at the reception, and a gift before at the shower.

*I gave my friend a gift subscription to Netflix last year, she loved it. Not that it makes a good wedding present.

[AbbaRabbit]

Posted: 5/8/07 at 2:50pm

that sounds like a good idea... i might do that.

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 5/8/07 at 2:52pm

chicolini - That spice idea is the BEST! I always buy spices when I travel and give them away when i get back. Also whenver my friends travel they know to bring me back a cookbook.

[AbbaRabbit]

Posted: 5/8/07 at 2:55pm

well we're supposed to bring a gift, a small "kitchen gadget" and a recipe, so i might end up doing the spices as the kitchen thing. maybe a cool looking pepper grinder or something.

[chicolini]

Posted: 5/8/07 at 3:00pm

Penzey's stuff is pretty good quality, too. I still have the whole nutmeg that came in my set left untouched "to keep the marriage whole".

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 5/8/07 at 3:05pm

I buy these for EVERYONE!!! They are the best way to squeeze a lemon or lime. They come in 3 sizes, lemon, orange, and lime. They are really sturdy and cheap. Like $12.00.

I don't usually like kitchen gadgets, I'm kind of a cooking snob, but these things really work and look nice.

A nice Santoku or chef knife would also come in handy, a cutting board. Peppermill... It's hard buying for people's kitchens. Like I said, I like cookbooks. I love getting them, and the more personal the better.

[Maggie]

Posted: 5/8/07 at 3:06pm

Another cute idea would be to make up your own cookbook. Have family members & friends of the bride & groom submit recipes to you and put them in a binder!
My sister in law received one as a wedding gift and I thought that was a pretty creative idea.
Good luck!

[AbbaRabbit]

Posted: 5/8/07 at 3:09pm

everyone is bringing a recipe :)

i'm bringing a recipe for cherry cobler

those lemon sqeezer things are pretty cool.

[Maggie]

Posted: 5/8/07 at 3:22pm

Maybe you can decorate a cute recipe box for the recipes then!

[AbbaRabbit]

Posted: 5/8/07 at 3:30pm

that's a nice idea... i love making things.

[mirramar]

Posted: 5/8/07 at 3:35pm

Gift card!!!!
Target, Bed Bath and Beyond or Wal Mart are all great places for a gift card, after getting married I used to go to these places for houseware all the time.

I think the wedding gift I use the most (aside from pots and pans) is my Braun Immersion Blender. I use it for soups almost every day!

If you do decide to go with a gift, make sure to include the gift receipt. There's nothing worse than having lots of double gifts and being unable to return them.

[kelzama]

Posted: 5/8/07 at 4:16pm

Gift cards, given in a beautiful (but inexpensive) picture frame wrapped artfully.

If they own or are purchasing their own home: Lowe's, Home Depot, Sears

If they rent: Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, Crate & Barrel

[mirramar]

Posted: 5/8/07 at 4:46pm

I agree, Home Depot, Lowe's, Sears are great places for giftcards.

[AbbaRabbit]

Posted: 5/8/07 at 4:50pm

i think they're renting a unit in a multi-family house. at least that's what they're planning on.
i was also thinking of a gift card to ikea since they opened one around here last year and you can get alot at ikea for not alot of money.

[keen on kean]

Posted: 5/8/07 at 8:39pm

Ikea is great for starting out, and a gift card is maximum flexibility. (And Ikea's frozen Swedish meatballs are fabulous - much better than fast food).

[Victoria Grant]

Posted: 5/9/07 at 1:59pm

How about something outdoors?

They make hiking picnic baskets with the wine bottle holder and plates napkins etc. could be fun they could even take it to the beach

[mirramar]

Posted: 5/9/07 at 2:06pm

Ikea's a great idea.

[lildogs]

Posted: 5/9/07 at 2:41pm

If they don't cook already, buying them nice kitchen gadgets probably isn't what's going to thrill them. Maybe start them out with a Bed Bath & Beyond gift card...if these are amateur cooks of non-color, methinks the spice rack would gather dust.

If they like movies so much, buy them a years' worth of netflix...

[peach]

Posted: 5/10/07 at 12:06pm

I always buy things off the registry, give gift cards or give money. When I got married, I found these to be the most practical gifts people gave me, so I try to do the same.

HOWEVER - since there is no registry, perhaps you could get some things that go with the cherry cobbler recipe you're brining? Maybe some little plates with cherries on them, or the utensils/ingredients required to make the cherry cobbler. You can put it all in a nice basket with a red ribbon. It will be cute!