Wedding is always a pleasant and memorable event, not only for the bride and groom, but also for their relatives, friends and acquaintances. All of us, at least once in our life had to think about how to choose a wedding gift for the newlyweds, what would be to their liking and needs.

Or the general question, to buy a present or give money? Most of us, with rare exceptions, are baffled with this question. For some reason, lately it has become customary to bring money as gifts to weddings. But think for a moment, why is this happening? And don’t excuse yourself saying something like: “The young couple will buy themselves what they need.” .

No doubt money is needed and a very important part of life. In the past few weddings which attended money was about 80% of the whole amount of gifts. This is explicable to a certain extent. The newlyweds rejoice at such a present and it’s easy to give. No need to invent anything: put the money into an envelope – and done! Apparently this is the main reason – there’s nothing to stress about, simple and fast. But what about such notions as celebration, joy, pleasant memories of events and people?

Even if you ask the couple they frequently shrug their shoulders and respond that money is the best gift. But they base upon the immediate needs without looking a few years ahead. A few years later they will want not only money (they can earn it!) but also a few wedding memories. Most of that tidy sum which was presented to a just-married couple simply disappears before it materializes into real things. And there is actually a great many of sad examples, because often starting family relationships young people simply don’t know how to handle the family budget correctly. As a result, there are only an few reminders of the wedding party: photos, a video and something that one of your grandmas or aunts gave them. And believe me, that exact gift will settle at the young family’s house for ever, or at least for a very long.

In fact, all of this makes up quite a significant information volume, besides greatly pleasant and positive in every aspect. And if the part of donation and following “discovering” the huge number of wedding gifts will be excluded from the wedding, then the bride and groom deprive themselves of another pleasure. Remember how often in our childhood we dreamed of being filled up with presents and we’d just unpack them without end… In my opinion, the wedding gives that chance which shouldn’t be lost.

A friend of mine got to know that I was working on an article about wedding gifts. Her eyes were ablaze when she was telling me about the impression that was created on her and her husband by gifts they got for their wedding. She told me that after the celebration they came home, took off their shoes and started unpacking all they received. That took more than a half-night but brought plenty of fun, joy and delight. And during that process the newly married couple was mentally planning how they’d place all the unpacked things. Some of the gifts were duplicated, but the wedded pair wasn’t upset – sometimes things get broken, so they had a small reserve for this case. And although it already passed 8 years since their wedding day and they have a little daughter, that moment for them is still incomparable and unforgettable.

A helpful little tip: You can use one of the wedding buffet tables as a special place for gifts. It is pleasing to the eye, adds more order to the interior and more festive mood to the atmosphere of the reception.

Still cannot choose between money and gifts? The answer is: money or… money. You just decide whether to give money as it is, or to buy something. One way or another you spend some cash for donation, think about the items given below.

If the young couple is provided with everything they need, including the dwelling, furniture, household appliances and other useful stuff, then probably the best gift is money. But you can also provide them with some experiences: scuba diving, a balloon flight or other extreme activities, a season ticket at a theatre, for football matches etc. All you need is to learn the groom and bride’s preferences.

If the newlyweds start from nothing (I mean their financial position) and need almost everything, then it’s better to choose some stuff as a gift. You can buy domestic appliances, interior stuff, plates and dishes, linens and so on. Don’t forget about the gift certificates that allows your young couple to choose exact things they need and want. Especially high-priced stuff you can purchase by sharing their cost with other wedding guests. The best-case scenario is when the future family makes a wish-list where they put everything they want to get as presents. So the guests won’t buy similar gifts, the newlyweds will get what they dreamed of, and the intrigue will be kept.

Just think about how you want to please the young people. Don’t be afraid that it will take much of your time and attention. After all, making presents is pleasant and the time spent on searching for the gift will be repaid a hundredfold by many years of the young family’s afterglows. And as well you’ll remember with pleasure how you were choosing the wedding gift and the words you said to the newlyweds when they were giving it.