- Photography property of Corey Balazowich. Discovered via Flickr.
It is upon us! Wedding season! For many of you wedding season has already begun, but for George and I, the majority of our wedding activities are beginning this weekend. The dresses, and devotions, and drinks will kick off with a trip to a friends’ wedding in West Virginia. Then, we’ve got two more weddings in September and our own wedding in December.
Questions always arise about a gift when one is playing the role of wedding guest. The majority of the weddings we will be attending do not have a registry– which can be a blessing or a curse. The idea of a gifting on such a momentous occasion has inflicted a little bit of worry in my mind, but going registry-less can also be exciting. It gives the chance to show-case talents or give the people what they really want– CASH.
With registry-less weddings, I like to give a thoughtful book with money inside. Picking out books is my talent. And yes, I’m spoiling the surprise. Oops! Here’s some of my tips and favorite books for wedding gift-giving.
1. If the couple is going somewhere exotic on their honeymoon, a phrase or guide book is a helpful and entertaining choice. For our friends who were going to Italy on their honeymoon, we got them a Dirty Italian phrase book stuffed with cash. I hope they stunned the Italians with their knowledge and dirty-word skills.
2. I think marriage help or marriage advice books are way too personal to give at a wedding. Those types of books may even send the wrong message to the happy couple. But a book of other people’s love letters? Well, that just sounds divine.
3. Have the bride and groom expressed interest in learning a new skill or do they have a collective hobby? Now would be a great time to give a book on canning, gardening, or homemaking skills– if your couple is into that sort of thing. I particularly like Canning for a New Generation: Bold, Fresh Flavors for the Modern Pantry. It’s filled with hi-res pictures and makes canning look surprisingly hip.
4. Does your couple like fiction? Classic love stories like this illustrated Bronte Sisters collection would be fitting. Personally, I would prefer a few lovely classic novels to start a personal library in our home together. I’ve been swooning over this classic novels box set for over a year and would love to receive it as a wedding gift. Hint, Hint!
Do you have any tips about wedding gift giving? Have you ever given a book as a wedding gift? Let me know in the comments!
love,
melanie
Lovely selection of wedding gift books (the ‘Dirty Italian’ stuffed with cash made me laugh!). We once gave our friends all of Jamie Oliver’s cooking books as they had just started learning how to cook and had just discovered Jamie (they lived in the US). Visiting them a year later, I was delighted to see the books well used and covered with food stains! Great post 🙂
I’m so glad I entertained you!
Ooh! I like that classic novels boxed set! It’s very pretty!
cookbooks with money inside or a bottle of $$$ wine that would otherwise seem frivolous if you were buying it on your own.
YES. Can I just have a wedding registry for wine and books?
These all sound like great gifts. On a less romantic note, I’m going to a wedding next weekend of two good friends and when I saw them last night neither of them could shut up about how the woman is half way through the third of the Fifty Shades books. He was complaining he hasn’t seen his fiancee since she picked the books up and she was complaining she doesn’t even like the books but can’t put them down. Anyway, I’m considering giving them some *good* erotic fiction as a tongue-in-cheek wedding present… I’ve just got to be sure they don’t open it in front of their grandparents!
I love that! Definitely a personal and cheeky touch!
I love these ideas. Hopefully, if/when I get married someone thinks these are good ideas too haha.That first photo is so sweet! Because of this great post (and all the others of course) I’ve nominated you for the “One Lovely Blog” award http://megsays.wordpress.com/2012/08/03/one-lovely-blog-award/ have a happy Friday!
Thank you, Meg!
My husband and I registered for a few books (cookbooks, gardening books, and a few of our favorites that we put on the other one’s assigned reading list–I asked my husband to read Rebecca [one of my favorites] and he asked me to read 100 Years of Solitude [one of his favorites]) when we got married. Other people picked up on the theme and gave us art books or poetry books.
Thanks for stopping by my blog. You have a clever blog. Best wishes with it.
My husbands daughter opted for a beautiful rustic setting for their wedding just over a week ago. I picked out for them a photo album that I found online made out of wood and had their names inscribed on the front and some money too. Have not heard from them so not sure if it was a dud..or not…lol!
Roberta, that sounds like a beautiful gift!
I thought so too…and thought it would be perfect for the photos with the barn setting background and all..
would it be ok to give a humorous book like, “They’re Just Guidelines
A Single Person’s Guide to Marriage Rules” by C. Grubbs?
Hi Pat! I’ve never heard of that book, but I think as long as it isn’t snarky, it’d be a great gift! Thanks for reading.