I’m in my (very) late thirties (6 months away from 40!!) so I’ve been around the traps and have first-hand experience on this subject. I feel I am legitimately qualified to give advice on this topic, especially when you throw in the fact I own with my sister, The Duo, a NZ based gifting business.
A good 15 years of my life included a handful or two of weddings every summer. When we were in our twenties most of our hard earned cash squirreled away for summer was spent on the ‘wedding season’; flights, accommodation, outfits for the wedding day and post wedding ‘after match’, cases of wine and gin (who needs another drink when you get home from a wedding at 2am….we did!).
So here I am, writing a blog on what to gift to the bride and groom that is thoughtful and most importantly, appreciated. I always say, the best gifts are those you would love to receive yourself (unless you have a super kooky sense of taste, then it’s a little harder…but then you must know you’re kooky, right? Like the Dolce & Gabbana for SMEG toasters, WTAF!).
Approach the process by determining your budget. There are a couple of ways to look at the budget but I think potentially the best way to do it is to gather a few friends and all go in on one, more expensive gift. This is what we always did. That way you are giving the married couple to-be something they might not buy themselves, a big ticket item – which is more memorable and most definitely hugely appreciated.
The reality is that wedding gifts are just an evolution of the tradition of a “bride price.” The bride price (later called the dowry but in reverse) was what was paid to the bride’s family in order to secure the woman for marriage. It was paid by the groom’s family and typically included land and animals (this still exists in many cultures). Throughout the years, this tradition obviously changed. In the Renaissance, the idea of a ‘hope chest‘ developed to add to the bride’s bounty in the form of everything she’d need to run a home such as linens and dishes. This has become the heart of the style of today’s typical wedding gift list and I personally think this is still totally relevant today.
Setting up the home is expensive and we all like nice things, I believe this is the lens guests should look through when looking for the right style of gift.
To make your life easier we have collected a handful of our favorite and most thoughtful gifts.
His and hers personalised weekend bags - $898 (for two including embroidery)
This beautifully made bag is manufactured using Papanui Estate wool, a renewable and biodegradable material and blended with New Zealand leather to deliver a high quality product that has longevity, durability and provenance. ‘The Weekender’ has a place for it all including a separate shoe compartment providing you with the ultimate organisation. A bag to last a lifetime.
Marimekko Bath towels - $99ea (suggest buying 6, no one likes a whole bunch of mismatched towels)
A chic and beautiful towel made from cotton terry, this bath towel features the beige and white Unikko (poppy) pattern. Marimekko's famous poppy pattern Unikko was born in 1964 in a time when the design house's collections featured mostly abstract prints.
Luxuriously thick and warm, in soft grey with contrasting double borders. This 100% wool throw has a subtle basket weave and works beautifully as a throw for the bed or couch
This 5 piece set lets you enjoy whisky (or gin) with style. Punk dusts off the concept of traditional crystal homewares and marks its continued evolution into a modern and functional product.
The perfect place to put all your picnic necessities, plus a few luxuries. Made to fit bottles of all sizes, including champagne bottles (because every picnic is worth celebrating). Featuring striped interior and leather details.
Vintage Turkish Kilim Cushions - $169 (for the pair)
A chic addition to any living space adding global charm with paired back, unobtrusive hues of cream, chocolate, pinks, reds and mustard. Each cushion is up-cycled from handwoven vintage kilims and rug fragments. Each cushion is completely unique, and no two are the same.
Lean back and enjoy the peace and quiet of the outdoors in our Danish designed Path Hammock. Made entirely from recycled PET-yarn spun from post-consumer plastic, the hammock has been knotted by hand and is not only sustainable, but especially durable for continual outdoor use.
Handmade glass conch shell - $850
Glass reclining conch in bronze. An absolute masterpiece by the talented Jark Pane. Individually fettled, kiln-cast and polished by hand, each piece is made using the process of lost wax casting. A labour-intensive practice of patience that results in beautiful one of a kind pieces.
Go prepared, for a day on the river, an evening around a bonfire or an afternoon at the kids sport, this soft cooler is the perfect pack-along for your outdoor adventure. This 12 quart/ 11.36 L cooler keeps ice up to three days, so food and drinks are always refreshing & it's leakproof for safe travels.
Butter dish with knot handle - $105
Beautifully hand-crafted this is the perfect, chic, tabletop accessory. The hand-thrown stoneware in a speckled white glaze is dishwasher safe and made right here in NZ.
Wedding Image Source: Robert Fairer for Vogue.
