<p>A breakfast-in-bed tray is nice, and most people don’t have one even if they have been living together.</p>
<p>I’ve given the [Bronner’s</a> Newlywed’s Ornament Collection](<a href=“http://www.bronners.com/product/newlyweds-ornament-collection/1100426]Bronner’s”>http://www.bronners.com/product/newlyweds-ornament-collection/1100426).</p>
<p>But I’ve always wanted to give the [Penzeys</a> Wedding Gift Crate](<a href=“http://www.penzeys.com/scstore/giftboxes/new/weddingCrate.html]Penzeys”>http://www.penzeys.com/scstore/giftboxes/new/weddingCrate.html).</p>
<p>Go to gift for me is…Champagne flutes (4) and a bottle of “good” champagne</p>
<p>My h and I were older when we got married and my all time favorite gift was classic silver candlesticks. I think they are Gorham but they are very low with a wide base, heavy and not tippy and I love, love them even when I have to give them a quick polish.</p>
<p>Haven’t been to many weddings in years, but used to give quite a few brass door knockers with their name engraved on it.</p>
<p>H teaches at a small LAC and we get invited to a lot of weddings for kids just out of school. Our go to gift is a set of four - six very nice glass beer steins or pilsner glasses. It is something they will use right away, but it suggests to them that they are now more “grown-up” then their friends in the dorm doing keg stands.</p>
<p>I used to often give wedding gift of crystal votive candle holders (small, and ya can’t have too many). Often I would add a check to the card too. This way they had something tangible from us.</p>
<p>For the last few weddings I’ve consulted the couple’s online gift registries. For my nephew I swooped in on the last day and selected their registered crockpot as well as a bunch of other related items still available (plastic spoons, potato peeler. gravy ladel, etc). </p>
<p>If registry was not an option, I’d consider a Best Buy card (or a crockpot or other item from BB or Target, which the couple could exchange as desired).</p>
<p>Shower gift: a cake knife/server set for the couple to cut their wedding cake and all of their anniversary/special occasion cakes forever. We used my parents’ set and we treasure it. Lenox makes a particularly nice one.</p>
<p>Steak knife sets are useful, but my all time favorite is the honeycomb glass platter from Tiffany. It runs somewhere around 100.00 and works for anyone, traditional or modern and is good for fruit, cheeses, a cake or hors’ d’oeuvres. Comes in the big blue box with white ribbon. Gotta love it. I love mine.</p>
<p>These all sound like great ideas! Right after I got married, and got quite a few gifts off the registry that I wasn’t crazy about (ok – the lamp with the base in the shape of a mallard? not my thing) I swore that the best gift was something from a nice store where I could return it and get something I really wanted. So from there on in, I have either stuck to the registry or bought from Williams Sonoma (which means the Picardie glasses are a great idea). This way, it is SO easy for them to return/exchange just in case they already got a set. It may seem like a cold approach, but it’s what this bride wanted…</p>
<p>I really like the Peggy bowls mentioned by bethieVT, post #3</p>
<p>My Sweet Babboo- I still have that pitcher and a few glasses from that set</p>
<p>I give a piece of art. Even couples who have lived together for quite a while seem to have empty walls. (Although my MIL is an artists’ representative, so we’ve always had access to beautiful artwork at about half price.) (And I am sooooo excited to be starting my second round of weddings next month. For the first time I’m attending the wedding of a daughter of a friend from college–HOORAY!!)</p>
<p>For people setting up housekeeping I like to give [Amazon.com:</a> Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (9780743272865): Cheryl Mendelson: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Home-Comforts-Science-Keeping-House/dp/0743272862/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1304601371&sr=1-1]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Home-Comforts-Science-Keeping-House/dp/0743272862/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1304601371&sr=1-1). I mean who doesn’t need to know the difference between muslin and percale?</p>
<p>I was given that book and have been surprised how many time’s I’ve referred to it. (Really, how many of you know how to operate a mangle? ;))</p>
<p>I was delighted last spring when I looked at a wedding registry and saw the couple had registered for the same Crate & Barrel wine glasses that DH and I had chosen 30 years earlier (Adrienne).</p>
<p>Gotta say… maybe it is just me, but I would never give art. It is too personal. I can’t even agree with family members on art, let alone select something someone else would like (and I know that most art anyone else would select for me would really not be something I would want to hang or display). It is also almost impossible to return if it is not to their taste.</p>
<p>I agree with you, intparent.</p>
<p>And quickly hanging said piece of art when the gift giver shows up unexpectedly…too much pressure. ;-)</p>
<p>Go with a gift card to Amazon, because if you can’t find it there, it probably doesn’t exist.</p>
<p>I love those Peggy Bowls and agree you can’t have enough. I also like pottery from these guys: [kscopepottery.com</a> - Home](<a href=“http://www.kscopepottery.com/]kscopepottery.com”>http://www.kscopepottery.com/)</p>
<p>We got lots of nice trays at our wedding and they have proved very useful.</p>
<p>This is also fun. It’s a Boston WASP tradition: [Large</a> Blue Gurgling Cod](<a href=“http://www.shrevecrumpandlow.com/gifts/details.aspx?cat_id=66&itemnum=WCLBL00001]Large”>http://www.shrevecrumpandlow.com/gifts/details.aspx?cat_id=66&itemnum=WCLBL00001) And now that apparently youtube videos are allowed you can even hear it in action: <a href=“Gurgling Cod Water Pitcher - YouTube”>Gurgling Cod Water Pitcher - YouTube;
<p>We had a wedding registry, but my favorite presents were ones from people who gave us other things. One I especially liked was a little set of three tiny flower vases - just big enough for small wildflowers - the small flowers from herbs from the garden and things like that.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t give art, and I don’t care for the Christmas ornament set that was linked.</p>
<p>Worse even than purchased art: a piece done by the donor! Years ago we received a really horrid framed pastel that we’ve claimed is hanging in our bedroom, but which is actually hidden in the basement. Hopefully the “artist” will never come upstairs…I would never dream of giving a gift that reflects too much subjective taste. My “go to” gift is something off the registry. I kind of hate the concept–makes the whole process seem like a business transaction–but at least I know I’m buying something the couple really wants, and the process is quick and easy.</p>
<p>My go to gift for the shower is something on the registry and for the wedding I always give cash.</p>
<p>Well–just in my defense, these are never major pieces, and never framed (I wouldn’t want to make that decision for someone). Just small, pretty prints or watercolors, usually from nature now that I think about it. They’ve been very well received.
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