<p>We received a piece of sculpture for a wedding gift. At the time, while I liked it, I was a bit surprised. Many years later: We love it. It is up lit on a special piece in the living room. Who knew that this gift would be so loved?</p>
<p>BTW: This isn’t a “safe” piece. It is modern (we aren’t) free form.</p>
<p>High quality cooking knives!! I still use a knife we received as a wedding present 28 years ago almost everyday. You can buy one, two or a whole set. It is a gift that keeps on giving.</p>
<p>I like norafleming.com - platers, serving bowls, cake stands then you adorn with the ‘minis’ they sell for special ocassions.
I looked at the bowls that bethieVT recommended - lovely & it looks like they can be inscribed.</p>
<p>Great, now i want something from every link in this thread! You all have very good taste. Sadly for my checkbook, one of the artists is located a few blocks from my sisters house! </p>
<p>I’m a “from the registry” for showers kind of gal myself and then cash for the wedding. If I know the couple very well, I might go for a gift but generally I stick to the basics.</p>
<p>I know few things are as useful as cash. But when I get out my good china and sterling, I think about the people who gave us each place setting (and I remember them all). Same thing with the cheese board from a friend of my M-I-L who I only met at the wedding. The people who gave us cash? I couldn’t tell you who they were or what we spent it on. Maybe I’m too sentimental.</p>
<p>Hmm, I’m really loving those Nora Fleming platters. I may have to buy one and some minis for myself–just to try it out!</p>
<p>I gave substantial cash to both nephews, at my brother’s suggestion, and regret not having given a gift…</p>
<p>I too have given the Gurgling Cod and I actually gave a set to a very good friend!</p>
<p>Friends have given these [Snowflake</a> Bentley Biography](<a href=“http://snowflakebentley.com/WBsnowflakes.htm]Snowflake”>http://snowflakebentley.com/WBsnowflakes.htm) as a wedding gift, framed black and white snowflake micrographs. They’re very beautiful, I think.</p>
<p>I too think about who gave wedding presents to me. But especially the ones that weren’t on the registry. I have a tray dh’s Phd adviser gave us. Love it! I have a set of good knives sil gave us. Love them! I have the little vases. My mother’s best friend gave them to us! Love them! I have a huge set of dish towels that an impovrished fellow architect gave me! Love them! I have a very weird 1950’s antique coffee set another architect friend gave us. I’d never have picked it out, but I smile whenever I see it and it’s been used at many a PTA meeting. Oh and our housemates gave us two really good frameless backpacks which we used till they fell apart - it took a good 25 years of travels and I still use mine for carrying art supplies around.</p>
<p>My wife likes to give a water pitcher from Tiffanys (less than $100). She says every bride should have a blue box from there.</p>
<p>I also have been gifted with a gurgling cod; little kids always get a kick out of it. That s a great idea for DS who is a grad student (and was an undergrad) in the Boston area. DH, who was also a student in Boston, used to give a ceramic “bean pot”.</p>
<p>Some posts made me smile: I love how people remember special gifts given by special people. I remember my mother’s friend who bought me the serving pieces to my china. The sterling silver that my parent’s friends got together to get us a “proper amount so that we could entertain”. And my mother’s face when she gave me my aunt’s silverplate hoping that I would like it. (My aunt died years before and hoped that I would want it.) </p>
<p>And the purple melamine salad bowl…well, maybe not. Oh, and I like/d the silverplate.</p>
<p>I very much remember what we bought with our cash wedding gifts; a gently used washer and dryer set plus new camping gear. We got over a decades worth of use out of all and truly enjoyed them. </p>
<p>Of course, we were 19 and 22, so those items were luxuries we would have gone without for sometime if not for the wedding money.</p>
<p>I usually give something on the registry and then something personal if I know at least one of the couple well. Actually if I can find something not too expensive and that suits the couple or wedding, I’ll pick it up. </p>
<p>Since this bride wanted a favorite recipe, it would be nice to get her some of the special ingredients to make it, a plate or other piece of kitchenware for it. Make it the creation the theme for the gift.</p>
<p>I love some of these ideas on this thread.</p>
<p>It depends on the time frame until the needed date. </p>
<p>If I need something on very short notice, I buy a gift card to where the couple is registered and then they can buy something they really wanted but didn’t get. Or if it’s for a baby, I buy a pack of diapers plus a gift card to ‘their’ local store for more diapers (e.g. Wal-Mart is 1 mile from me but K-Mart is 15 minutes and Target is 40 minutes). Personally, I asked for diapers in varying sizes and didn’t have to buy ANY for the first 8 months… so wonderful!</p>
<p>If time permits, I always go personalized with names and dates (if known). For couples or babies (or even graduates or ‘in memory of’ if someone close dies), I go to [Christmas</a> Ornaments - Personalized Christmas Ornaments - Personalized Ornaments](<a href=“http://www.santasornamentshop.com%5DChristmas”>http://www.santasornamentshop.com) or [Personalized</a> Christmas Tree Ornaments from Ornaments with Love](<a href=“http://www.ornamentswithlove.com%5DPersonalized”>http://www.ornamentswithlove.com). Everyone loves these! Plus, they arrive within ONE week and I add a check if I need to spend more. Then, if it’s a wedding or new baby within MY close family, I add a new ornament to the collection every Christmas. They’re appreciated so much that now I’ve created a monster order every year and I have to keep records to remember what I ordered in the past! My son now has 18 ornaments (and growing) for his first tree at his future first home.</p>
<p>If more time permits, I go to [Mother?s</a> Day Gifts, Personalized Gifts, Baby Gifts - Personal Creations](<a href=“http://www.personalcreations.com%5DMother?s”>http://www.personalcreations.com). Takes a little more time but they have so many unique items for every major life occasion/holiday that no one would ever want to return. Actually, Personal Creations has many personalized kitchen gifts.</p>
<p>Also, all of these items can be ordered and shipped to recipients in distant locations.</p>
<p>Lastly, think of what you still have/use/kept from your wedding? I still use my glass dome clock (forget what they’re called), crystal bowls & vases, pewter serving bowls/plates/trays/etc. especially since pewter won’t turn, solid brass lamps and candlesticks (but depends if they live gold or silver metals), nicely bound leather, non-wedding photo albums, and a uniquely framed wedding invitation.</p>