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Christmas Gift Ideas for Engaged Couples

Christmas and Holiday gifts that brides and grooms-to-be will appreciate

by Nily Glaser

Many visitors sent A-wedding Day inquiries about holiday and birthday gifts that brides and grooms will appreciate. The typical inquiry is as follows. "I - we have a bride, a groom or an engaged couple on my - our holiday gift list. Do you have any recommendations?" or "What will make a nice Christmas or Chanukkah gift for a bride, a groom or an engaged couple?"

The general tendency is to gift the bride, groom or engaged couple with items for their home. These gifts are nice but gifts that will help them realize their dream wedding will be much more appreciated.

Planning a wedding even a modest wedding on a tight budget, costs thousands of dollars. According to a study conducted back in 2002 by The International Institute of Weddings the average cost of a wedding in the US was $21,300. It is much higher today. So any contribution (not neccessarily in funds,) will be very helpful.

Gifts for the wedding do not have to be expensive yet each item will become a cherished keepsake. Your gifts will be remembered.

Today, theme weddings are very popular and wedding colors are important. So, before you proceed, you may wish to find out if the bride and groom plan a theme wedding. If so, what their theme is.

Additionally find out what their choice of wedding colors is. Having and adhering to this information will assure that your gift will coordinate well with the wedding.

Let's see what a wedding entails, what brides and grooms need or want and how you can contribute.

PLANNING A WEDDING

When planning their dream wedding, a bride and groom put into motion the services of wedding professionals and the wedding accessories thar will put the final touches to the celebration. The fees and the costs of the bridal
accessories accumulate rapidly, thus the high cost associated with weddings. Though not all couples will utilize all, here is a list of services in alphabetical order:

Locations and Services

1. accommodations: Bride and Groom, Family, Wedding Guests
2. addressing and calligraphy
3. banquet facility
4. beauty: spa, make-up, nails and hair
5. catering
6. florists, floral designers, decorators
7. honeymoon
8. jewelers
9. musicians: live or DJ
10. officiant / clergy
11. printers: invitations and other wedding stationery unless they print their own
12. transportation
13. wedding attire: gowns, tuxedos
14. wedding cakes
15. wedding gifts for family, wedding party, kids, other
16. wedding photographers and videographers
17. wedding planners
18. wedding ceremony site and wedding reception site
    

They may even have other important considerations, and tips to
the service providers.

Now that you have some idea of what creating a dream wedding entails, let us examine how you can give the bride and groom a gift that will be most welcome and very highly appreciated. Choose the gift(s) that are within your budget and if you can, add participation as follows.

GIFTS OF DOING

If you have a special talent offer it to the couple. Create 2 emergency kits for the wedding. Create 2 pretty baskets, bowls or other containers and place the following items in each: Deodorant, Non-allergic makeup remover, Makeup, chapped lip protectors, Hair products: gel, hair spray, combs, Bobby pins, Hand lotion, Nail polish, Nail file, Breath mints, Sewing kit, Safety pins, head ache relief tablets, indigestion relief tablets, Ammonia inhalant or Smelling Salts (in case of fainting), Band Aids, Bandages, Antacid tablets, Facial tissues,Moist towelettes and Pantyhose. On the wedding day, the bride or a bridesmaid will place one kit in the ladies' rest room and the groom or an usher will place the other in the men's.

If you sew, you may help with the wedding attire. You may not be able to sew a wedding gown. But if you can alter it, the bride can buy a wedding gown off the rack and save a LOT of money. Add a note to a jewelry item(s) or a tiara and you have given a wonderful gift.

If you bake and decorate, you may offer to bake the wedding cake, the groom cake or both. If you can not decorate a cake, consult with the caterer to see if you may offer baked desserts for the wedding reception. This will reduce some of the catering costs. Add a note to a nice tray or cake stand and you'll make one couple very happy. For some recipes go to
http://www.a-weddingday.com/recipes/recipes.html.

If the wedding will be self catered, you may offer to contribute some of your specialty dishes. Add your offer to some serving pieces and you give the bride and groom real help.

Do you play an instrument, or sing? Offer your talent as part of your gift. Even if you play or sing only at the ceremony, the bride and groom will be delighted to have a loved one be a part of their tying the knot. They will need to engage the musicians only for the reception. This will help them defrey some of the wedding costs too. You may include your offer with a unity candle set or even just a unity candle holder for a memorable gift.

Do you drive a luxury car? Can you afford to rent one for the wedding day? If so, why not offer to drive the bride and groom on their special day?

If you have a computer and a good printer, here is an idea. Purchase blank wedding invitation kits as part of your gift, with the other part being the offer to print and address the invitations. If it is within your budget, you may stamp and mail the invitations too.

If you are good at beauty treatment, hair design or nail care you may offer the service to the bride. Or give her a gift certificate for a spa treatment.

Do you know how to create flower arrangements? Every wedding needs lots of flowers and brought in by a florist, they are very expensive.Give the bridal couple a token vase or flower bowl with the offer to create some or all of their wedding bouquets and or centerpieces. It is OK to have the bridal couple purchase their choice of silk or fresh flowers.They'll still save a bundle.

If you are creative at room decorating, give the bride and groom decorations in their wedding colors and offer to decorate the wedding hall for them.

Do you know how to create beautiful bows from ribbon? Create Pew Bows in the wedding colors from 8 inch wide ribbons. You may even add an aisle runner to provide the couple with a true welcome, as they make their way to the ceremony altar.

Do you do any handcrafting? If so, Give the bride and groom a handcrafted gift and an offer to get together with them to create and - or help create the wedding favors and non-flower centerpieces. For wedding craft ideas go to: http://www.a-weddingday.com/planning/crafts.html

The above are some ideas. If you come up with others, share them with
us at: http://www.a-weddingday.com/contacts.html

BRIDAL ACCESSORIES and WEDDING ITEMS

When purchasing a wedding gift choose a gift that will become a treasured keepsake. Personalized gifts, wedding ceremony and reception accessories, and unique items make the best gifts.

If you are not a close friend or a family member you should consult with the parents (moms) of the bride and groom so as to avoid duplication of gifts. If you are a co-worker or a member of the same organization as the bride and - or groom, you may wish to get together with the other co-workers or members and with the combined funds, purchase a more expensive, group gift, such as a complete matching accessories collection, silver serving pieces, Personalized unity candles and holders etc...

Following is a list of Bridal Accessories and Gifts for the Wedding. Before you look for gifts for brides and grooms, find out if they have a wedding theme and possibly their wedding colors. This way you'll be sure your gift
will please the couple.

1. Accessories Collections
2. Albums
3. Arras (for Mexican weddings)
4. Bible
5. Bridal Garter
6. Cake
7. Cake serving sets
8. Cake Toppers/Cake Tops
9. Candelabra
10. Candles
11. Candle Holders
12. Car Decorations
13. Card/ Envelope gifts Holders
14. Centerpiece candles
15. Centerpieces
16. Children's gifts
17. Chupah cover (Jewish wedding)
18. Custom Ribbons
19. Wedding site Decorations
20. Emergency Kits
21. Engraveable Gifts
22. Favor Candles
23. Favors
24. Flower Girl Baskets
25. Flower Girl gifts
26. Flutes and-or Goblets
27. Gifts from Bride and Groom to parents and attendants
28. Gloves
29. Gown Preservation and Carrying Bag
30. Guest Books, Memory Books, Albums and Pen Sets
31. Hair Accessories
32. Handbags
33. Handkerchiefs (Hankies)
34. Honeymoon basket
35. Ice Sculptures Molds
36. Invitations and wedding stationery for print your own
37. Jewelry
38. Jewelry for Blending Families - For couples with kids
39. Keepsakes and Novelties
40. Lassos (Mexican wedding)
41. Memorial Candles
42. Memories Engraveable Platter
43. Pen Sets
44. Personalized bridal accessories
45. Personalized Disposable Cameras
46. Personalized Candles and-or Personalized Unity Candle sets
47. Personalized Gifts
48. Personalized Ribbons
49. Pew bows
50. Place Card Holders
51. Purse and/or Money Bag
52. Ribbons and tulle
53. Ring Bearer Gifts
54. Ring Pillows
55. Rosaries (Catholic weddings)
56. Shoes
57. Sixpence (Authentic Sixpence in a crystal shoe)
58. Stationery
59. Tiara and Headpieces
60. Unity Candles
61. Unity Candle Candelabra
62. Veils / Headpieces
63. Wedding Time Capsule

With information at hand, you should be able to give marrying couples gifts they will really appreciate.

Copyrights © 2004 All Rights Reserved Nily Glaser

Nily Glaser is the founder and CEO of A-weddingDay, a very popular Wedding Resource and Information Center, and a discount shopping mall for gifts, wedding supplies and bridal accessories.