My brother and his fiancee are having an engagement party memorial day weekend. I want to get them something special and cool. They're 26 and 30, living in a NYC apartment. They plan on moving in a year or two, but for now I don't want to get anything big for their place. For Christmas I got them a very unique large wall clock which they love.
I was thinking of a canvas photo of the two of them, or something related to their history together. They both went to the U of M.
Or I could get them a dinner gift certificate...
Anyone have any great ideas?
Something I love that I received as an engagement gift were Waterford toasting flutes. I used them at my wedding and now when I see them in my china cabinet, just looking at them makes me smile.
I've also bought sterling silver cake cutting sets for close friends. I've had the name and wedding date engraved. It's something they will always have.
I bought canvas prints through Groupon last fall, and they came out great! Just remember that you have to do all the cropping, etc. yourself, so allow time to plan that. And, you need to have a high pixel quality because when you blow it up, the more imperfections show. I think this is a really lovely idea!
Instead of another object they have to pack up eventually, why not give them an "event"?
Do they plan on having any formal dancing at the wedding--first dance as a couple, groom with his mom and then his MIL, and so on? Would they then like a gift certificate for dance lessons at a ballroom dance place? I know that some ballroom dance schools offer "wedding specials" of maybe two private lessons to teach the bridal couple the basics. That's a gift I would ask about first, frankly -- if for instance the groom is going to freak at the idea of ballroom lessons, even two hours of them, it would not work. It really is OK to ask about an unusual gift before you give it.
Or give them experiences like tickets to a play or concert you know they both want to see, or dinner plus a carriage ride (anyone can give them a dinner, but why not throw in something else to make it really special). Do special locations like Top of the Rock (top of 30 Rockefeller Center) have events? Do they really like doing something together like rock climbing (get a pass for indoor rock climbing facility) or cooking (certificate for a couple of cooking classes together)? Key it to their interests. They will get tons of household goods between the engagement and the wedding; give them memories instead.
How about this?
http://gifts.redenvelope.com/gifts/personalized-family-st...
We have this in our family room, and everyone who comes over and sees it says, "Awwww!" followed by "Where can I get one like that?"
If I know the couple celebrate Christmas, I usually try to get them some cool ornaments that they can decorate their tree with that reflect the couple and include the year. My favorite set were Career Barbie and GI Joe for a friend who is a very pretty blond but also very career focused (she's an HR professional) and her husband who is in the National Guard. Hallmark stores sell ornaments year-round, or you can always find unique ones on-line.
Tough one...
One of the best wedding shower gifts we received was a beautiful glass pitcher and a set of four "good glasses" from my husband's aunt. We hadn't registered for them, but she thought we would really like them (and she included a gift receipt if we didn't). The put them into a basket with all of the ingredients to make a killer margarita... tequilla, limes, cointreau and rimming salt. I use the pitcher and glasses all the time!
You could do something similar, if you know they don't have that kind of thing.
I like your idea of a dinner gift certificate!
Or you could give them:
-a basket w/a nice bottle of champagne or wine (whichever they drink) & two custom or personalized champagne flutes or wine goblets
-You could take a photo of them that you have that you make into an 12x16
canvas for them to hang in there current home then move to new home
-basket of celebratory things: nice candle, box of good chocolates, crystal
champagne flutes, 4 nice wine goblets, rhinestone 5x7 frame w/a photo
of them, linen napkins to start their nice dining, silver tray, glass bowl for
their keys by the door etc. Something just to celebrate the two of them
-get something engraved like a silver frame
-a beautiful throw for their apartment in their colors
-a nice bottle of wine w/a customized label w/their photograph as a couple
and a special message on it w/the date of their engagement
-nice wood box for their coffee table w/a sm box of chocolates for her & a
nice cigar for him.
For my bridal shower, my sister bought me really pretty champagne glasses and had them engraved with our names and wedding date. Loved it! I keep them out as a display piece in the dining room and love seeing them.
She actually got them super cheap at BevMo, but they were beautiful.
