When Are Engagement Gifts Appropriate?
With wedding showers, weddings, and possible engagement parties, it's difficult to know just how many gifts one is going to contribute. The basic rule is that unless there is a specific engagement party, one should not feel obligated to respond to an engagement announcement with a gift. A congratulatory card is just fine, and will certainly be appreciated by its recipients. If, however, you would like to provide the couple with a wedding engagement gift, there are lots of options out there!
One option, of course, is to check the bridal registry. Some eager couples will actually have their registry in place at the time of an official announcement. Friends and family might want to choose a small or lower-priced item as an engagement gift and save a larger item for the actual wedding gift.
Traditional Engagement Gifts Are Practical
The traditional engagement gift was the teapot, and today many couples are thrilled to receive gifts they can use in the home. Engagement gift ideas might include magazine subscriptions, small appliances, baskets filled with kitchen gadgets, decorative measuring cups, and table linens.
Get Them Ready for the Big Day
Another fun way to celebrate an engagement is to give a "wedding preparation" gift. For example, you could present the happy couple with an official name change packet or a wedding planning journal. You could even create your own wedding survival kit, which could include anything you think the couple might need to relieve stress. Gifts could be humorous, maybe including a big bottle of alcohol and therapeutic ice pack holders for headaches. Or, gifts might reflect a more romantic motif such as a day of pampering, massages, and champagne at a spa.
Music and Media
Musical CD's and DVD's will also be appreciated and no doubt enjoyed. One can choose wedding comedies, love songs, or something specifically chosen to match the media tastes of the couple. If they are gamers, indulge them with the latest game for their specific equipment. If you're not sure what type of music, movies or games the couple would most enjoy, consider a gift certificate to a music or media store.
Monthly Gifts
A subscription to a Fruit of the Month club also makes a lovely engagement gift. As many brides–to-be are conscious of eating the right foods and staying in great shape before choosing that wedding dress, this will provide rich nutrition through delectable fruit choices.
Wedding engagement gifts will help to pamper the engaged couple and remind them that the world is excited and enthusiastic about their bond. Whether one celebrates that age old tradition of offering the couple a lovely teapot or modernizes the theme with a state of the art espresso maker, one thing will remain constant. Friends and family will join in the pre-wedding excitement and celebration through their gifts of support and good-will.
