Outside of the summer months, October is one of the most popular times for weddings. There’s something about the nights drawing in, and the leaves changing colour on the trees, that is inescapably romantic. October weddings are also good in that most of the invited guests should be able to attend – it’s after summer holidays, before the hectic Christmas season, and term-time for parents.
If you’ve been invited to a wedding this October then the chances are that right now you’re in search of a gift. Finding the perfect wedding present can be difficult, especially as many couples will have already been living together for some time, and so have most of what they need for their home. Wedding gift lists, while useful to those that don’t know the couple particularly well, can be a little bland. You want to give them something they’ll really love, not a monogrammed set of napkins that will come out of the drawer once a year at best.
But when everyone else will probably be thinking along similar lines, how can you be sure to find an ace wedding gift that will rock their world?
We’ve provided a few ideas for inspiration…
An Instant Camera
While digital cameras and editing software allow us to capture the perfect shot every time, it’s also true that they have taken some of the spontaneous fun out of photography. But some people do still love those one-off moments that can’t be fixed with the push of a few buttons or recreated straightaway. Buy the happy couple an instant camera so that they can capture moments from their wedding reception or honeymoon, then watch them develop before their eyes.
A custom illustration
Hand-drawn illustrations of the bride and groom on their wedding day can be a fantastic compliment to the official photography. We’re not talking silly caricatures, but beautifully rendered and coloured artworks. If you’re not an artist yourself, and you don’t know someone who is, then you can quite easily find someone online who will be able to hand-draw a suitable wedding photo. Just be sure to check their portfolio first before committing. If you want to give the couple something on the actual day, you can find a great photo of them together on social media and use that instead, then have it framed.
Joint Membership Cards
Most couples will share similar interests – hey, that’s maybe why they got together in the first place! Why not treat them to a membership of an organisation that suits their shared passion? Maybe they’re film-lovers, rollercoaster-freaks or art-buffs. If there is a museum, art gallery, arthouse cinema or theme park near them, they can visit as many times as they want in a year.
A gift experience
Okay sure, we’re a little biased when it comes to this one, but it’s true that for many people, the anticipation of an upcoming experience, and the happy memories associated with it afterwards, far outweigh the thought of any physical gift. You can buy them a set experience, such as a moonlit meal on the beach during their honeymoon, a tandem skydive if they’re adventurous, or a mouthwatering cookery lesson with a local chef if they’re foodies. Or just buy them a voucher and they can choose what’s right for them.
A tree
Do the happy couple have a garden? If so, why not get them a young tree which they can plant, and then see every day when they look out of the window. It gives them a permanent memory of their wedding, and could last the rest of their lives if well looked-after.
