It is traditional for the bride and groom to give out small gifts to their guests at weddings around the world. However, what gift to give can be a difficult decision if you are not from a country where culture dictates the precise protocol. Deciding what to give your guests can add extra stress when combined with all the other necessary planning that is to be expected with weddings. This article will help you choose the perfect reception gift to give your guests.
A good reception gift should have some meaning and also serve as a memento of the weddings where it is given out. This is something to consider when choosing gifts. Also, your budget will really affect the decision, as will the number of guests. It just might not be possible to buy etched champagne glasses for 1,000 people, where it would be a feasible proposition for a small wedding party of 25 guests.
Weddings on a low budget should look at the more cost effective method of making your own gifts. You can enlist the help of your bridesmaids if necessary as well as family members. It would be considered poor taste to ask for help from other guests, but family and bridesmaids are there for this exact purpose.
Custom weddings will also benefit from handmade mementos, even if the budget is quite large. This ensures that you will be giving something unique. If you have the money, hire a designer to create the gifts for you.
Handmade reception gifts for weddings can include small picture frames that are hand painted or decorated with a photo of the happy couple in it, embroidered, personalized handkerchiefs, or small bottles with colored sand sculptures inside, among other things. You can look on crafting websites to get more ideas. The gift should be something that people will either use or keep around to serve as a memento. Items that are useless will probably end up in the trashcan on the way out the door.
Edible reception gifts are standard at many weddings. The most common include mesh bags with candies (usually coated almonds or mints) inside and a little note attached to the top. These can be placed in front of each seat, on the table, or grouped in the center for people to take one as they wish.
Other fun edible gifts include chocolate bars that have a personalized wrapper, marzipan sculptures (a bride and groom or a flower are nice), or even a chocolate ladybug set at each place. If you go to a local sweets shop, you are sure to find plenty of options and ideas.
For more elegant gifts, for higher budget weddings, you might consider something silver or platinum, such as a keychain. Many times, there are gifts offered to men and women separately, a charm bracelet for women and cuff links for men, for example. These types of gifts will run your weddings budget way up, but if you have the money or someone else is paying, it is worth it. Also, in high society weddings, a more elegant reception gift is to be expected.
