What makes a great wedding gift? Does it need to be extravagant to be memorable? Or is it the sentimental presents that stand the test of time? To find out, we asked readers to share the best gifts from their big day – or one they had given that was well received.
For many, it was the sentimental gifts you treasured most. One reader told us a friend had made their wedding cake. “The cake is long gone, but the icing decorations are still in a Tupperware box,” they said. For Lauren Alergant, it was a hand-designed card displaying her and her partner’s names and their wedding date: “We framed it and it has pride of place on our mantelpiece,” she said. Margaret sent us a picture of the slender blue vase that still reminds her of the friend who gave it to her 63 years ago.
Practical, everyday wedding gifts were another hit with you. Mark Sadler told us about the electric drill he is still using 39 years later. Similarly, Andrew and Jane said the most memorable gift from their wedding 46 years ago was a bread knife they still use daily. Alison shared how much use she had got out of the Elna Lotus sewing machine she was given. “We’ve made clothes for the children, curtains and soft furnishings for four houses, gifts for other people and items to sell for charity,” she said.
A few readers mentioned the gifts they’d given. Sarah told us about the chopping board she had given to her son and his wife. “It was made from upcycled olive wood. They got engaged while travelling the Greek islands, and the pattern of the grain looked exactly like a group of islands in the Med,” she said.
Ellen Fenton said her go-to gift is “three bottles of wine chosen with advice from a specialist: one to drink on the first anniversary, one for the fifth and one for the tenth”. The proof is in the pudding, she said: “Three different couples have messaged on various anniversaries to thank us for the wine. And if they break up, one of them can drink the wine to drown their sorrows!” she joked.
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This week’s picks
‘Your nether regions will know if you’ve skimped’: 16 summer cycling essentials
Summer beauty saviours: the best skincare, makeup and body products for hot weather
‘Whizzes up to a vibrant, candyfloss pink’: the best supermarket frozen fruit smoothie mixes
The best UK vineyards to visit this summer – and what to drink at them
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Editor’s pick
Many of us have been cutting down on plastic in the kitchen, whether we’re concerned about single-use plastic waste or microplastics in our food (or both). Lily Smith’s mega-guide has 33 easy plastic-free swaps, from eco-friendly sponge scourers to a Filter-approved Thermos food flask.
Monica Horridge
Deputy editor, the Filter
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In case you missed it …
This week, Lucy Knight wrote about the worrying rise of extreme tanning among younger people. There are safer ways to get that sunkissed glow, if you want it. Earlier this summer, we tested the best fake tans, from drops to gradual tanning lotions to mousses. And if you’re enjoying the real sun on holiday, stay safe: keep out of the midday sun, and find the perfect sunscreen with Sali Hughes’s guide to all the SPF you need.
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Get involved
Are you starting to get your kids back-to-school ready? We want to hear from you! What tips or tricks have worked to coax reluctant little ones into reception, or helped with the transition to secondary school? And we want to know what kit you’ve bought, from backpacks and pencil cases to water bottles and shoes, that’s lasted the school year (or longer) – rather than broken or disintegrated by half-term.
Please let us know by replying to this newsletter or emailing us at thefilter@theguardian.com.
