The days of all nearlyweds registering a gift list with a department store are firmly behind us. But if you don’t fancy adding to a honeymoon fund, nor putting cash in a card, what should you give to the couple? Tesco recently launched a list for the very practical, but here are some more romantic ideas that won’t break the bank.
• For green-fingered friends, pick a perennial that will flower every year around their anniversary, or just before, so they can have freshly cut flowers on the day. Try Rosa from Patch for summer weddings – it’s a pink climbing rose and costs £18. You can add a decorative pot from a range costing £14 to £70.
• If the couple likes to collect pieces from a particular artist, show your attention to detail by picking one that they’re missing. David Shrigley fans will see humour in his Foolish Hearts poster, for example. An unframed print costs €48 (£40.93) on Shrigshop.com.
• A monogrammed or personalised memento could be a lovely gift. Cressida Jamieson sells handkerchiefs embroidered with names of your choice, or a version embroidered with your chosen message, both of which can be in your own handwriting (from £25 and from £35 respectively).
• Why not turn a skill into a one-of-a-kind gift? Pen a comic book of their love story so far, write a humorous poem, or a lovely letter on smart writing paper.
• You could handwrite one of the readings they’ve chosen for their ceremony, or hunt down an early edition of the work it came from and bookmark it with a note. John Atkinson Fine & Rare Books is a good place to start (from about £25).
• A vinyl copy of the music for their first dance is also a cute choice – go digging at somewhere such as Rough Trade.
• A scrapbook of messages and photos from your group of friends is a wonderful keepsake for the couple to revisit. Not on the High Street sells leather, plain page albums that you can personalise (from £39). Snappy Snaps offers printing from as little as 31p a picture.
• Many couples won’t want more stuff, so donating money to a charity in their name is a good bet. Do they love their pooch? Plump for All Dogs Matter. Are they worried about the planet’s future? Climate Coalition is a good option.
