Help! My brother gets married in 5 days! I don't have a gift yet!
He is older getting married for the first time. They both have been living on their own and then together for over 10 years. So they already have the basics (kitchen, bath, home etc). My brother is a radiologist partner and makes a ton of money. They just bought new cars and a huge new house in the last 6 months. They live 10hrs away, so I haven't seen their house to know what they have or need.
It is a location wedding, so they said no gifts since it is costing everyone a small fortune to get there, hotel, etc.
But since it is my brother... I want to get something. I have only met her a handful of times so don't really know her or her interests that well. I have been trying to figure something out for 6 months with no luck. They literally have everything or could go buy it.
Any ideas??? Thanks.
An ornament with their wedding date engraved on it. http://www.lenox.com/ornaments/first-christmas?N=1466&...
My husband and I had a destination wedding, and one of the most thoughtful gifts we got was a really nice mosaic wall hanging from the locale where we got married. It was a nice souvenir for us, since we didn't have any time to actually shop while we were there. Maybe you could get something nice from the wedding destination and ship it to their house, along with photos from the wedding.
I also liked the idea of paying for treats on their honeymoon.
What about getting photos of them at the same young age (1st grade, maybe?) and putting them in a picture frame that holds both pictures?
honeymoon activities (i.e. couples massage, sunset cruise, helicopter ride, ground tour etc - whatever is popular at their destination of choice), nice bottle of wine or champagne, I aslo liked the ornament idea with their wedding date.
Give them something money can't buy.
put together a basket of brother's favorite cookies and the recipies.
get something meaningful autographed.
a photo album of all the homes your brother has lived in, all the cars he's owned, something of that ilk.
buy them something on of the locale, a gift certificate to buy some local artwork, a couple's massage, a whale encounter.
Get them a bouquet of flowers sent to their house for a year every day of their wedding anniversary.
wishing them and you the best.
good luck,
F. B.
Take lots of great candid pictures at the wedding and present them a nice photo album or digital scrapbook after the wedding.
Something they COULD buy but might not - his and her massages maybe.
Or something you make yourself? Are you crafty in any way? Family photo album?
Something I've done is a Christmas ornament with this year's date on it and/or both their names. Or a nice picture frame for their wedding picture. Or a CD of their favorite tunes?
You can also wait to meet her and get something after you have a chance to talk to her family members at the wedding. You could make a CD after you hear their tunes at the wedding - yes they COULD do it themselves, but would they spend the time to do it? You could take some photos at the wedding - candids of the location, the guests in casual settings other than the actual ceremony & reception, maybe some in the town where it's being held, and so on. They won't have a professional doing some of those scenes or at off times, and even if they have a pro, that photog can only be in so many places. No need to have a gift at the wedding, especially because it gives them the job of getting the gift home. NO ONE likes gifts at the wedding for that reason, plus there is the problem of gifts being stolen or misplaced. You could also do a nice poem or even an open letter to the two of them about how you feel about them and their marriage.
i agree.. go with something personal, considering they can buy whatever they need/want.. i like the idea of a scrapbook/collage with pictures .. when my parents got married my moms aunt had a huge candle made for them with a poem written in it, theyre wedding date and a cute picture of the two of them when they first started dating .. theyre going to burn it next month for their 40th anniversary
I would look up the resort's website and see if you can buy them something for them at the resort during their honeymoon, presuming they are staying there longer. I would maybe have a few bottles of wine sent to their room or a bottle of champagne and hors devours sent on the second or third night of their stay. Presumably the resort will supply a bottle of something on their first night. I'm sure they have a spa and you could do a couples massage as someone else suggested or just a generic gift card for spa services.
Wait until you return from the wedding to send them a gift.
Pictures - Take tons of pictures and send them a photo book with the pics inside.
Send just one picture in a nice frame. Whether it be a picture of the siblings at the wedding, a new family pic with the bride, or just a picture of the two of them together.
Gift card - Amazon, Target, Bed Bath Beyond
Then you gotta go with something extremely personal. Something money can't buy. CAWritermom has a great idea. Find, if you can, a picture of them both at an early age. Birth picture, school picture at same age and have them put on a blanket, or canvas. The picture on canvas, looks like a painting. It is beautiful. You can put the young pictures as well as, or, their present pictures on the blanket with the date of their wedding.
Maybe just stick to the registry for the wedding gift. Then find out where they are staying and have the hotel staff put a specially made post wedding care basket in their room- champagne, grapes, bath crystals...) someone did this for us and it was so nice! I barley had time to eat or drink at my wedding, it was nice to sit on our balcony, have something to eat, recap the wedding, bathe and ......
I just got two "Memory Keepers" which look ADORABLE.
http://www.papercoterie.com/ (click on "Memory Keepers" at the top).
You may have to do this "AFTER" the wedding when you have a lot of pictures from the wedding (napkins, cake, ceremony, tabletoppers, etc). That way they have a BOX that fits on a bookshelf that they can put memories in - the barettes she wore in her hair, the bowtie your brother wore, photos, dating movie ticket stubs, notes they wrote eachother, etc.
Or design it as a general "memory" keeper with pictures your brother sent you of them dating.
When my best friend got married she was in much of the same boat, so I went to Things Remembered and got them an engraved picture frame with their names and the date for a photo of their choice, about $50 or so, and I got them a marriage license holder that was also engraved. They liked them so much that they have been giving one or the other of the two gifts at weddings ever since. And, I have to say that I absolutely love the certificate holder they gave me for my own wedding a few years later. I hope that helps. Oh, they will do the engraving in less than an hour I think, but don't quote me on that.
I love Waterford crystal. You can get a piece for a reasonable price. I have small vases, dishes I got around $50 each up to the large bowls I've paid $500 for. It's a classic! The have all kinds of glassware, frames, bowls vases at many price points
Send a gift receipt just in case but I love my Waterford.
I love Melissa's answer! That's a great idea. Unless they don't celebrate Christmas, of course.
:)
I attended a wedding a few years ago (My Husbands Cousin) and we had their wedding invitation engraved onto a pewter plate. I loved the idea and apparently it was a hit with many ppl that saw it too
Good Luck
Definitely something personal. Could you make something for them? I know it's kind of short on time, but you could always send/give it to them later for that matter. Good luck!
A weekend stay at a bed and breakfast. Certificate to a local landscaper/nursery for their new home's yard.
I also think personal is the way to go.
Are your parents still married? If so, maybe you could frame a picture of your parents on their wedding day...and give it with a wish that they have a long happy life together, like your parents?
Just a thought?
Other than that, I liked the idea another poster had about a small piece of art from a local artist from wherever it is they are getting married? That is a great idea!
Your presence. Celebrate with them.
Until you have a better idea of who they are as a couple, then it is really inappropriate to do anything else, anyway.
Something personal. A small painting of a place special to them (wedding location, place they met, honeymoon spot?), something monogrammed (guest towels, pillow cases, dish linens, door knocker?), or maybe have their wedding invitation professionally matted & framed?
I would not take it to a destination wedding, I would send it beforehand, or, at this late date, time it to arrive after they are home.
Good luck!
I would take a picture of the couple and have it framed...if you have any pictures of them together over the years? make it a collage type picture.
I don't know where they live - maybe if your brother is interested in the "arts" - you can get him some tickets to a local theater - if he lives in NY - there are ways to purchase Broadway show tickets....
Since you don't know her that well? I would get them something personalized like the picture and frame, a Christmas ornament with their picture and wedding date on it...if you have talent - make them something - like a blanket or throw...
call your brother and ask for hints...or suggestions so that his wife knows you support their marriage even though you haven't really gotten a chance to get to know her.
