Budget Bridal/Wedding Shower Gift?

[Irin997]

I'm going to a friend's surprise bridal shower on April 10th and I seriously have no clue, let alone a budget idea, of what to get her. I've never been to a bridal shower...lots of baby showers (that's easy) but no bridal showers. Any good budget unique tips on what to get? I've looked at her registry and nothing is shouting out to me.

 

[dizluvah]

I always like to get a nice wooden tray for breakfast in bed and I give it with pancake or scone mix, syrup, etc - I create some kind of breakfast themed gift for the newlyweds.

 

[SunnieRN]

This may sound corny, but I have done it several times and it is always a big hit. It can be adjusted to your budget easily. I purchase a garbage can, suitable size for under the kitchen sink. I then fill it with: garbage bags, corn on the cob holders, vegetable peeler, colander, grater, wooden spoons, kitchen towels, etc.

This isn't the greatest gift for those in an established home/apartment however.

I do the same thing for my friends who are expecting, starting with a diaper genie for the cloth diaper moms and a sealable trash can with bags for disposable diaper Moms.

 

[BMNABrinx]

The most unique gift we got at our wedding shower was a medium sized trash can filled with trash bags and some cleaning supplies. It was "wrapped" in a trash bag and covered with coupons our friend had clipped and taped on. It was great not to have to buy cleaning supplies and to have the coupons to save money when we started filling our cabinets.

My SIL gave my nephew and his bride a laundry basket filled with laundry supplies and cleaning supplies. They appreciated that too.

 

[Soulsearching]

I thought this would be a great gift.


http://www.lenox.com/cat/index.cfm?fuseaction=prod&pid=15505&kf=4

Of course, if that is not your budget, you can always give a pair of long stem glasses that you find on sale with either a bottle of wine or champagne.

A beautiful frame is always welcomed.

Home Goods is a great place to look for a gift.

 

[AntePrincess]

I've given crockpots or dutch ovens to every bride so far, and it's always been a success, but that might say more about the crowds I run in than how good a bridal shower gift it is. I did give a wedding/housewarming gift to a couple once, in addition to the dutch oven shower gift, that was a membership in Seed Savers, a collection of pots, and a Farmer's Almanac for the year. They were so looking forward to having a yard to garden in, they were thrilled with the gift.

 

[Justsyd2]

I usually give Baccarat crystal -- a bowl, candy dish, or candlesticks.

 

[Irin997]

Wow these are some really great and fun ideas! So you think maybe getting something (or some ideas) off their registry is a good thing? They have some wine glasses on their list I thought of getting them but I wasn't sure if the bridal shower is the appropriate venue for that gift. For the wedding we're just giving them money.

 

[Bren's Mom]

Registries are just suggestions, I never would want a guest of mine to feel like they MUST shop on the registry!

A beautiful, personalized crock for the couple's front porch is my 'go to' gift. I order from this company, they're in New Hampshire. Their customer service is superior, I wanted a Claddagh they didn't show on their website...when I contacted them they said 'no problem', I send them a pic of what I wanted and they made it custom for me...NO CHARGE! Wow! Anything you see ont the site can be mixed and matched, colors, pictures, type style...they can do whatever you want. The crocks are always well packaged and arrive with no problems and very quickly.

(And I just noticed, they've got 'my' Claddagh up on the site now! LOL)

http://www.allsignsco.com/stoneware.html

 

[okeydokey]

I've done a picnic basket with some plates, utensils, bottle of wine and opener, etc.

 

[EKW]

One nice idea is a basket of spices. If you can hit a good sale, it's even more affordable. Even established households can usually do with fresh spices!

 

[Irin997]

I've done a picnic basket with some plates, utensils, bottle of wine and opener, etc.

I like this idea a lot!

I also thought about doing a basket with the different kitchen utensils she requested on her registry.

 

[connie7185]

I usually buy some kind of decoration for each holiday for the year. This way the couple will have at least a start on decorating for their first year of marriage. You could buy placemats specific for a holiday, christmas sign or snowman, a flag for all the patriotic holidays, and maybe some romantic candle container with hearts on it for Valentines Day, outdoor signs that go in the ground for any holiday. Just a thought


Connie

 

[wgwtgb]

One of the most practical gifts we received was a movie night basket. I had a 3 year old son when my husband and I married, so it was a little more practical for us. It was a popcorn bowl from Target filled with, of course microwave popcorn, but movie sized boxes of candy, cokes, and a gift card to our local Blockbuster. I think this would be a good gift whether or not they have children already.

 

[ilovejack02]

I vote for sticking to registry even if nothing is shouting at you , there is a reason folks register. : ) The utensil basket idea is a good thing and then just add a cpl of more things to it .

 

[thebeesknees]

We got a picnic basket from some friends that was filled with a cute checkered tablecloth and napkins, some nice plates, utensils and cups, and a bunch of "snacky"-type things - tuna and crackers, a bottle of cider, gourmet chips, etc. Since we were drving up to Cape Cod, it was so nice to have it tucked in the back seat and we used it a lot.

Another friend did a "Something old, something new" theme and gave me a recipe that had been in her family for generations (old), a colander (new), a glass measuring cup with a baggie of sugar (borrowed), and a blue satin nighty (blue). I loved the idea and didn't cost her much at all.

 

[CoP Luv]

I vote for sticking to registry even if nothing is shouting at you , there is a reason folks register. : ) The utensil basket idea is a good thing and then just add a cpl of more things to it .

The wine glasses idea is a great one and would be more than appropriate at a bridal shower. You could add a vaccuum sealer set and a nice bottle of wine. A great gift!

 

[MomofSixinSC]

My idea is definitely low budget. I look at the registry to get an idea of the brides kitchen colors. Then I buy a recipe box to coordinate with those colors and then copy all my favorite recipes onto the cards that match the box. I provide lots of extra cards for her own recipes.

For the next wedding we are going to, my 14yodd wants to buy an unpainted wooden recipe box and paint it special for the bride.

 

[HunnyPots]

The thing about the register is, those are the things the bride wants, whether or not they appeal to you. I'd just pick something off the register within my budget and go with that.

 

[AmongMadPeople]

A beautiful frame is always welcomed.

Only if their home is filled with lots of photos. I sold every frame I got at my bridal shower

I loved all the thoughtful gifts people got for me, but I wish people had bought more stuff off our registry. We ended up with a lot of things still on the list that I truly wanted, but we didn't have the cash to just go buy it all ourselves. You can buy off the registry and still make it personal. For a wedding gift, our friend did an entertainment basket, with board games we registered for, popcorn, a blanket, etc. Recently for a bridal shower I hosted, she did a basket with towels (off the registry) and pretty soap and bath salts or something.

Don't think registry and thoughtful, personalized gifts can't go together, because they can