Some invitations come with a list; others expressly ask for no presents. Another category request wine which the couple can lay down for a while; while others prefer a donation to their honeymoon, a new house or – for the altruistic – a charity. A rarer few, meanwhile, come with no instruction at all.
Amidst the whole confusing picture, you may well decide that you would like to go off-piste and give a wedding gift that means something to you or that captures something of the spirit of your relationship with the couple. In this case, something obvious – some shared artefact from your history – may offer itself up. But if you are left wondering which gift is best for bride and groom, do not fear, we have rounded up 18 of the best wedding present ideas.
Flouting the list can be controversial. Some see it as a disregard for the couple’s express wishes; others view the list more as a slightly impersonal guide. But whether you intentionally want to go your own way or you’ve just left it a little too late and there’s now only the super cheap or the super expensive items left, here’s our wedding gift guide to the rescue.
Folio Society
Love Poems, Illustrated By Mikki Lee, £75
The ‘world poet Laureate’, Imtiaz Dharker has selected these passionate poems about love. Every newly-wed couple should have at least a moment of reading these romantic odes aloud to one another – and, if and when that phase passes, this sublime tome will look irresistible on the shelf forevermore. Buy it.
Freight HHG
Bone China Coffee Mugs, £18 Each
The aesthetics of our daily lives matter. All new couples should be able to start the day the right way with a good cup of coffee imbibed from a perfect mug. We think these simple, elegant and exquisitely made bone china examples are the Platonic ideal. Buy them.
Sophie Conran
Lancaster Silver Plated Footed Bowl, £100
Whether the lucky couple who receives this elegant silver-plated beauty use it to display fat peonies and hydrangea, or they choose to fill it with ice to lay bottles of English sparkling wine atop, one this is for sure: it will make a glorious and ebullient addition to the marital home. Buy it.
Sharlo Interiors
Wrought Iron French Table Lamp with Jars, £1,200
If your pockets run deep and you want to give the couple in question the priceless gift of flattering lighting, you need look no further than this exceptionally beautiful and reasonably rare wrought iron French table lamp with jars. Fill the jars with blooms from the garden and then bathe in the exquisite soft light bestowed by the parchment shade. Buy it.
The Real Flower Company
12 Monthly Bouquet Deliveries, from £512
What more joyous gift to a couple of newlyweds for the first year of their marriage than a monthly delivery of flowers? There are also options to deliver for three or six months too, depending on your budget. Buy it.
Fortnum & Mason
The Wedding Day Hamper, £150
Wedding guests who know one side of the couple better than the other can struggle with the idea that the present they’re buying is either impersonal or really only intended for one half of the couple. A wedding hamper neatly swerves that problem; who doesn’t like a hand-woven wicker basket filled with bubbles, tea and chocolate? Plus, if the couple prefers not to accumulate more stuff, edibles are the ideal option. Buy it.
Life of Riley
Brown Waxed Canvas Gardening Bag, £69
The wedding list was traditionally for furnishing the happy couple’s new home as they moved in together for the first time. These days, almost all newly-weds have already made that step. But what of the garden? If they have any outside space at all, a good gardening bag is ideal for creating a space in which to relax and enjoy days pottering together amidst the borders. Buy it.
Hay
Sowden Toaster, £95
The toaster was, for many years, a wedding present so traditional that it became a cliché – and married couples ended up with several to their name, thus necessitating the list in the first place. Whilst most couples these days will have long ago bought their own, we defy anyone not to be seduced by this simple and perfectly designed example by Hay. Buy it.
Alessi
Nut Splitter, £18
If you’re on a budget and looking for a present for the couple who has everything, you could scarcely do better than this sweet, heart-shaped nut splitter by LPWK and Jim Hannon-Tan for Alessi. They call it a ‘graceful little utensil’, which is ‘made from precision-cast steel and inspired by an archaic practice performed by farmers and foresters, who would crack nuts with both hands and with the help of a little pocket-sized punch. The designer's vision was inspired by small propeller-like maple seeds: a sign of freedom and of the bond between different cultures.’ Small and perfectly formed. Buy it.
Conran
Deck Chair In Bold Stripe, £165 Each
All married lives should start off in possession of a pair of classic deckchairs in which to sit and chat in the sun – or simply sit in companionable silence with the papers on a Sunday morning. You can’t do better than The Conran Shop’s beautifully made pair. Buy it.
Sous Chef
Honest Toil Olive Oil 3L, £34
Olive oil may seem an eccentric idea for a wedding present – but hear us out. Almost all dishes begin with it – so why not ensure that your nearest and dearest start their lives together with only the best? We love Honest Toil’s Greek extra virgin olive oil, which is unfiltered and comes in this wonderfully illustrated box. They say, ‘Honest Toil extra virgin olive oil is extracted within hours of the harvest to produce a raw oil with the freshest flavour. It is unfiltered, so contains the sediment from olive skins and pips that gives it an opaque, rich green colour and thickness. Its light peppery spice is balanced beautifully by cut grass flavours.’ Buy it.
Norfolk Carrier Company
Long Apron, £55
Couples who cook together, stay together. We love The Norfolk Carrier Company’s aprons, which they describe as ‘serious.’ We’d buy the khaki and the arresting orange for our favourite lovebirds. Buy it.
David Mellor
Classic Stainless Steel Cutlery, Prices Vary
If you want to buy a wedding present that will last forever, good quality cutlery is a sure-fire future heirloom. And if you’re buying new rather than antique, few people make it as beautifully as David Mellor. We like the simplicity of the Classic Stainless Steel design – a six-piece set starts at £85. Buy it.
Divertimenti
Amalfi Yellow Capra Dinner Plate, £22 Each
Chances are your newlyweds already have a set of plates. But do they have a set as redolent of the sun-drenched Amalfi coast as this? Unlikely, we suggest. Unless, that is, you buy it for them. Buy it.
Rowen & Wren
Ember Leaf Candelabra, £49
Help your happy couple keep the romance alive by gifting unto them a candelabra, thus prompting mealtimes to be candlelit and impossibly romantic. They’ll thank you for it. Buy it.
Soapsmith
Relaxing Bath Soaks Gift Set, £35
It is imperative that married life should get off to a fragrant start. And there is no better aid to that than the deliciously scented Soapsmith’s bath soak, which invites you to linger awhile in the tub. Buy it.
Art Fund
Double National Art Pass, £110
Most of us have more stuff than we realistically need. If you’re buying for a couple who would really rather not accumulate more, then why not give them a double National Art Pass? For the first year of their marriage, it will enable them to enjoy free entry to hundreds of museums and galleries and historic houses across the UK, as well as 50 per cent off major exhibitions. The recipe for an excellent first year, we say. Buy it.
Cox & Cox
Rattan Log Basket, £95
For many married couples, the best evening in the world is to pour a glass of wine and sit in front of a crackling fire together either chatting, reading or engrossed in a good film. This log basket is exactly right for setting the scene of many years’ worth of such happy evenings ahead. Buy it.
By Nancy Alsop
Updated August 2022
