Your Guide to Buying (Actually Useful) Wedding Presents

'Tis the season to be jolly… about eating kacchi to your heart's fullest and donning gorgeous attires that stay quarantined inside your closet for most of the year. However, if you're going to be attending weddings, let's not forget about buying presents for the couple.

Your gifts should hold both sentimental and practical value. So, to make sure that you don't find yourself looking for a dinnerware set in Elephant Road or a flower vase from Aarong every time there's a wedding to attend, here's a small guide on finding better, and actually useful, wedding presents.

Get creative with combos

Weddings are as good as any other occasion for presents that align with the hobbies and interests of the receiver. The best thing about it is that you can usually customise a gift combo that can be special to the couple.

For instance, if they happen to be bookworms, you may get them a few good books from their respective favourite genres. But also, you can add in a tin or two of their favourite brands of coffee, and throw in a snuggly hand-knit blanket. That way, you'll be giving them a nice winter evening of buddy-reading in a box.

Simple as it might seem, these are gifts that contribute to beautiful moments of bonding for the couple. Such combos are also versatile and adjust according to your budget as long as you're creative enough.

Go big, but on a budget

Despite the natural impulse of going all out while buying a present, your purse may not always permit this. But this is exactly where mutual friend groups or family come in! If you all agree to get the recipients a deluxe present that will surely mean something to them, invest in it together.

One person alone may not be able to afford a weekend booking at a nice resort as a gift, but a group of cousins can. You may not consider buying a semi-premium GPU by yourself for two of your gamer friends getting hitched, but it's possible if a few of your mutual friends chip in.

Trust me, even a small-scale weekend getaway or a few hours at a spa after the exhausting stretch of the ceremonies is far better for them than sitting around and unpacking the tenth photo frame from yet another relative. And if you can easily give that to them by chipping in with others, why not?

Buy from small businesses

Seriously, the perks of this are endless. Not only will you be supporting small artists and entrepreneurs, but you can also avail a wide range of presents that are locally sourced, economical, mostly handmade, and unique. The best thing about purchasing from small businesses is that there's something for everyone within your budget.

You can get customised artwork for their home, decor items, handmade jewellery, accessories or apparel. On top of that, almost all of them have customisation options available which provides the scope for the best personalised gifts. Even the gift sets mentioned at the very beginning of this article can easily be custom-made from small businesses.

If any of your family members or close friends are getting married, you may also offer to arrange for the wedding cake via a local baking business. Gestures like these go a long way.

Think outside the (gift) box

If you're not the best at picking out conventional gifts, this is your safety net. Give the couple a chance at experiencing things together!

You can consider giving them tickets to an upcoming concert they can attend, or maybe a pass for a couple's day at an art studio where they can explore fun hobbies together (Claystation Dhaka is perfect for something like this). Just a reservation at a nice little restaurant for dinner will be thoughtful, too.

However, if you don't know any of them too well, you can still get them gift cards or a paid yearly subscription of services such as Netflix or Spotify.

Cash, seriously

No, it's not impolite. Yes, it's better than impulse-buying them a rice cooker or an iron last minute.

More often than not, the primary concern of newlywed couples who are just starting a life together is finances. Building a home for a new family with brand new monetary responsibilities is no easy task, and even the smallest jumpstarts help. Hence, if you can't find a good gift at the last minute and can afford this comfortably instead, do consider writing a cheque to the pair. It definitely doesn't have to be too grand a number, but it'll still be a helpful gift.

Last but not the least, if you're unsure about a present you bought, consider leaving the receipt with it and don't feel shy to add a note mentioning that they can totally swap it out for something they find more useful. After all, being a bit of a Rachel Green at heart is rather practical at times.