Older couples, same sex and second-time-around… wedding gift lists – and gifting – are changing to keep pace with contemporary weddings, and major gift list companies are responding with innovative approaches
Weddings have moved on, and so has the gift list. Partly this is because the age at which we get married has risen, but also it is because many couples feel uncomfortable with some of the more traditional conventions surrounding gifting.
But couples are better off building a gift list. Recent research from The Wedding Shop found that couples who chose not to establish a list were happy with only some of their gifts. It’s a big ask to expect people to just find something for you – unless they know your taste and your home very well. Duplication of gifts is also a big risk. The Wedding Shop’s research found that more than 80 per cent of couples without a gift list received more than three unwanted wedding gifts – including multiple toasters and dinner services. That’s a waste of guests’ cash and leaves newlyweds with ‘clutter’ they have to pass on or store (remembering to get the unwanted gift out each time the giver comes round!).
Gift lists are continually evolving to match couples’ real lives and values
Gifting time
Prezola, which offers honeymoon fund, charity donations and cash contributions alongside a vast range of conventional gifts, has recently launched a new type of experiential gifting. Here wedding guests pledge to do something, rather than buy something. This new Social Gifting service enables couples to choose something that is close to their hearts. It could be volunteering with a charity they support, cooking the couple dinner, helping them decorate, becoming a gym buddy, babysitting (or even dog-sitting while they are on honeymoon). Prezola says that this Social Gifting supports two strong trends coming through for today’s couples – the fact that many don’t want guests to spend a lot of money and also the that time and experiences shared with loved ones are considered way more precious than anything they could buy.
Keeping it real
The Wedding Shop is giving couples a headstart in finding gifts that work with modern life by opening London’s first gift Townhouse. It joins its existing showrooms in London, Edinburgh and Dublin. This lovely property in Fulham offers four floors of spaces that feel just like home (albeit very well-equipped). This encourages couples to get cosy – making a coffee, playing the PlayStation or streaming their personal playlist through the Marshall speakers– as they browse the 3,000 curated and barcoded products. Everything they love can be scanned and added to the list. Because gifts are in-situ it’s easy to be inspired and, when you make an appointment, you get a personal ‘Gift Guru’ to show you round and advise on the thousands of gift options, as well as virtual gifts such as charity, honeymoon and cash funds.
Perhaps the key trend in the gift list is that it’s continually evolving to match to couples’ real lives and values. This means it’s easy to create a gift list that is entirely unique, matches your personalities, and gives you special things that you really want. Now that has to be good news for couples, and even better for wedding guests.
For more information, visit Prezola; prezola.com and The Wedding Shop; weddingshop.com
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