kate deegan

Bride & Groom Gifts

The morning of your wedding day can be a bit of whirlwind. It can be equal parts exciting and nervous and is often an emotional rollercoaster. But it’s hardly surprising; it’s the day you and your husband or wife to be have planned and looked forward to for many months or years. It’s a day you’ll both have put lots of thought, time, effort and energy into and when the realisation hits that the wedding day is actually ‘today,’ it can be almost hard to believe.

You’ll also be very busy; from hair to makeup, to flowers arriving and suits to be put on, to photos and more, it can be hard to find a small moment to gather you thoughts. So the tradition of sending your partner a small gift on the morning of the wedding is both a romantic and thoughtful gesture and one you will be very grateful for. The gift doesn’t have to be anything massively expensive or extravagant either, instead something personal, heartfelt and funny is often the best choice.

Here’s just a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing. If you’d like to chat about any aspect of your wedding day, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch

 

For the Bride
Classics –
Jewellery is always a safe bet when it comes to a gift from the groom. It doesn’t have to be hugely expensive, just something small and heartfelt. Think about perhaps a fun MRS necklace, or sparkly earrings with a cute note attached.

 

 

Personalised
Going to the effort to have something personalised, is always much appreciated and the morning of your wedding is no exception. Think about an engraved locket or bracelet. What about a fun embroidered wedding robe? A leather embossed passport cover or travel wallet for the honeymoon, or just a handwritten note! Be sure to have your waterproof mascara on!

 

Quirky
For something a little different why not present her with that pair of designer shoes she’s always wanted and she can bring them on the honeymoon! Send champagne, or a little goody box filled with treats. Or why not write a message on the sole of her wedding day shoes that she’ll see on the morning before she puts them on! Or for something very emotional, a heartfelt notebook with reasons why you love your bride-to-be is ideal.

 

For The Groom
Classics
Classics like cufflinks, watches or even a hipflask are all ideal little presents for the morning of the wedding and can make great photo opps as well. You can personalise these sorts of gifts too for an extra special touch.

 

 

Personalised
A pocket watch with a personal inscription on the back is a super thoughtful groom gift, especially if perhaps there is a pocket watch in the family that might have belonged to a grandfather. A leather monogrammed travel wallet or passport cover for the honeymoon is another great one or why not engrave the inside of his wedding ring as a surprise – it could be something funny like ‘put me back on,’ to make him laugh whenever he has to take it off!

 

 

Quirky
If he’s and adrenalin junkie why not surprise him with a bungee jump or skydive voucher for your honeymoon? Or why not surprise him with a small note stitched on the back of his tie that he’ll only see on the morning of the wedding as he gets ready! Also don’t forget the little funny gifts like ‘just in case you get cold feet’ socks, or the groom/hubby boxers.

Non White Wedding Dresses

While many women will confess to having dreamt of walking down the aisle in a white dress at some point in their lives, not every bride wants to wear white on their big day. Indeed, today’s modern bride has a myriad of beautiful choices for what to wear on her wedding day and the traditional white gown is now only one choice in a varied field of options. Catwalks are now often full of alternative wedding dress colours, from pastels, to off whites, to blush, blues, canary yellows and much more. And even if you’ve never really considered anything but white or ivory, it’s nice to know that you’ll have the option of trying on something different in many bridal boutiques around the country.

Finally remember that your wedding day is a really special one and hopefully you’ll only be walking down the aisle once in your lifetime, so you need to make sure you are wearing the dress you want. Not the dress someone else wants you to wear. So if you’ve always wanted to have a blush pink, or champagne coloured dress then make sure you follow through and try to find the dress of your dreams.

If you’d like to chat about any aspect of your wedding planning or room décor, then please get in touch today.

 

Off White
Off white might not sound like a massive deviation from the traditional white wedding dress, although as you journey through your wedding dress search you’ll begin to realise that many dresses which appear white, are indeed ivory. That said there are a few off white colours to consider that will give a little inflection of colour difference. Think champagne, ivory, eggshell and true cream.

 

 

Blush and Pale Blue
Blush has seen a rise in popularity in recent years, Jessica Biel famously donned a blush pink gown for her big day and it’s a colour that’s certainly becoming a very real choice amongst brides. This year expect to see some pale blues making an appearance. The beauty of both of these colours, is that they are light injections of colour, rather than a deep, rich, bold colour, so that if you do fancy something different to white, but don’t want to stray too far, both of these pale inflections of colours are worth considering.

 

 

Watercolour Gowns
A big trend for this year is a move toward watercolour style dresses. Think elegant prints and florals with an almost painted feel to them either as a pattern on the dress or as the entire colour. What’s great about these dresses is that, again, they aren’t too overwhelming in terms of bright colours, yet are still feel individual and unique.

 

 

Daring colours
Choosing a red, yellow, green, purple or even black wedding dress may be far from the norm, there’s absolutely nothing to say you cannot choose to have a more vivid colour for your wedding dress. Indeed, if it’s always been your dream to walk down the aisle in red, then do it! Never feel under pressure to wear white because it is your special day and you want to make sure everything is as you want it to be.

Wedding Gifts for Parents

For most couples, your parents are a wonderful support to have during the wedding and the planning stages. But of course your parents are a source of support, love and kindness not just throughout the wedding, but indeed for your entire lives. They’ve been there for all the tears, the laughter, the testing times and the happy times. In short they have been your rock for a large part of your lives and when it comes to finally walking down the aisle, it can be an emotional time for everyone. That’s why it’s a nice idea to get your parents a small token to say thanks. Not just for their support on your wedding day, but for your whole life! Of course that doesn’t mean you have to splash out on something hugely expensive, indeed smaller, more thoughtful gifts often turn out to be the best. Try and take a quiet moment on the morning of the wedding and give your parents these gifts… and have a few tissues at the ready, as it’s likely to be emotional!

As an award winning wedding planner, I’ve helped lots of couples to have the day of their dreams and watched as they celebrated with their parents and loved ones. If you’d like to chat about how I can help plan your big day, then please get in touch. In the meantime, here are some super sweet ideas for wedding gifts for parents.

 

Handkerchiefs
No matter how ‘together’ you think you are, it’s very likely there will be some happy tears at some point during your wedding day and taking a moment to tell your parents how much they mean to you, can be one of those moments for all of you. So a personalised handkerchief with a heartfelt message on it, is an ideal gift that will also serve a purpose!

 

Jewellery
Jewellery is always a good call and it doesn’t have to be some super expensive piece either. Instead, why not think about personalised cufflinks or a money clip for your dad with a sweet message on it, or a bracelet or necklace for your mum with the date engraved on it and presented in a personalised box. It’s something that when they wear it, it will remind them of the big day.

 

Plates
A presentation plate is a super idea for a special present to both your parents. Again you can get these hand painted with a special message and it can be hung on the wall or displayed in your parents’ house.

 

Personalised coasters
This is a really sweet idea. Why not get some coasters made up for the reception with some words that are a tribute to both of your parents? You could even add in some funny quotes from them too.

 

Post Wedding Gift
As well as a small heartfelt gift on the wedding day, consider getting some special photos done on the day and present them to your parents after the wedding. For example, you could have a photo where you both hold up a picture of your parents on their wedding day or even recreate your favourite photo from your parents wedding day and present it to them in a frame.

Wedding Food Stations

Gone are the days of the traditional rules when it comes to wedding food. These days’ couples can choose from a variety of options, with food stations becoming a very popular choice. The trend really started with sweet tables, which morphed into dessert tables and now we’ve got everything from cotton candy stations, to pizza, ice cream, sushi and everything in between.

What’s nice about a wedding food station or table is that you can choose how and when it is served. You can have a table of antipasti for grazing before the ceremony, or a spread of make-your-own nachos for your midnight snack. The choice really is up to you, but generally speaking they are a super fun way to entertain your guests and are a fabulous ice breaker too.

If you’d like to chat about any aspect of your wedding planning, then please get in touch.
Sushi and Asian
Plates of colourful sushi really makes a great visual impact for your guests. Make sure you have veggie options available too, as not everyone likes the idea of raw or even cooked fish inside the sushi rolls. Why not add some Asian noodles too and let guests put them into mini takeaway boxes at the food station?

 

Make it Yourself
The essence of a Make-it-Yourself food station is fun, fun, fun! They are a great way to get your guests mingling and you can really choose from anything your taste buds can imagine. Some popular ideas are; nachos, tacos, cupcake decorating, s’mores, baked potatoes and even snazzy sandwich stations!

 

Fun Junk Food
Yes junk food is naughty, but it’s also a treat and what better time to indulge than on your wedding day. Think pizza, mini burgers or sliders, hot dogs and fish and chips! These sorts of foods tend to go down really well with young and old alike. Why not get creative with the packaging and have takeaway style boxes and containers for you guests to use at the food station.

 

Antipasti
Everyone loves an antipasti platter. Think of having an array of cured meats, cheeses, breads, focaccia, olives, roasted veggies and tapenade. This sort of food station makes a great grazing table for pre or post main meal times.

 

Carnival
This option is ideal for bringing out your inner child! Think of having popcorn, candyfloss, candy apples, retro sweets and chocolate fountains with lots of fab dippers like marshmallows and fruit to complete the carnival feel. Everyone young and old will enjoy this style of food station.