It’s hard to pick out the perfect wedding gift, especially if you’re financially challenged or just really busy. A handcrafted wedding gift reminds the happy couple how much you care, especially when you use pieces of their own wedding favors. Waiting until the wedding itself to craft a gift can lend a very personal, nostalgic touch to your present. And best of all, it won’t take up any room in your suitcase! Here are some ideas:
The Napkin Rings
Napkin rings are a great starter point for many gifts: Simply slip yours off the napkin at your placemat, and ask others to do the same. From there, try wrapping the rings in flower stems from the centerpiece, or even ripped pieces of napkin. Et voilà! You have a tiny, personalized bracelet for their first daughter. Or, if they haven’t already asked for it on their registry, you have a bunch of napkin rings to give them!
A Photo Collage
Take advantage of the photographer that has already been paid for, and make them a beautiful digital photo collage to help commemorate the most important day of their lives! Find the photos that the photographer and other guests post to social media and use an app on your phone to collage them into one image. Your newlywed friends will be so thrilled to see their wedding toast, their first dance, and the rest of their memories combined into one image in their inbox the next morning. Because what’s a wedding without instant documentation? It’s nothing.
The Centerpiece
Why let the most beautiful part of a wedding go to waste? No, not the bride – the centerpieces! Some centerpieces are filled with flowers, some have candles in them, and some are filled with those big useless silver balls. But the important thing to remember is they’re all filled with SOMETHING, which means they can be repurposed into some great kitchen or dining room utility! Start by dumping out the contents of as many centerpieces as you can. Perhaps you can pass out the silver balls to the flower girl and other children to play with. Aren’t you resourceful! Then, that empty vase can be turned into a number of vessels, such as an adorably large ice cream sundae glasses, or a travel sink for camping. Or even a vase! The possibilities are practically endless.
The Cake
You’ve heard how the cake is one of the most beloved features of a wedding. But how about… surprise cake? During a particularly emotional part of the reception— the father-daughter dance, for example, or perhaps a long slideshow tribute to a deceased loved one— sidle on over to the beautifully tiered cake. Slide a spatula you stole from the kitchen under the top tier, and tip it over into your open purse. Sure, the wedding party might be dismayed at first that they don’t have the apex tier of their only wedding cake, but that disappointment will fade into a chuckle-worthy, shrugging anecdote in just a few days. And when they least expect it, surprise them with a one-year anniversary gift (or just a late wedding present) of the missing cake! They’ll be so delighted at your cleverness.
Get creative!
Sometimes, the best gifts aren’t tangible. An improvised toast or interpretive dance could be one of the most inspired moments of the reception. Why not sidle up to the DJ and give him all your best playlist advice? Your efforts will be appreciated!
With all of these great options for wedding gifts, you can throw their registry out the window! Remember, these gems aren’t “last-minute”, they’re “of the minute”! And what the fuck could be more considerate than that?
