Wedding Gift Ideas: The Best Presents for Every Couple and Budget
Whether you’re an engaged couple looking for cool wedding gift ideas for your gift list, or a guest wanting to source an extra special present, you’ve come to the right place.
We’ve compiled an edit of the very best wedding present ideas, with thoughtful gifts across a range of budgets that are sure bring a smile to the newlyweds’ faces.
From personalised presents to unforgettable experience gifts, wedding gift ideas for friends and even wedding gift ideas for parents, there’s something for everyone; foodies, art lovers, adrenaline junkies, homebodies, and more.
Read on for the full list – and happy shopping!
Budget | Best for |
Under £50 | Candles, cookbooks, wall art, homeware, personalised items |
£50-£100 | Experience days, subscription gifts, quality homeware, luxury photo albums, hampers and champagne gifts |
£100+ | Overnight stays, honeymoon contributions, luxury personalised keepsakes, fine homeware |
Already living together | Consumables such as hampers, honeymoon contributions, cash, gifts personal to the couple’s interests and relationship |
No gift list or registry | Cash, experiences, personalised items, restaurant vouchers |
Disclaimer: Prices, availability and offerings for products featured in this article are subject to change. Always check the retailer’s website for current pricing and stock before purchasing.
Registry vs. Surprise Gifts: What You Need to Know First
Chances are, if you’re reading this, you have no plans to turn up to the wedding you’ve been invited to empty handed. But should you buy from the wedding gift list or registry if there is one?
Our answer will always be yes. Not only does buying from the wedding gift list save you having to think of an idea of what to get, it also guarantees your choice of gift is something the couple wants.
A wedding gift list is also likely to feature items across a range of budgets, allowing you to choose something you can afford. Shop off-registry, and you run the risk of giving the couple something they don’t need or already own. Always make the couple’s wedding gift list your first port of call.
No list? No problem. That’s why we’ve shared some of our most inspired wedding gift ideas below. Remember, too, that cash is more than acceptable to give. In fact, it’s becoming increasingly common for couples to ask for either cash gifts or honeymoon contributions. Planning a wedding (and newlywed life) is expensive, after all.
If there isn’t a wedding gift list, something like cash or an experience gift is often more practical and memorable than a physical item that might end up in the back of a cupboard or drawer.
Wedding Gift Ideas Under £50
Our pick of brilliantly budget-friendly and inexpensive wedding gift ideas for friends and loved ones.
1. Katie Loxton Passport Holders – John Lewis
Whether the happy couple are frequent flyers or you just want to gift them something to make them smile on their honeymoon, these Mr & Mrs passport holders from Katie Loxton at John Lewis are as chic as they are genuinely useful.
2. Your Turn to Host: A Guide to Great Parties & Gatherings – Anthropologie
Keen to keep the party going post-wedding? Hosts with the most will appreciate this practical guide to throwing parties, whether it’s an intimate dinner or a raucous games night with friends. Filled with inspiration, tips, recipes and timelines.
3. Kelly Hoppen No.1 Fragrance Candle – Marks & Spencer
After the honeymoon comes the nesting period – the perfect excuse to treat them to a luxury scented candle they wouldn’t otherwise buy for themselves. This candle from Marks & Spencer X Kelly Hoppen isn’t just beautifully designed, it smells heavenly, too, with vibrant notes of bergamot, clove and patchouli.
4. Bee Happy Gift Box – Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
For a delectable gift that doesn’t take up space, hampers and gift boxes are a great option. This charming Bee Happy gift box from Kew Gardens includes honey and oat biscuits, a jar of Kew’s own chilli-infused hot honey, and honey-flavoured milk chocolate – perfect for sweet-toothed couples.
5. Sunday’s Daughter Personalised Trinket Dish – Not on the High Street
For quality personalised pieces on a budget, Not on the High Street has a great selection of wedding gift ideas. Our pick? This beautiful and practical trinket dish, perfect for storing keys, coins, jewellery and more. Available in two sizes.
6. Noir Pixel Studio Personalised Custom Portrait Print – Etsy
Capture their love story – and brighten up their walls – with a bespoke print or illustration. We love this fun style for modern couples at Etsy, which comes as a digital download. Have it professionally printed and frame for a gift they’ll treasure forever.
7. The Olive Tree Gift – Tree2MyDoor.com
This olive tree isn’t just a great alternative wedding gift idea for green-fingered couples, it’s also symbolic of peace, friendship and prosperity, which is everything you want as you embark on married life! It arrives beautifully wrapped in sustainable packaging and will thrive just as well on balconies and patios as it will on a sunny lawn.
8. Afternoon Tea Gift Box – Selfridges
We’d hazard a guess this delectable box of elevenses essentials from Selfridges will be very much appreciated by sweet-toothed couples – and won’t last long. Wrapped up in the department store’s signature yellow packaging, it includes all the sugary favourites like lemon curd, milk chocolate, shortbread biscuits and more.
9. Izakaya Dining Experience for Two – Virgin Experience Days
What do you get the couple who has everything? An experience to remember, of course. For a gift under £50, consider a voucher for their favourite restaurant or look to Virgin Experience Days which has plenty of budget-friendly offerings, including this Japanese dinner for two at London-based La Bibliothèque.
10. See + Quin Embroidered Napkins – Holly & Co
While the lovebirds may not need a new cutlery or glassware, there are some gifts for the home they may not have thought of – such as some well-chosen table linen. We love these personalised embroidered napkins from See + Quin at Holly & Co. Pick from a wide range of colours to suit their tablescape, with the option to include a card, too.
Wedding Gift Ideas £50-£100
Looking to spend a little more? These thoughtful wedding present ideas offer something for every kind of couple.
11. Wedding Belles Luxury Biscuit Tin –Biscuiteers
If they can’t resist a biscuit with their cuppa, they’ll be wowed by these hand-iced, wedding-themed designs from Biscuiteers, which come beautifully packaged in one of the brand’s signature tins.
12. Chapel Down Wine Tasting & Vineyard Tour for Two – Virgin Experience Days
Are they the kind of couple who appreciates the full range of red, white and rosé? Level up their next date day with a wine tasting and vineyard tour. Kent-based Chapel Down is up there with some of the best English wine in the world. You could even gift them a bottle to go with it!
13. Centonze Barocco Ceramic Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Selfridges
Few things will please the keen cooks in your life like a bottle of premium extra-virgin olive oil. Housed in a beautiful, hand-painted ceramic bottle, this Sicilian EVOO certainly looks the part and can be refilled so they never have to switch back to plastic bottles again.
14. Coffee Subscription – Dog & Hat
For the couple who knows their filter from their aeropress, a coffee subscription is the gift that keeps on giving post-wedding (and a great way to ensure they’re never without their morning brew).
We love Dog & Hat, whose fresh beans and beautifully wrapped monthly packages come with tasting notes and the odd surprise freebie to bring a smile to their face.
From £75 for 3 months | Shop now
15. Emma Bridgewater Mugs (Set of 2) – John Lewis
Talking of morning brews, these Emma Bridgewater cups (also available in Mr & Mrs and Mrs & Mrs) are a fun way to expand their mug selection and declare their newlywed status.
16. Erl Grey Illustration Custom Wedding Venue Watercolour Illustration – Etsy
For a beautiful piece of art that will undoubtedly take pride of place, an illustration of the happy couple’s wedding venue is one of the most sentimental and meaningful gifts you can give.
Each piece by Erl Grey Illustration is hand-drawn using pen, ink and watercolour before being professionally printed for you to frame.
17. Our Big Day Fabric Photo Album – Papier
Once the couple have shared their photos from the day, this is a gift that can be ordered to surprise the newlyweds after the wedding. Customise up to 100 pages in this beautiful textured-fabric book from Papier, including the front cover, to tell the story of their day.
This is also one of our favourite wedding anniversary gift ideas.
18. National Art Pass –ArtFund
For a subscription wedding gift that’s good for the soul, cultured couples will love having the National Art Pass from ArtFund in their pocket, which gives them free and half price entry to hundreds of museums, galleries and exhibitions across the UK. Also included is a subscription to Art Quarterly magazine, and discounts on food and drink across museum shops and cafés.
19. Gallery Thea Personalised Tea Light Holder – Not on the High Street
For a unique wedding gift idea that also makes a beautiful keepsake, a personalised piece like this hand-painted tea light holder from Suffolk-based artist Gallery Thea will stand the test of time. Choose from four designs and personalise with your own message, names, date or phrase.
20. Delacourt Champagne & Glasses Gift Set – Marks & Spencer
Sometimes the classics are classics for a reason, especially when they come beautifully packaged. Marks & Spencer’s Delacourt champagne gift set includes two delicate flutes – perfect for toasting to married life post-wedding or saving for their first anniversary.
Wedding Gift Ideas £100 and Above
From fine homeware items to wedding gift voucher ideas, these blow-the-budget presents are bound to please
21. A View to Dine For Experience with Champagne – Gordon Ramsay Restaurants
Ready to make their next date night delicious and gift them experience they’ll never forget? Gordon Ramsay Restaurants offer some of the most luxury dining experiences around, including this A View to Dine For tasting menu with champagne at Bread Street Kitchen 22 Bishopsgate. The newlyweds will have the best seat in the house, with panoramic views high above the capital.
22. Large Leather Jewellery Case –Aspinal of London
For statement pieces they’d never purchase for themselves, Aspinal of London has a stunning selection, many of which can be personalised. For a close loved one who loves to travel – or even as a wedding gift idea – this heart-shaped full-grain leather jewellery case has been thoughtfully crafted to organise and protect their most treasured pieces.
23. An Evening With Friends Luxury Hamper – Fortnum & Mason
With everything you need for a (spontaneous or organised) post-wedding debrief, this hamper from Fortnum & Mason is brimming with drinks and sweet and savoury nibbles to keep the conversation flowing well into the night, including a house bottle of Beaujolais, nuts, olives, crackers, Florentines, and more.
24. One-Night New Forest Break & Spa Treatment for Two– Virgin Experience Days
Give them the opportunity to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life with a getaway gift. Book as a voucher, and it means they can choose a date that suits them. This mini-break to the Bell Inn, in the New Forest, includes a choice of facial or massage, and some serious R&R.
25. Antique Brass Wine Cooler – Cox & Cox
For the devoted wine lovers, this footed brass cooler from Cox & Cox will be a welcome addition to the home, especially during the summer months. The antique, goblet-style design makes it perfect as a table centrepiece, with plenty of room to chill a whole clutch of bottles.
26. Couple’s Portrait Session – POSE Studios
For a gift they can take advantage of on their first anniversary, secretly book in a couple’s portrait session with the newlyweds’ wedding photographer, or gift them a voucher for POSE Studios in London. The self-portrait studio allows them to create portraits without anyone actually taking their picture – it’s just them, a mirror and a remote control.
27. Patchwork Velvet Cotton Throw – Oliver Bonas
Brighten up the happy couple’s bedroom and give the gift of comfort and joy with this tactile throw from Oliver Bonas, made from a luxurious cotton-velvet. Perfect for cosying up to on their next at-home date night.
28. Memino Classic Memory Case – Fortnum & Mason
This supple leather case from the keepsake experts at Memino is designed to store treasures and meaningful memories. To make it even more special, gift to the couple after the wedding and fill with mementos collected from the day; Polaroids or photo booth pictures, a pressed flower from the bouquet, and a reading or vows from the wedding, handwritten by a calligrapher.
29. Wedding Gift Hamper – Jo Loves
For the ultimate wedding gift for the home, this luxury scent hamper from Jo Loves is overflowing with delights in the brand’s signature scents, including bath cologne, shower gels, candles and reed diffusers, all beautifully packaged in a reusable wicker gift basket.
30. Honeymoon Fund Donation – The Wedding Shop
Sometimes the most practical gift you can give is cash, but for those who feel that giving cash perhaps lacks emotional value, donating to the couple’s honeymoon fund is a great way to know it’s being put to good use.
Honeymoon funds are available via the The Wedding Shop, where guests can also choose specific experiences to gift, such as a spa treatment or excursion.
Wedding Gift Ideas for Couples Who Already Live Together
It’s common for couples to have lived together for a while before they get married, so chances are they won’t be in need of a new toaster, bedding, towels or everyday homeware unless you’re going to treat them to a significant upgrade that they wouldn’t otherwise splash out on for themselves (luxury linen sheets? Don’t mind if we do…)
Some of our favourite wedding gift ideas for couples who already live together include:
- Experience gifts and days out: Something that creates a memory, rather than takes up space.
- Cash or honeymoon contributions: A practical option that’s always genuinely appreciated.
- Consumables: A hamper, a subscription, a restaurant voucher… something that can be enjoyed long after the wedding day.
- A personalised gift: Aim for something that’s personal to the couple’s relationship, such as a piece of artwork or print that references a specific place, date or hobby.
- A service they’d use but never book for themselves: Something like a meal delivery subscription, house clean, grocery delivery credit… don’t be afraid to think outside the box!
Personalised & Unique Wedding Gifts
The art of great wedding gift shopping lies in buying something meaningful, and you can’t wrong with something that’s either personalised or a little unexpected. Whether it’s a commissioned illustration or a newspaper from the date they got married, gifting something purposeful will guarantee a smile.
Some of our favourites include:
Personalised wedding gifts
- Custom illustration of the couple or their wedding venue: Check out Etsy and Not on the High Street for a brilliant selection of UK illustrators.
- Personalised book: You’ll find options from the likes of Wonderbly which includes ‘reasons we love you’ book designs, or even a bespoke children’s book about the couple which could make a great wedding gift from a child.
- Engraved items: From chopping boards to glassware, and keepsakes such as cufflinks or jewellery dishes, engraved items turn a standard or traditional gift into more of a keepsake.
- Star map or custom map print: Think a framed map of where the couple met or got engaged, or the postcode of their wedding venue.
Wedding gifts that are unique
- Bespoke ceramics or piece of art: For something truly one of a kind, consider commissioning an independent artist for a one-off piece.
- Unexpected experience: Unique wedding gift ideas that are obscure but brilliant fun, like a foraging walk, an historic distillery tour or a highland cow cuddling experience (yes, really) for their next date day.
- Subscription gift: Think of something they would love but wouldn’t treat themselves to – perhaps a rare book club, natural wine subscription, or a subscription to an independent magazine.
Funny & Unusual Wedding Gifts
Done well, funny wedding gift ideas will bring a smile to the newlyweds’ faces. Done badly, and you’ll likely not be invited to the big anniversary party.
If you’re considering funny or silly wedding gift ideas, ensure the present you choose is tied to a genuine, shared joke or known dynamic. It should be something the couple would happily show off to their wedding guests, like a caricature or custom illustration, bespoke bobbleheads, or a novelty item that nods to their specific interests.
Avoid anything crude, that screams pub humour or that makes one half of the couple the butt of the joke. It’ll likely be shoved into a drawer, never to be seen again.
Wedding funny gift idea 101: would the couple happily display it, or at least talk about it? If yes, then it’s probably fine.
Wedding Gifts for the Wedding Party & Parents
Are you the wedding couple needing brilliant wedding thank you gift ideas for your wedding party? Whether it’s for your bridesmaids or parents, or groomsmen wedding gift ideas, see them right with these popular gift options that have stood the test of time.
For the bridesmaids and maid of honour
- Something to wear on the wedding day: Consider a piece of jewellery, such as a bracelet or earrings, or a beautiful hair accessory.
- Cotton robe or pyjamas: Perfect for those getting-ready photos, have them personalised if budget allows.
- Beauty or makeup pouch: A thoughtful and easy way to help them stay organised in the lead-up to and on the morning of your wedding day.
- An engraved keepsake: Consider something like a compact mirror, a card holder, or a bracelet with a charm.
- An experience gift: Something you can enjoy together after the wedding.
For groomsmen and best man
- Engraved cufflinks or personalised tie clip: Gift them something they can wear on the big day.
- A luxury bottle of their favourite tipple: Whisky, champagne… something for the discerning drinker. Check out Etsy for options with personalised labels.
- A watch: If you’re looking to spend a little more, a classic timepiece never goes out of style.
- An experience gift to enjoy post-wedding: Maybe they’d like a golf day, a beer or wine tasting, or a day at the races?
For parents
- A framed photo, keepsake box or personalised print of the family home: Sentimental gifts are the perfect way to show your heartfelt appreciation.
- Personalised bottle of wine: Or champagne if that’s more their thing! A toast-worthy thank-you gift for parents.
- An experience gift: Perhaps an afternoon tea, theatre tickets, or fancy lunch that you can all enjoy together after the day.
- A handwritten letter: Present this alongside a small gift and it’ll often land better than a pricey item alone.
Wedding Present Ideas UK: FAQ
What is a good wedding gift idea for a couple who already has everything?
For couples who already live together or have everything they need, consider offering a cash gift, a donation to their honeymoon fund, or buying them an experience gift or consumable, such as a luxury hamper, flower subscription or restaurant voucher.
Consider treating them to something they wouldn’t otherwise buy for themselves.
How much should you spend on a wedding gift in the UK?
There are no hard and fast rules on how much you should spend on a wedding gift in the UK; the most important thing is that you spend what you can comfortably afford.
Most guests will spend somewhere between £40-£100 on a wedding present but how much you should spend depends on several factors, including how well you know the couple and your own personal budget.
Is it OK to give cash as a wedding gift?
Yes, it’s more than acceptable to give cash as a wedding gift, and many newlywed couples welcome it. Place the cash or cheque inside a card, along with a heartfelt message.
If you’re the couple wanting to ask for cash as a wedding gift, there are ways you can approach this delicately, such as including a short poem in your wedding invitations and stating what you will use the cash for – such as your honeymoon, for example.
What do you buy for a wedding if there’s no gift list?
If you want to buy a gift for a wedding but there’s no gift list, steer clear of traditional gifts like kitchenware, glassware or bedding, which the couple may already have plenty of.
Instead, choose personalised items such as custom illustrations or prints, modern artwork, experience gifts or vouchers, consumables like a food or drinks hamper, or simply a cash gift that they can put towards their honeymoon or something else.
What are the best personalised wedding gifts in the UK?
Great personalised gift options might include a custom portrait or illustration of the couple’s wedding venue, a piece of beautiful artwork sourced from an independent artist, an engraved keepsake such as a ring dish or picture frame, or an experience gift that nods to the couple’s own personal interests.
How far in advance should I order a personalised wedding gift?
This will depend on the outlet you’re sourcing it from, so always check ahead of time. Personalised items from Etsy, for example, may take anywhere from one to three weeks to arrive, but if you commissioned a piece of artwork from a local artist, that could take months.
What are good, funny wedding gifts that don’t look cheap?
You can find items that are funny or humorous but equally high quality. Consider a caricature portrait of the couple or custom ‘the story of us’ comic book, his ‘n’ her-style items like blankets or pillowcases, or a novelty item that reflects their own personal interests or hobbies.
Steer clear of anything crude or outdated, or anything that makes one half of the couple the butt of the joke.
Build and share your gift list on Bridebook
Now you can add your wedding gift list directly to your wedding website so guests can shop your chosen gifts without chasing links or messaging you last-minute.
Why Trust Bridebook
Bridebook is the world’s #1 wedding planning platform, used by over 2.8 million couples. Our content is informed by real data from the Bridebook UK Wedding Report, which draws on responses from thousands of couples planning their weddings each year. Where expert input is included, contributors are named and their credentials verified. We update our articles regularly to ensure prices, statistics, and advice reflect current market conditions.
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