June and the holiday season are popular date options for couples to get hitched. However, you can get invited to a wedding any time of the year. You could have friends, relatives or colleagues who will invite you to their wedding, in which case you will ask yourself the dreaded question: “What are you supposed to give as a wedding gift?”
According to the popular wedding website TheKnot.com, there are five rules that you can follow when it comes to giving gifts at weddings. First, almost all of soon-to-be-wed couples have at list one registry list – in a brick-and-mortar store or on the Internet.
Almost 85% of couples would prefer you to choose a wedding gift from their registry list. If you stick to the registry, you will not make the mistake of buying the couple a gift that they would not like. The problem is that the lowest-priced items on a wedding registry easily get grabbed by other guests, so you will be left with ones which are on a higher price spectrum.
What if you do not have hundreds of dollars to spare for a gift?
Based on a survey done by the website, here’s the price range of how much you should spend on a wedding gift:
- If you’re a co-worker, a distant relative or a distant family friend, your gift should cost anywhere from $50 to $75.
- If you’re a relative or a friend of the bride or groom, your gift should cost $75 to $100.
- If you’re a close relative or a close friend of the bride or groom, the ballpark cost should be anywhere from $00 to $150.
For items under the $50 range, you can consider giving items for the kitchen, for entertaining, or for bed and bath. You can also split the cost of a big ticket item from the wedding registry with friends who are also attending the wedding so that you can give the couple exactly what they want for their big day.
20 Wedding Gift Ideas for Under $50
The aforementioned price range is just a suggestion on how much you should spend on a wedding gift depending on your relationship with the bride or the groom. If you’re trying to be frugal but you want to give the couple a nice wedding gift, the good news is that there are plenty of items which are under $50 – which you can give as a wedding present to the couple who is about to say their “I dos”. Here are our top 20 picks on wedding gift ideas which are priced below the $50 tag:
1. An Elegant Jewelry Box
For the groom’s cufflinks or the bride’s precious earrings and other jewelry pieces, you can give as a wedding gift a gorgeous jewelry box. Sites like Pottery Barn have a collection of elegant ones which are under $50. Choose one with a unique material like clear beveled glass, so that whatever’s inside can be admired even without opening the box.
2. An Antique-Looking Display Tray
A similar item where the bride and groom can place their precious jewelry is a display tray that’s made from silver. It can be antique or finished to look antique. Pottery Barn has such a product made with an embossed steel frame with a silver plated finish, while the body is made from glass panes. To personalize this tray as a wedding gift, you can add a monogram of the bride’s and groom’s initials.
3. A Lantern Display Made from Driftwood
Another great find from sites like Pottery Barn is a lantern display made from driftwood. You can light up the newlyweds with a lantern display made from driftwood, which you can complete by buying votive candles separately.
4. A Set of Silver-Plated Picture Frames
Even if you are giving a cliché gift like a picture frame, its elegance will make up for the ordinariness of the item. Choose a set made with silver-plated edges, and a back made with black velvet material. Most picture frames are sold in sets of three, while larger frames are sold individually.
5. Personalized Pillow Covers
If you’re all about personalization, you can do no wrong when giving personalized pillow covers as a gift. You can order a set online or even sew one yourself. Linen pillowcases are elegant, and most websites will screen print the Mr. & Mrs.’ name on the pillowcase for you.
6. His-and-Hers Aprons for Newlyweds
For under $50, you can purchase a couple of his-and-hers aprons. You can either have the name of the couple printed, or you can choose ones with a bride and groom cake topper design on the front of the apron. This makes for the perfect gift for couples who love cooking.
7. A Movie Night Basket
Without going over $50, you can put together a movie night basket for the newlyweds. Get some flavored popcorn, a couple of movie tickets, some DVDs or romantic comedies or classic titles, and wrap it all in a bouquet or a wicker basket that you can buy from a thrift store.
8. Two Plates Engraved “Just” and “Married”
You can go DIY for this or simply order online from sites like BHLDN.com a pair of dessert plates with the words “Just” and “Married” written on each plate makes for the perfect gift for newlyweds with a sweet tooth.
9. Books of Poems
Give the newlyweds a couple of books of poems. The first one could be “Erotic Poems” by E.E. Cummings, while the second one is “Love Poems” by Pablo Neruda. Buying both will set you back less than $25, and the gift will be much appreciated by the bride and groom.
10. A Tea Press
Anything that can be used in the kitchen makes for a suitable gift for newlyweds. For the blushing bride who loves tea, give her a tea press made from heat-resistant glass. There’s an infuser in the middle and a plunger which stops the brewing process. Such products are available online for less than $50.
11. A French Press
If you know that the bride, the groom, or both are coffee aficionados, you will never go wrong with a French press coffee maker as a gift. A dome-topped French press with a plunger style brewing method is available online at less than $50.
12. “The Newlywed Cookbook”
Available at Amazon.com for less than $25, this book by Sarah Copeland offers fresh ideas and modern recipes which couples can use when cooking for each other, and with each other. It’s dubbed as one of the best books for 2015 so you will have an even happier newlywed couple-friend or relative once they receive this gift from you.
13. A Wine or Champagne Bucket
Newlyweds have a lot to cheer about, and you can help them celebrate by giving a wine or champagne bucket as a gift. You can either go for the classic aluminum one or a handcrafted glass bucket.
14. A Wine Rack
From sites like CrateAndBarrel.com, you can find products like a wine-stem rack. It offers a space-saving solution for newlyweds who would like to store their wine and wine glasses at the same time.
15. A Wedding Scrapbook
For $20 or so, you can help the newlyweds put together all the mementos during their big day with a wedding scrapbook. There are scrapbooks specifically designed for weddings which are available at sites like Amazon.com.
16. Monogrammed Wine Glasses
Another wine-related gift that you can give the happy couple is monogrammed wine glasses, which you can order through sites like WineEnthusiast.com. It costs less than $50 for a his-and-hers set.
17. Candlesticks
Again, candlesticks may sound like a generic gift but it’s all about looking for ones which are made from unique materials. Look for candlesticks which are made to look like antiques or ones with shiny pewter or silver finishes.
18. Drink Coasters
For a set of six drink coasters, you only need to pay around $30. Choose ones which are made from elegant materials like saddle leather – you can even have them monogrammed if you like.
19. Glass Display Votive Cups
Anything that’s made from glass will match the décor of the newlywed’s home. You can use glass vases as a gift, which come in votive cups, tapered candle containers, votive or pillars. These are designed to hold candles and they make for an elegant, thoughtful gift for couples who just said their “I dos”.
20. Personalized Afghan
Another heart-warming present that you can give as a gift to newlyweds is a personalized afghan. These can be used in the bedroom or even worn as a way to ward off the cold during the winter season. You can either personally embroider it with the bride and groom’s initials. Or, you can order from sites like GiftsForYouNow.com.
There are plenty of other under-$50 gift items that you can give as presents to newlyweds. As long as you have taken into consideration the personality of the couple, it doesn’t matter how much the gift actually is. It may be a cliché but when it comes to giving gifts, especially for newlyweds, it is the thought that counts.
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