Make your gift list great - 8 ways 1295 views

When drawing up your gift list, think about how you really live, not how you think an idealised married couple live, says Sarah Richardson. Don't feel the pressure to ask for pots and pans if you rarely cook, but do bear in mind that your tastes and needs might change with time, so the wacky lampshade that looks fab now could get on your nerves in a matter of months.

1. Consider the classics
Even if you think of yourselves as unconventional types, it’s worth considering some of the standard gift-list inclusions. There’s a reason why bedlinen, plates and glassware feature on so many lists: they're useful, plus you can choose luxurious versions that you wouldn’t necessarily buy for yourself.

2. Select your store wisely
Do your homework before deciding where to have your gift list. Questions you should ask include: Can guests order gifts by phone or online as well as in person? How easy is the buying process? What experiences have other couples had of particular companies? Are there any perks? For example, some companies offer gift vouchers as an incentive to couples who register with them, while others have been known to provide free use of a personal shopper.

3. Go cherry-picking…
…from different stores, that is! If you don’t want to commit to a single shop, try Marriagegiftlist.com, a free service that allows you to create and manage your own list. You get to choose items from a huge range of online stores, including favourites like John Lewis and Marks & Spencer.

4. Choose a lot, at a wide range of prices
Make your gift list as long as possible to give guests plenty of choice. Be sure to include a good mix of items, at a wide range of prices, so no one will feel pressured to over-spend on items they don't like the look of themselves!

5. Travel – the new toaster?
More and more couples are asking friends and family to help them live out their travel dreams. Many travel agents or tour operators have a gift list services. Examples include Trailfinders or Holidays Please . Guests buy travel vouchers or a number of units (for a large gift item such as a plane seat or hotel room upgrade) which can be put towards your honeymoon of a lifetime or in some cases saved for future travel. For these companies that offer this service contributions can be made online, by phone, by post or in person.

6. Wine list
Many wine merchants, including Balls Brothers, will help you put together a list of your favourite wines from which your family and friends can place their orders. It’s a great way for the couple who already have everything home-related to establish their own ‘cellar’.

7. Give something back
A charity gift list enables you and your guests to mark your union by improving the lives of others. Good Gifts, Oxfam Unwrapped and The Alternative Wedding List all have some truly ingenious ideas with feelgood factor aplenty.

8. Inform your guests
Some couples are uncomfortable with the idea of including gift-list details with their wedding invitations. The best way to get round this is to create a personal weddingpath and add a dedicated gift-list page. Add the web address of your weddingpath to your invitations so guests will know where to go for all the wedding details, including info about your gift list.

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