Meaningful wedding gifts don't have to cost a lot. Use these ideas from other iVillage women to congratulate the new couple without overspending
'Put together an address book with both families' names, addresses, emails, birthdays and anniversaries. While they have a wedding list with addresses, it's great to have all this information in one place.'
'Find a nice photograph frame - if you shop around you can find very nice ones for under £5. Then take their wedding invitation and use either the front or the inside with the wording on it and insert it into the frame.'
'A friend of mine received a basket with wine, glasses and a corkscrew - not to be opened until the couple's first anniversary. It was the topic of many conversations throughout the year, and they had great fun toasting on their anniversary.'
'I recently went to an engagement party but had no idea what to buy the happy couple. In the end I bought a pretty note box and coloured pen and secretly passed it around all the guests who wrote messages. The next day the couple were thrilled with their personal messages- neither of them had remembered to take a camera so the book was like a snapshot of their night.'
'Baskets of inexpensive gifts make a big impression. I have given everything from a sewing kit to a laundry basket full of laundry supplies, to a nice basket of body oils and loofah sponges for a lingerie theme (if you're wearing skimpy lingerie you better have nice smooth skin!). You can buy many of these items on sale or at a pound store, but the packaging and thought make it special.'
'A decorated photo box gives the couple a great gift that can hold snapshots from the wedding. I went to my favourite paper shop and found a kit to make a drop-spine box - which sort of looks like a book that's big enough to hold about 150 4x5 photos. It took about two hours to make but looked fantastic!'
'Holiday decorations can be a welcome gift to a newly married couple, especially those starting out on a budget. Money can be too tight to buy festive decorations when other basics are needed, but they help make the first year of celebrations special. By following the after-holiday sales throughout the year, and picking up decorations at 50% to 75% off, you can put together a collection of year-round holiday decorations for very little money, or you can focus on one holiday, such as Christmas.'
'My favorite gift is either an indoor or garden plant, or a gift certificate for a local nursery. The great thing about a small indoor tree of any kind is that over time the couple can see the tree has grown just as their relationship has.'
For more savings ideas why not have a chat with fellow iVillagers on the money matters message board. Take a look at some of the LIVE discussions taking place right now on the board:
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