Wedding Gift Ideas

Wedding gift ideas: what to buy, what to spend, and what to do about the list

Two questions come up for every wedding: how much to spend, and what to do when there's a gift list you don't like. The short answers are less than you fear, and buy off the list anyway.

Below is what UK guests typically give, what to buy when there's no list, and the thank-you gifts the couple has to sort out in the last fortnight before the day.

We make the small, personal end of this: candles, coasters, prints and the cards. If you're buying the big-ticket item, buy it off the list and use us for the part that carries the message.

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Candles, coasters and prints for the couple and the wedding party, posted from the UK with the card.

A typographic music print featuring Taylor Swift Bejewelled lyrics on high-quality paper, unframed. Best Believe I'm Still Bejewelled By Taylor Swift Music Lyrics Print £8.00 Unframed wall art print featuring the text 'In A World Of Grey, Be A Flamingo' in colourful, vibrant lettering. In A World Of Grey, Be A Flamingo Print (A4 & A3) £8.00 A colourful typographic wall art print with the quote 'I work hard so that my dog can live a better life' in A4 or A3. I Work Hard So That My Dog Can Live A Better Life Print (A4 & A3) £8.00 A colourful fitness wall print illustrating the HYROX competition race format with running and functional workout steps. Hyrox Competition Race Format Print (A4 & A3) £8.00 Pack of 6 Minimalist Wooden Drinks Coasters Pack of 6 Minimalist Wooden Drinks Coasters £4.50 All You Need Is Love / Love Is All You Need Print (A5 - A3) All You Need Is Love / Love Is All You Need Print (A5 - A3) £8.00 Look At The Stars Song Lyrics Print (A5 - A3) Look At The Stars Song Lyrics Print (A5 - A3) £8.00 Music Sounds Better With You Music Print (A5 - A3) Music Sounds Better With You Music Print (A5 - A3) £8.00

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What guests actually give

  • Cash in the card is normal now and no longer considered rude. Shop this card
  • Buy off the list if there is one — it exists to stop duplicates. Shop this card
  • No list: something for the house they'll both use. Shop this card
  • Going as a couple: one gift between you, not two halves. Shop this card
  • Evening guest only: a smaller gift plus a good card is entirely fine. Shop this card
  • Never buy a surprise big-ticket item. It always duplicates something. Shop this card

Thank-you gifts for the wedding party

  • Bridesmaids: something small each, given the morning of. Shop this card
  • Groomsmen: keep it useful and keep it under £20 a head. Shop this card
  • Mothers of the bride and groom: a keepsake, plus a handwritten card. Shop this card
  • Whoever did the seating plan: a proper thank you and a drink. Shop this card
  • Readers and ushers: a card each, signed by both of you. Shop this card
  • The person who drove everyone: coasters and gratitude. Shop this card

Gifts that always land

What to spend, honestly

  • Close friend or sibling: £15–£30 is the range most people land in. Shop this card
  • Colleague or acquaintance: £5–£10, and a card matters more than the gift. Shop this card
  • Partner or parent milestone: £30–£60, usually one good thing rather than three small ones. Shop this card
  • Group gift: £5–£10 a head buys something far better than five separate presents. Shop this card
  • Children's party gift: £5–£15 is the UK norm, and nobody minds the lower end. Shop this card
  • When in doubt, spend less on the object and more on the message inside the card. Shop this card

Hand-poured candles

Soy candles made in the UK — the gift that gets used rather than shelved.

65th Cake & Candles Birthday Card For Wife 65th Cake & Candles Birthday Card For Wife £3.87

Coasters and desk pieces

Small, funny and permanent: the things that stay out on show.

Pack of 6 Minimalist Wooden Drinks Coasters Pack of 6 Minimalist Wooden Drinks Coasters £4.50 An A4 Certificate of Bravery with a lion's mane illustration and blank spaces for name, deed, date, and signature. A4 Certificate Of Bravery £3.00 Square drinks coaster with the humorous text Relax I Have a Spreadsheet For That, ideal gift for office colleagues. Relax I Have a Spreadsheet For That Funny Drinks Coaster £3.75 Pack of 6 Fun Cartoon Drinks Coasters Pack of 6 Fun Cartoon Drinks Coasters £4.50 Pack of 6 Fun Geometric Pattern Drinks Coasters Pack of 6 Fun Geometric Pattern Drinks Coasters £4.50 Harry Potter Wax Seal Drinks Coaster in Maroon & Gold Harry Potter Wax Seal Drinks Coaster in Maroon & Gold £5.99 Pack of 4 Powerpuff Girls Drinks Coasters Pack of 4 Powerpuff Girls Drinks Coasters £6.00 Pack of 6 Small Cartoon Dog Drinks Coasters Pack of 6 Small Cartoon Dog Drinks Coasters £4.50 Pack of 6 Minimalist Wooden Sun & Mood Astrology Coasters Pack of 6 Minimalist Wooden Sun & Mood Astrology Coasters £4.50 Mum, You'll always Be My Best-tea Drinks Coaster Mum, You'll always Be My Best-tea Drinks Coaster £3.99 A4 novelty certificate gift for Father's Day reading World's Best Dad with gold border and seal detail. World's Best Dad A4 Certificate (Father's Day Gift) £9.99 Best Mummy in the World Drinks Coaster Best Mummy in the World Drinks Coaster £3.99

Prints for the wall

Framed-ready prints for kitchens, hallways and home offices.

A typographic music print featuring Taylor Swift Bejewelled lyrics on high-quality paper, unframed. Best Believe I'm Still Bejewelled By Taylor Swift Music Lyrics Print £8.00 Unframed wall art print featuring the text 'In A World Of Grey, Be A Flamingo' in colourful, vibrant lettering. In A World Of Grey, Be A Flamingo Print (A4 & A3) £8.00 A colourful typographic wall art print with the quote 'I work hard so that my dog can live a better life' in A4 or A3. I Work Hard So That My Dog Can Live A Better Life Print (A4 & A3) £8.00 A colourful fitness wall print illustrating the HYROX competition race format with running and functional workout steps. Hyrox Competition Race Format Print (A4 & A3) £8.00 All You Need Is Love / Love Is All You Need Print (A5 - A3) All You Need Is Love / Love Is All You Need Print (A5 - A3) £8.00 Look At The Stars Song Lyrics Print (A5 - A3) Look At The Stars Song Lyrics Print (A5 - A3) £8.00 Music Sounds Better With You Music Print (A5 - A3) Music Sounds Better With You Music Print (A5 - A3) £8.00 Colourful typography poster featuring the text You're Gonna Hear Me Roar from Katy Perry's song, unframed music print. You're Gonna Hear Me Roar Poster (Music Lyric Print) £8.00 Graphic music lyric print featuring a giant open mouth and lyrics from Lola Young's song Messy. Cause I'm Too Messy And Then I'm Too Fucking Clean (Music Lyric Prints) £8.00 Taylor Swift Who's Afraid of Little Old Me lyric print featuring minimalist black typography on a white background. Whose Afraid Of Little Old Me By Taylor Swift Music Lyrics Print £8.00 "Let It Be" Beatles lyric print featuring a guitar illustration and song lyrics, displayed as unframed wall art. "Let It Be" By The Beatles Inspired Music Lyrics Print (Guitar) £8.00 Humorous wall art print featuring four lined-up pints of Guinness stout and the text 'line. them. up.' with a white border. Line Them up Guinness Print (A4 & A3) £8.00

Cards to send with it

Add the card and the whole present arrives in one UK parcel.

You Old Bastard (Funny Birthday Card) You Old Bastard (Funny Birthday Card) £3.87 Cheeky Wordsearch Valentines Day Card For Him Cheeky Wordsearch Valentines Day Card For Him £3.87 I Wish You Looked At Me Like Any Can of Diet Coke Ever (Valentines Day Card) I Wish You Looked At Me Like Any Can of Diet Coke Ever (Valentines Day Card) £3.87 Sixty Looks Pretty Good On You (60th Birthday Card) Sixty Looks Pretty Good On You (60th Birthday Card) £3.87 Top Trumps 60th Birthday Card for Dad Top Trumps 60th Birthday Card for Dad £3.87 Fifty & Even More Fabulous Than Ever (50th Birthday Card) Fifty & Even More Fabulous Than Ever (50th Birthday Card) £3.87 Cheeky Wordsearch Valentines Day Card For Her Cheeky Wordsearch Valentines Day Card For Her £3.87 I Wish You Looked At Me Like Any Can of Strongbow Dark Fruits Ever (Valentines Day Card) I Wish You Looked At Me Like Any Can of Strongbow Dark Fruits Ever (Valentines Day Card) £3.87 Happy Valentines Day, Bab (Valentines Day Card) Happy Valentines Day, Bab (Valentines Day Card) £3.87 The Peach Tarot-inspired Cheeky Valentines Day Card The Peach Tarot-inspired Cheeky Valentines Day Card £3.87 "Woof Woof" Sausage Dog Valentines Day Card "Woof Woof" Sausage Dog Valentines Day Card £3.87 The Eggplant Tarot-inspired Cheeky Valentines Day Card The Eggplant Tarot-inspired Cheeky Valentines Day Card £3.87

Where to shop next

Frequently asked questions

How much should you spend on a wedding gift in the UK?

Most guests give somewhere between £30 and £75, with couples attending together giving one gift rather than two. Evening-only guests commonly give less, and nobody sensible keeps score.

Is cash an acceptable wedding gift?

Yes, and it's now the most common gift in the UK, especially where the couple already live together. Put it in the card with a note about what it's for.

What if there's a gift list you don't like?

Buy off it anyway. The list exists so the couple don't end up with four toasters, and a surprise substitute usually duplicates something they already own.

What do you give bridesmaids and groomsmen?

Something small and personal handed over on the morning — a candle, a keepsake or a badge — with a handwritten card. £10–£20 a head is the usual range.