Wedding Gifts - Something Old, Nothing
New..!
by
Charlie Taylor
The old
tale about a bride and groom receiving half a dozen
toasters from well-meaning relatives on their wedding
day has passed into 70s history. But, what to buy the
modern couple? It's a question that is guaranteed to
drive their guests to near insanity.
Toasters, bed linen, TVs, pots, pans and all the rest
of the boring household necessities are fine but...
let's face it, they aren't fun to buy, they aren't fun
to receive and they certainly aren't going to increase
in value! So, why not think of the unconventional?
I've been involved in various businesses in Scotland
over the years: weddings, restaurants, photography,
writing, letting property are just a few. And this
modern, multi-streaming lifestyle led me eventually to
the simple world of buying and selling.
We had a problem. We owned a small Highlands
restaurant which could not possibly bring in enough
money even if we worked every hour available and
filled the place to bursting point night after night.
So we thought: let's sell things as well. We already
had a good customer base, and so the challenge was to
sell things to them in addition to the good quality
food. We needed to 'add value' to their dining
experience, and charge them for it.
These were the criteria we set:
1 We refused to load profit onto the wine. We knew the
profit margins on wine and knew that it was a common
tactic of restaurants to charge customers through the
nose for drink. And we knew how customers felt about
this. They simply don't like being ripped off! Neither
do we.
2 The retail items would need to add to and improve
the general ambience of the restaurant so 'tat' was
out.
3 The items would have to sell themselves. We wouldn't
have the time to give customers the 'hard sell' while
preparing and serving food and, besides, hard sell is
not our style. We don't feel comfortable with it.
4 The things would have to look good, feel good and be
intrinsically interesting.
5 They would have to be accessible to customers, not
locked away in drawers or cupboards.
6 They would be the type of thing that would encourage
a dinner party atmosphere between diners rather than
put up communication barriers. In short, they would
encourage conversation.
7 There would need to be a range of items, from the
cheap to the expensive so we could not rely on one
supplier.
8 We needed a regular and reliable supply of these
items.
9 They needed to be cheap to buy and yet give us a
healthy profit margin.
10 And finally, they needed to be things that we
liked. How could we live with things we hated and how
could we sell them to others? Unthinkable!
And the answer to our problem after weeks and months
of thinking? Second-hand books, antiques and
collectables!
We lined the restaurant with bookshelves and filled
them with hard back literature. We filled every nook
and cranny with curios. We hung things from walls and
from beams and from every spare vertical surface. We
even cleared out an old shed and packed it to the
gunnels with interesting things. And all of them
carried a price tag.
And the result? Success beyond our wildest dreams! The
customers loved it, they bought it by the barrowload
(we sold barrows as well!) and we made handsome
profits. And it was great fun.
So, where did we buy all these items? At local
auctions, that's where. And we still go to them. They
are addictive. And we still deal now and again even
though we sold our restaurant last year. It's on a
smaller scale than before, admittedly, but that means
we can be more selective. Silver and glassware,
jewellery and genuine antiques - they are all there to
be had as potential wedding presents. Monart glass,
silver napkin rings, antique silver-topped wine and
vinegar bottles are much more fun than a toaster and,
if you buy wisely, you will be giving the lucky couple
something that is both beautiful and a sound financial
investment.
Think valuable, think collectable! Don't think
toaster!
Charlie
Taylor is one of the founders of Highland Country
Weddings Ltd, a Scottish weddings agency with an
international dimension. Visit
www.highlandcountryweddings.co.uk/gifts.htm for a
free discussion about your wedding in Scotland
including free, no-obligation quote.
Wedding Gifts: Fresh Choices for
Today.
by BNN
(BNN)
As the wedding season approches, couples prepare for
their newlywed lives and households. Many look beyond
traditional china, crystal and keepsakes for gifts
they will use frequently in their new homes.
Following trends in fashion, a wide selection of
informal, practical and useful gifts are well-suited
to today's purposeful lifestyles.
Gifts now span many product categories. Camping and
sporting equipment, outdoor grills, home and garden
tools, kitchen accessories, and everyday dinnerware
are especially appreciated now. Unusual and useful
gifts for almost every lifestyle and category can be
conveniently ordered online!
• Kitchen Essentials: Lillian Vernon’s stainless steel
tools to handle chores from chopping and slicing to
cooking and serving, then go into the dishwasher.
42-piece set $90 www.lillianvernon.com. Krups coffee
and espresso maker $99 at Crate&Barrel
www.crateandbarrel.com. From IKEA, top-of-the-line
SKÄRPT kitchen knife block. Set of 3 knives and a
ceramic sharpener $70 www.IKEA.com..
• Outdoor Sports: Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI),
pair of sleeping bags with opposite zipper
configurations that zip together. Perfect for
inseparable newlyweds! $129 each. Also, a tent for
two! The award-winning Half Dome Plus three-season
backpacking tent $159 all at www.rei.com.
• Home Accessories: Traditional Cambridge mantle clock
with roman numerals $129 at Crate&Barrel
www.crateandbarrel.com. The Earthwise Clock, a John
Duke design, displays the movement of the earth in
relation to the passage of time showing both solar
time and clock (universal) time. $95 at
www.earthwiseclock.com. Garden Clock, rust and weather
resistant, verdigris finish, gives time, temperature
and humidity, $50 at Lillian Vernon
www.lillianvernon.com.
• Everyday Dining: Hand-painted earthenware with
creamy, ivory finish, fully glazed for durability, and
easy care, microwave and dishwasher safe. 32-piece
service for eight $110 at Lillian Vernon,
www.lillianvernon.com. Reed & Barton Crescendo pattern
stainless flatware––66-piece service for twelve at
$140 Ross-Simons
www.ross-simons.com.
None
Great Wedding Gift Ideas.
by
Adriana Copaceanu
You're
looking for a special wedding gift, and don't want to
simply choose something from the registry. You want
unique and memorable wedding gift ideas.
Every
couple is unique. So here are a few surefire tips to
help you find wonderful and unforgettable wedding gift
ideas that match the couple perfectly.
Today's
weddings are as unique as the people involved. The
wedding day is one of the most memorable and special
events in a person's life; and the means by which the
day is celebrated and executed, are no longer routine.
So you'll want to make sure your wedding gift ideas as
are tailored to suit the event and the couple.
If you
know the theme of the wedding, your shopping
time could be cut in half. Simply choose a unique
gift, they both will enjoy that concentrates around
the theme.
If you
don't know the theme of the wedding, think about the
couple. What is their couple "identity"? For
example, if they take a trip together... Do they go
camping, skiing, golfing, to the beach, to the
mountains?
Another
approach… what's their entertainment style? What do
they do in their free time? The concept is to come
up with something you know they both love and then
choose your gift to match the topic. Here's a sample:
A
friend of mine knew my husband and I had a small
vacation home on one of the North Carolina beaches.
She also knew that whenever we could get away, that's
where we went. For our wedding present, she gave us a
book full of photographs and information on the North
Carolina coast. Inside the book were two gift
certificates, one for a day at the spa for me, and one
for a massage for him.
It has
been almost fourteen years and we still have the book
and remember the gift.
If you
want your gift to be as memorable as their wedding
day, here are two gifts that will do the trick:
- Buy
the bride and groom engraved keepsake boxes to
safely place the special items they're sure to
accumulate as the day goes by. The boxes will safely
and securely protect precious memories of the day
they married for years to come. For something very
special, as you're choosing the boxes, go beyond the
typical keepsake box. Specialize each box to depict
the personality of it's owner.
-
Watercolor wedding paintings make a sentimental and
unique gift. You give a gift certificate that allows
the bride and groom to send in pictures from their
wedding day that are used to do a watercolor
painting. The couple will have a one of a kind
painting of their favorite photo that keeps the
memories alive for years to come.
With
just a little bit of imagination, your gift could be
the best one they receive.
Adriana
Copaceanu provides people with creative gift ideas
that don't blow the bank. Find many
Unique Wedding Gift Ideas at her site. In a hurry
to get a gift? Check her
Gifts 911, where you'll find last minute gifts for
any occasion.
Article
Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adriana_Copaceanu
10 Ideas for Perfect Wedding Gifts.
by
Amit Kumar
Wedding
ceremonies are the stuff fairy tales are made of.
Marriages are made in heaven, it is said. Keeping this
age-old adage in mind, a heavenly atmosphere is
created at the wedding venue. Aromatic smells fill the
air. Guests decked in their Sunday best walk the red
carpet with wedding gifts in tow. Giving gifts on the
wedding day is part of the ceremony. A gift symbolizes
the good will guests have for the newly married.
Through these gifts, guests wish the couple a long and
happy married life. Naturally, when wedding gifts are
purchased the most important thing that one keeps in
mind is their durability. It is usually felt that a
wedding gifts should make a lasting impression.
Everyone wants to make a lasting impression. Here is
how:
# FOR
THE BRIDE: Jewelry is on the top of the list for
wedding gifts for the bride. Simple yet elegant pieces
will ensure surprise and fascination when your gift is
opened. You can select from pendants, chains,
necklaces, bracelets, brooch pins, hairpins and
earrings.
# Gift
accessories include exquisite evening bags, tote bags,
handbags and clutch bags. Evening gowns and formal
dresses are ideal clothing items.
#
Jewelry boxes, perfumes, make-up kits and bags are
among other gift articles.
#
Diamonds are considered to be the ideal gift grooms
can give their respective brides. Otherwise any of the
above mentioned items would be considered worthy
enough.
# FOR
THE GROOM: Formal gifts include ties, tiepins,
cufflinks (gold, silver or diamond studded ones),
wristwatch and pocket watch among others. Suits and
shirts are formal wear that can be given as gifts.
#
Informal gifts include golf club sets, baseball sets
or musical instruments like guitar.
# FOR
BOTH BRIDE AND GROOM: Gift articles for both the bride
and groom can include funny and naughty items.
However, such gifts can be given only by those who
know both of bride and groom from close quarters.
Otherwise such gifts can be deemed impolite. The list
includes ‘just married’ goggles, T-shirts, hats, caps,
flip-flops and toilet paper (!). Naughty gifts can
include wedding night kits, honeymoon kits, marriage
certificates, towels and robes.
#
DECORATIVE PIECES: Such gifts help the couple beautify
their homes. Paintings, wall hangings and show pieces
come under this category.
#
PERSONILIZED GIFTS: Names or even photographs of the
bride and groom can be embossed on a variety of items
like pillow cases, pillows, albums, wedding plates,
photo frames etc. to give a personal touch to the
gifts.
# FRESH
FLOWERS: Sweet smelling flowers are a natural choice
for any occasion. Flowers impart joy to both the
sender and receiver. To enhance the impact of the
wedding gift you have selected, send some fresh
flowers along with it. They are bound to catch the eye
of the couple.
Amit is
associated with one of the best Indian Gifting website
Gifts to India
Article
Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amit_Kumar
Meaningful Wedding Gift Ideas.
by
Gina Mahony
A
wedding is one of the most special days planned in a
life. Everything must be perfect, thought of and taken
care of so that the wedding day turns out as beautiful
as a dream.
A
normal wedding takes months to properly plan, takes
many to be involved and becomes the focus of many
family members and friends.
The
tradition of a wedding gift to the parents of the
bride or groom, the bridal party and other family
members and friends taking part in the wedding began
as a sign or gesture of thanks.
To show
your appreciation or heartfelt thanks, think of a gift
idea that expresses your true feelings.
1. A
handwritten thank you note sharing a favorite memory
or thanking someone for the part they played is always
something meaningful.
2. A
personalized or customized gift with the wedding date
or wedding colors.
3. A
special photograph of the bride/groom or a photograph
that includes the family member or friend that you are
giving the gift to.
Some
special gift ideas for the groomsmen are personalized
sport equipment (such as baseball bats, putters,
baseballs, etc.), personalized leather valets or
travel bags.
Gift
ideas for women are customized bracelets with your
wedding colors, engraved jewelry boxes, or charm
bracelets.
More
and more people as they get married are also gifting
their parents with special gifts of appreciation. Some
of the most meaningful gift ideas for parents are
poems, jewelry or simply a handwritten note. Each of
these items are easily a keepsake gift item that will
be treasured for a lifetime.
As you
plan your wedding and are ready to finalize those last
minute details and gifts, remember to show your
appreciation to those loved ones by expressing in
words the important part they played in making your
wedding a dream come true.
http://www.abernook.com or
http://www.moljewelry.com for meaningful, unique
and expressive wedding gift ideas.
Article
Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gina_Mahony
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