Trends and Tips For Bridal Gifts
By Micah Cheek
With bridal season approaching, it’s time for an update on what today’s happy couple expects for gifts on their big day. Using her access to data on thousands of gift registries, Nancy Lee, president of Myregistry.com, an online bridal registry that works directly with hundreds of brands, has drawn a general picture of couples getting married today. Whereas previous generations were requesting gifts to start a home together, many couples in this generation have already been cohabitating and sharing kitchen essentials they already owned. “Generally they don’t need the home basics that a new bride would normally need,” says Lee. “So they use their gift registry to either upgrade or get more ancillary items that they would love to have, but they’re not necessary.” This mentality manifests itself in products like higher-quality coffee makers and Bluetooth enabled slow cookers. “Besides Bluetooth, people are looking for more programmable things [and] multiple functions,” says Lee. “There’s some coffee makers attached to toasters, some that have hot water dispensers… Coffee in some form makes its way to a large majority.”
With households doing more entertaining, today’s bride is changing her style of tableware. Former essentials like a fine china set are becoming hard to find in today’s registries. “Nobody wants that formal china set they take out once a year. They want it to be fun,” says Lee. “They don’t want five sets of dishes, they want one set that looks great at a barbecue, or for thanksgiving dinner.” On the subject of barbecues, Lee notes that registry requests for grilling and cocktail supplies peak during spring and summer. Smokers are an outdoor option that has been gaining interest as well, now that less expensive models are on the market. “They used to be very expensive,” says Lee. “You’re kind of in that sweet zone for wedding gift price.”
For those who eschew the registry in favor of a more personal gift, Jelena Crone, Floral and Event Designer and Wedding Planner at Bridevine and Branches, suggests aiming for a broad appeal. “If they’re not going to do the gift list, then they’ll do something where the material is really nice, like a wooden set of measuring spoons or a canister that will hold your utensils,” says Crone. “Something that’s going to be universal.” Another popular option in this style is a wooden cutting board, which can easily be engraved to reflect the occasion.
For a more personalized gift, Crone has seen success in repurposing containers. “They will do something like a set that includes a three-gift set of canisters, and stuff things in it.” One popular idea is to grab containers labeled as kitchen staples like flour, sugar and salt, and filling them with smaller kitchen products, like soaps and cooking utensils, just like one would with a gift basket. Tea and tea accessories have been gaining interest as well. “Anything from teapots to teacups,” says Crone. “Anything related to tea, that tends to be really popular.” Larger teapots can serve the same purpose the kitchen staples containers, being stuffed with specialty teas and accessories.
While traditionally a standard bridal gift, Crone says a cookbook is now a nonstarter with millennial couples. “Books often times sit on the shelf,” says Crone. “That’s something that would come secondary to a juicer.” A more modern alternative is a gift card for cooking lessons. The lessons serve the same purpose as the book, but offer the new couple an opportunity to try an activity together.
There is one particular appliance that has been surprising both Lee and Crone with its sudden popularity. “I started flipping through the last three days of bridal items, I can’t tell you how many waffle irons were in there,” says Lee. Crone adds, “You cannot go wrong with [them]. Everyone loves waffles.”
