Unique Ideas For A Wedding Gift

Giving gifts to a newly wed couple is a tradition that has been deeply ingrained in various cultures. As one of the chosen people invited to a wedding, you are actually a witness to the solemn union of two people in marriage. As such, showering them with gifts is your tangible contribution as they start their new lives as a married couple.

But you need not limit yourself to the usual, perfunctory gifts that are all too common in such occasions. You can be as unique, creative, and innovative as possible, steering away from what gifts that most newlyweds expect to get.

With that you would not only leave a memorable gift for them, but also actually keep the occasion fun and entertaining when the couples open their wedding gifts in the reception.

Here are some surefire tips on getting a unique, fun and unconventional gift for the bride and groom.

• Do not limit yourself to the wedding registry. While the couple have signed up for and may prefer something that they have indicated in the wedding registry, do not limit your ideas in it. A wedding registry is not meant to serve as the couple's mandatory list, but is primarily a convenient guide for guests to check for gift ideas. But if you must consult the registry, forego signing up, pick out a particular item, and try to diversify.
• Be their very own Shakespeare. Write their love story. Using pictures of the couple or small items belonging to them, compile this in a specially made scrapbook. Or if you have the gift of prose, write them a poem, carefully and artistically handwritten or printed on parchment paper. Have it framed for posterity.
• Gift certificate for their first anniversary. Inspire them to look forward to their first year together by giving them a gift certificate for a free romantic dinner in their favorite fine restaurant, or for an overnight's stay at a high-end hotel. Or give them ideas for regular honeymoons with certificates for weekend getaway.
• Candid photo shoots. Give them something to look back and smile about. Bring your own digital camera and photo printer. Be their surprise photographer. Capture them in different times during the wedding at their most candid moments. After getting a considerable number of winning shots, have it printed and laid out in a photo album. Put some witty and humorous captions and present it to them. Guaranteed, it would be one of the highlights of the occasion.
• Candid video shoots. Wedding videos are usually centered on the bride and the groom, the whole ceremony from the church to the reception program. But there are actually more interesting activities going around that always fail to make it to the final video cut. Bring your own camera and capture unguarded side moments such as the bride's mother running after the "runaway" flower girl, or the grandpa shaking his booty to the band music. Give it a "documentary" touch by inserting interviews of the couple's closest friends or family members, where they get to greet the newlyweds.
• A special token from a special place. Give them a trip down love memory lane by giving them something that would remind them of a special place, occasion, or person. Research on details of where they first met, where he made the marriage proposal and other important events in their life together as a couple.

One last important tip: Be conscious of the couple's religious or cultural background, so as to avoid those items that are potentially offensive. Other than that and other minor considerations, go ahead and have fun shopping.