Being Inspired By Our Wedding Gifts

As we head towards my sister's wedding at the end of the week, I have been listening to her excitement in preparing her Marital home and what gifts from her guests (Via a John Lewis gift list) she is expecting.

I remember Rob and I asked for B&Q vouchers and we also had a Debenhams gift list of all practical house items. The house we bought was a repossession and was in need of a lot of cosmetic work so we knew we needed the B&Q vouchers to buy all the necessary things for doing up a house. On the Gift list was lots of utilities to furnish the house. As Rob and I did not live together before we were married we literally had nothing. We both lived at our parents and were quite happy to respect the tradition and our Catholic faith of not living together before marriage. I was carried over the threshold to our marital home on our wedding night. We left our party and travelled the 15 miles from my parents to our house. It was really exciting but very new. The house was pretty bare as we only got it 2 weeks before the wedding and it still needed loads of work but we had decorated the bedroom, bathroom and hallway/stairs so it was welcoming when we walked in. Our plumber had also been round on the wedding day and sorted out all the heating for us so that was on and our builder friend had plumbed new fittings in the bathroom. We went on honeymoon for 2 weeks after and whilst we were away Rob's family sanded back all of the old wooden floors through the whole house. It was crazy but we were young and as soon as we got back we had stripping parties (wallpaper) where we had friends round and masses of pizza and just got on and converted the house in the 3 weeks after. My sister has had the privilege of having their place for a bit so they are pretty much ready to move in on their wedding night to a complete house.

Like us though, they have not lived alone in their own house together and even though they have some bits, their list consists of lots of homely things but also practical ones.

These days a lot of people live together before they are married or have lived away from home so have gathered all the essentials like kettles, toasters, irons, etc. but for us, they were everything we needed. I love that though; our house is built up of so many people and I look at things now and think about who got us what. Even a lot of the B&Q vouchers went on specifics, like our shower was bought by a group of Rob's friends. Our home has so much of everyone close to us in it.

We had loads of lovely gifts and I have since been quite specific in what we give people as wedding gifts. Most have been of monetary value for honeymoons etc. but with regards to siblings I am a bit more specific in what I get them. When my brother and his wife got married a few years ago I knew they wanted a Roberts Radio but couldn't afford one pre-wedding, so we got them one instead. It is a beautiful gift and something that I know they cherish. I will probably continue on that theme for siblings if they want one. I know Kizzy has her fingers crossed for one so we will have to wait and see (wink wink)!

I thought I would share some gifts that were inspired from things we got. It's nice giving a physical gift at a wedding but I suppose it's important to give the couple what they need. If you have weddings coming up this year and need some inspiration I hope that this helps.