No matter how good a shopper you are, when it comes to giving a beloved couple the ultimate wedding gift, it can be a totally stressful endeavor. These lovebirds mean a lot to you and you want them to always remember what you gave them. But is it ok to go off their registry if you want to be creative and wow them? Yes. “If items listed on the registry aren’t within your price range, or if you want to give the couple something else you know they would enjoy, that’s fine,” the etiquette expert Diane Gottsman told Time. In general, etiquette experts advise to not think about gifts that you would necessarily enjoy, but to keep the kind of couple they are in mind when you are hunting for gift ideas. Here are some gifts ideas that the newlyweds will always remember you kindly for.
Espresso Machines
For instance, if the two getting married are total coffee-holics, why not support their habit with a sleek espresso machine? We love Nespresso’s VertuoLine not only because it’s pretty, comes in a variety of colors, but because it freshly brews espresso with crema at the touch of a button and in less than a minute. There will be not time for morning crankiness in that love nest.
Read Related: Here Comes the Present: 10 Cool Bridal Shower Gifts to Vibe Up a Bride
Original Artwork
If you are 99.9% certain you have your friends’ taste in art down to a near science, than selecting an original print or photograph that they can frame makes a great wedding gift. Perhaps you can already imagine the grouping in the living room they’ll add your gift to. Or that empty wall in the hallway you know that they have been struggling to find something right to fill it with. Art is something that brings happiness to a home for a lifetime and it will always remind them of you when they see it.
Museum Memberships
If you know the couple getting married loves going to museums together, why not treat them to a membership to their favorite in their hometown? Single tickets are expensive, so it’s a great way to see exhibits or even just stroll in for one quick show without feeling guilty. They’ll love you for understanding their arts and culture appreciation.
Mini Bluetooth Speaker
If they’re music lovers and neat freaks, the sleek and wireless Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker II will make a world of a difference in a small, shared space for two. If each has their multiple music apps and playlists, having something easy to connect to their various devices will keep harmony in their relationship when they’re entertaining or hanging out at home nesting.
Food Processor
While gifting blenders was so last century, a food processor can turn a debutant cook into a Michelin chef. They’ll wind up using it for everything and more than any other small appliance in their kitchen. And when they have kids, they’ll sing your name in praise daily for all those veggie purees they’ll have to make and that their baby will ungratefully spit out.
An Extra Streaming Device
Are your friends addicted to movies and television series and only have one Apple TV to stream them? Get them another streaming device so that they can watch the shows they each prefer in the bedroom or in the living room simultaneously. This way you will save their marriage from the get-go by avoiding fights over who gets to watch their Netflix and HBO programs on the streaming device that night.
Date Nights for Foodies
A few night of going out on the town *for free* for two foodies in love is pure heaven. Especially after the wedding when they’re too exhausted to even think of cooking. Do you happen to know which some of their favorite restaurants are or which ones they’d like to try? Treat them to dinner by gifting them gift certificates to some of the best restaurants in town. They’ll thank you with every delicious bite they take.
