Gift giving has never been an easy process for anyone. Sure there are those who are experts at it, but for the average person, birthdays, Christmases and anniversaries are very difficult times of the year. One has to wrack their brains as to what to buy, whether the intended receiver will like it, the budget constraints, the color, and so much more! Of all occasions, I believe that wedding return gifts are the hardest to decide on. The wedding party has to decide on an age-neutral gift that everyone will appreciate and remember- all this above the banquet hall booking and wedding planning! Anyone would go nuts.
So being half Santa Claus, we can’t just stand by and watch. We’re here to help make your planning process a little easier. Scroll down to find our list of chic, useful trinkets that you can gift to your guests!
Mini Toiletries
Convenience has been the order of the day ever since life started rushing by us. And nothing screams convenience like travel-size. So go tiny with travel-size toiletries such as lotions, body mists, and shampoos. There are so many exotic fragrances that you can gift your guests.
You can also gift some essential oils that come in beautiful glass bottles. Tie on some colorful ribbon to the neck of the bottle and, voila!
Brands like The Body Shop and Marks and Spencer have tons of them — you can mix and match a few to customize a slick package and done!
You can package it in a small wicker basket or even throw in a travel pouch. Choose wisely, according to your budget.
Jams, Honey, and Sauces
Food is by far the best thing you can give at your wedding! After all, we Indians like our delicacies and we love to flaunt them: so here’s your chance to lay out a spread.
There are so many different flavors of jam you can gift someone, and a variety of sauces as well. Go exotic with these treats and pack them into beautiful, multi-functional, mini jars. Honey seems to be another big wedding favor, so look for innovative packaging and interesting flavors.
This is also a chance for you to hop on the organic food bandwagon. Organic jams and honey burst with flavor and make a memorable and tasty wedding return gift.
Personalized Cookies or Cupcakes
In keeping with the food theme, we suggest gifting personalized cookies or cupcakes.
Don’t just buy cookies in wholesale! Instead, add a personal touch to them. For starters, you could play around with shapes.
Think of shapes that incorporate elements from the wedding itself — the groom’s pagdi, flowers, wedding rings, the bride’s shoe, shehnai. Or even incorporate a general desi theme with adorable elephant-shaped cookies. Oh, there’s so much you can do with your imagination!
As for the cupcakes, you can get them iced with the wedding date or the couple’s initials. And add some funky chocolate to go on top.
Lo, you are the new sweet thing!
Crockery with a History
No, we aren’t talking about the set of 6bowls in a large cardboard box. Instead, pick an artsy set of knives, dinnerware or glassware that have some kind of a history behind them. Collectible crockery tell a wonderful story and they’re sure to be a memento worth taking away. You can also get personalized crockery, with the initials of the happy couple monogrammed on to them.Or personalize them such that they match your wedding invitation.
Mugs are a great option too! They’re immensely useful. You can get hold of a designer, or come up with quirky designs yourself, to make your guest look back on your wedding with a smile!
Coffee or Tea Samples
Lately, everyone’s been bitten by the chai and coffee bug. Trying out artisan teas and coffees is the new pastime.
It also turns out that they make pretty great wedding return gifts. There are so many flavors of tea that you can choose from and several kinds of coffee beans too!
Go a step further and experiment with exotic blends of tea leaves.
You can really tap into your creativity when it comes to packing your gift. You can add little notes to the tea bags, with small facts about the happy couple or even pack the beans in a cute, desi portable coffee cup. These are sure to make a delicious and unique return gift.
Flower Matkas
Matkas make a unique and Eco-friendly gift option. Get some gorgeous hand-painted matkas. They can be used in hundred different ways- a versatile wedding return gift option!
You could also help your guest start their mini herb garden by equipping your matka with soil and coriander or fenugreek seeds.
Or store the traditional return gifts in them, such as sugar, fruits, nuts, or sindhoor. It’s all up to you and your imagination!
These little pieces from tradition are sure to put a smile on your guests’ faces!
Candles and Candle Holders
Scented candles are a great option as a wedding return gift. They serve both a useful and decorative purpose.
Further, scented candles come in a variety of relaxing fragrances and in aesthetically pleasing designs as well. Popular fragrances are rose, lavender, and vanilla.
You can also choose to gift a candle holder along with the candles. There are some beautiful elegant designs you can choose from and several materials as well. Stone and colored glass are popular choices for candle holders.
Candle holders make an elegant decorative piece both indoors and outdoors: a useful and chic favor!
Sindhoor Box
Sindhoor boxes are mandatory in every Indian household. Over the years, artisans have come up with various designs and materials for the simple sindhoor box. It’s exquisitely handcrafted and is an item that every woman would use, making it extremely useful as well.
Depending on your budget you can pick from a variety of sindhoor boxes. You can go for a wooden one, decorated with mirror and embellishments or the more common metal ones which are either copper, gold, or silver plated.
Glass ones are slowly picking up in trend for the colored glass lends an exotic look to the box.
Whatever it is made from, the sindhoor box is a traditional, classy, gift!
Artifacts
Artifacts are beautifully crafted handmade items that make the perfect wedding return gifts. They can range anywhere from dream catchers and wall hangings to small trinket boxes. They make a perfect gift for culture-lovers! Artifacts can be easily bought at exhibitions and from vendors.
You can opt for simple and colorful cane boxes or carved wooden ones. These boxes are multipurpose and make a lovely addition to the dressing table.
There are also unique handcrafted wall hangings, candle holders and any other gift item that you can think of! That’s what makes them a perfect choice- the wide range of items that are available to you.
Contact a handicraft association, and they will be able to get you a catalog of items that you can give as your wedding return gift.
Plants
In this day and age, the earth could do with a little support. There are so many ways in which you could go Eco-friendly at your wedding!
A really great way to incorporate this into your plans is by gifting small plants as your wedding return gift. The best part is, your guest wouldn’t even need a garden to house these plants. Visit a nursery and bring back with you a bunch of bonsai bamboo, small aloe plants, cuttings of money plant or even succulents!
These plants are easy to take care of and will make a lovely, fresh table center in your guests’ homes.Think of innovative ways to gift these plants. You can choose to pot them in colorful hand-painted matkas, copper planters, or pretty, mini glass bottles….
This list should help you get the hang of things, and satisfying your wedding guest should be much easier. Take it easy this wedding season!!!
Originally published at BigFday.
