2020 Gift Guide: Inspiration for Every Celebration
The holiday season is definitely one of the most popular times of the year for announcements - everything from new homes to babies to engagements! I took a little poll earlier in January to see what type of announces you all saw the most of, and here are those results. Most of you saw announcements for engagements (no surprises there!). You were most excited to celebrate bachelor and bachelorette parties. Finally, you had the most “party anxiety” around what gift to get for all of these joyous occasions.
I’m right there with you, thinking of new and unique gifts that aren’t the classic universal gift card or the 8th plate and last two champagne glasses listed on someone’s registry can be really difficult.
I pulled together my favorite gifts for some of the most popular gift-giving parties and occasions to help you keep your gift arsenal exciting, thoughtful, and memorable. Caring is sharing, so if you have any unique gift ideas head back over to Instagram or Facebook to DM me, and I’ll share your gift idea - with credit of course :)
Let me start with my all-time favorite gift - a thoughtful card. In today’s world where sending a text or writing a comment on someone’s Facebook wall could be the go-to communication, I think it’s always so special when you receive something in the mail. Ink Cards is an easy app that makes it so simple to send curated cards for literally EVERY occasion, and you can quickly add photos from your phone into the card. It’s fast, easy, affordable, and shows that you put an extra step into brightening someone’s day.
engagements
Your friend got ENGAGED! One of the happiest, scream-worthy moments of your life. When my friend Allie recently got engaged, I was out a happy hour with co-workers and scream so loud everyone in the bar turned to look at me. I kept repeating that my friend got engaged and everyone gave nods and big understanding smiles - it’s really fun how that works ;) After the initial excitement settles (a little bit), you’ll want to follow up with a small gift to couple to share in their excitement. My personal rule is that engagement gifts can be relatively modest and should be seen more as a way to congratulate the couple. It’s customary to give a bottle of champagne - the universal sign of celebration - but you can also opt for these other fun ideas:
This new fiancee is going to need outfits for all of the celebratory events coming her way! So gift her a subscription (even just a month trial) to a service like Rent the Runway or Nova Octo to help the bride-to-be stay stylish throughout the entire wedding journey.
Help the couple prep for their engagement party with a surprise gift card to Drizzly so they can stock the bar cart before the big gathering.
Subscription boxes to places like Maeven are the cutest gift full of engagement or bridal goodies to ride the excitement of the engagement, and they are little items she can use multiple times throughout the wedding journey.
Something sweet, thoughtful, and easy - a photo book. While it may seem old fashioned, they’ve transformed photo albums into cute photo stories on sites like Love Book Online. I love this one if you’re closer to the couple and wanted to go a more sentimental route.
Hand mask set is the perfect gift for your friend with some new bling. Everyone will be looking at her hands, so it’s a useful, affordable, and unexpected treat!
birthdays
My favorite “holiday” is definitely my birthday. When I was growing up, my mom always set up our kitchen table with cupcakes, streamers, balloons, gifts, and cards (all in pink, of course) and surprised us when we came downstairs to catch the bus for school. It always made me feel like the most special girl in the world. My dad was always in on the surprise too, but she definitely took decor to the next level. I mean, who knows where I get it from? ;) I think that’s why I’m always so excited to celebrate with my family and friends around my birthday, and I love celebrating other people’s day too - and cue, the gift dilemma. If you struggle with this, try one of these fun options:
Getting a gift for someone doesn’t have to mean something huge or expensive. It can be something as small as a Greetabl or Boomf (which fit in the palm of your hand), but are fun surprises for the receiver. I won’t say much more, just tap the links and check them out!
If you’ve got a long-distance friend, send a delicious and decadent cake delivery to their office from a place like Milk. They will be surprised, and all of their office buddies will love you too for the treat!
For my Chicago folks, check out Paris 312 for the cutest balloon decor that you can get sent right to your friend’s door.
WARNING: This one requires some pre-planning, so for you last-minute shoppers, you’ll have to get started on this one early. Commission a handmade drawing of their favorite pet or a meaningful photo of the two of you. It shows that you put in effort (and thought ahead) to create something unique just for them!
Gift your friend a surprise experience. We’re so used to buying physical gifts or bringing something to the get-together, but a card with a mysterious little note will go a long way. Then, a couple days later you can give your friend an address to meet you at a cooking class or cocktail making class. (Matt took me to a cocktail class back in the fall, and we had so much fun learning and tasting together!)
bachelorette parties
Are we doing gifts for the bachelor(ette) party? That is a very good question! Take a moment to reflect on the bride’s style, the full scope of the trip, and any direction you’ve received from the planner (usually the MOH). If you’re going to a destination, many would say that your travel costs are more than enough; however, if you’re doing a local celebration, the group might be more inclined to do gifts. It really varies by bachelorette party group and budgets, so be sure to connect with the group (sans bride) or the planner and ask what the collective decision is for gifts. If you are opting for gifts, here’s a few surprise ideas to gift your bride bestie during her special weekend celebration.
Gift your gal pal a mani/pedi date before you head out of town for the trip or kick off your weekend at the local spots. This will get her excited for the weekend and make her feel extra loved.
As the group sits down for dinner, offer to cover the first round of drinks, and two for the bride. Don’t worry - others in the group will usually jump in to cover her remaining drinks/food for the night, but this kind gesture will put everyone in a great mood to get dinner started.
Take it to the next level and purchase matching goodies (like fanny packs, hats, or tees) on Etsy or another customizable site. Depending on your budget, you might ask the group to pitch in and surprise your bride.
As a group gift, opt to pitch in for a limo for a night out in your local area to make that night feel extra special! If you’re heading out of town, you can make the bride feel extra fancy with a chauffeur to the airport.
Another unique group gift idea is to send the bride a pre-bachelorette party ‘prep package.’ You can pool cash from the group and then commission your artsy friend to order the items and put together a pack full of goodies the bride should pack that are unique to your weekend out (i.e. beach themed, winery items, spa weekend).
wedding showers + bridal showers
To registry or ‘not to registry.’ I’ve heard opinions on both sides of the fence - on one hand, it can feel a bit robotic to choose from a registry, but on the other hand, it could be considered rude to not buy something that the couple took the time to hand-select. Wedding showers and/or bridal showers are definitely one of the most daunting gift-giving occasions, but I think that there’s always a way to find balance. If you feel that you’re close enough to the couple/person, you could always purchase something smaller from the registry to respect their wishes, and then pair it with something that you feel is more sentimental. Check out these add-on ideas:
For a bridal shower gift, try opting for a bride white denim jacket with her new last name embroidered on the back. You can find these on Etsy! It might be a little pricey, but she can definitely get good use out of this leading up to the wedding to wear to vendor appointments, on the day of when getting ready, and on the honeymoon
For wedding showers, a sweet gift to get the newly engaged couple is a luxe picnic basket for their summertime dinners in the park. It gives them an excuse to plan a romantic date night after the wedding stress ends and married life begins.
If you’re looking for a smaller add-on, there are adorable key chains that feature the couple’s wedding month as a calendar with their special date circled. This is a thoughtful little token to add to a registry gift that shows you put a thoughtful touch on the gift. You can find some on Superlative Trends, or other similar sites.
It used to be more common for brides to press the flowers of their wedding bouquet, but it seems that tradition has faded a little bit along with old school photo albums. Gift the bride a fresh and modern way to preserve her wedding flowers with custom glass art on Etsy or sites like Soil and Soul.
Last, but certainly not least, gift the new couple something fun and incredibly useful like a home-reorganization service like Life in Jeneral. After the wedding stress, a service like this can help bring some peace and order back to a home filled with wedding decor and stacks of gifts.
House warming parties
I’ve been to a couple of house-warming parties, and I think these can be some of the most tricky gifts. Many are unsure if they should get a bottle of champage to celebrate, an cool piece of decor, or something even bigger. I think it all depends on the personality of your friend and the vibe of their new place. If it’s a new apartment, a luxe candle might suffice, but if it’s their new permanent home, then you might opt for something bigger. If your friend is a minimalist, they might not want anything at all! Either way, take a look below for a range of thoughtful ideas.
Mentioned above, Life in Jeneral is perfect for new home/apartment/condo owners too!
Try something a bit more personal like a subscription to Prime Pantry or Fresh Direct so the new home/apartment/condo owner can stock up on everything they need as they get settled into their new place.
If you’re looking for something more traditional, head over to West Elm and check out their “Gifts” corner of the site. It’s really great because it organizes options by price ranges of $25, $50, and $100, and you can rest assured that they will have the latest in home decor for both indoors and outside.
If you know your friend or family member is very interested in designing their new place, gift them a design package from a place like Modsy. Keep in mind this can be upwards of $300, so you may want to reserve this one for a closer friend! They will be awed by this gift that will help design every corner of their new place and they will remember you at each step of the way.
Happy gifting!
Arika