Help needed with wedding gift ideas!

[Pembroke_Corgi]

My boss is getting married in September and my husband and I are going to the wedding. It is a second marriage for the bride and groom and they are older so they each have an established household, so they don't really need household type things. They also don't have a registry established, but the invitation does not say "no gifts."

Help! I feel like I should bring a gift, but I don't know what. I was thinking something to do with music because my boss owns the piano studio, but I'm not sure.

Any ideas?

[Donnaj4962]

Something that I have done in the past for folks who don't have a registry is buy them a doorknocker with their new last name engraved on it! It has been a huge hit, especially among those who are already established and don't really need any household items.

You could also consider any kind of specialty painting that has their name on it. Something that I have also given in the past is a rural painting with a mailbox and the couple's name on it.

Of course, you could always just give cash also.... since most couples could use it for honeymoon expenses.

The music idea is a great one, since your boss is musically inclined. Maybe a gift certificate to an online music store? That way they can choose something they like together and that neither already has.

Let us know what you come up with!

[joycenalex]

1)when they come back from their honeymoon, give them a minor tool kit for each level of their house( 2 floors, 2 kits), flathead, phillips screwdrivers, hammer, pliers, small flashlight. 2) frame their invitation and the newspaper announcement. 3) do you know what kind of music your boss likes? maybe tickets to a concert or a restaurant

[Karen]

No registry makes it hard, but if she is also a musician, something music-related would be good! Check local craft and gift stores for music-related stuff ... you may be pleasantly surprised.

If she's NOT a musician, even an established household can use new things - Crate and Barrel has a set of many-sized stacking clear glass mixing bowls that everyone has loved when I have given them.

[Freedom]

Do they have any pets?

What about a gift in their honor to something; a charity; and public music assoc or group? A local choral group?

[Twisterdog]

We got married a little over a year ago. We were both almost forty, with four teenagers between us. We didn't have a registry either, because we TRULY didn't want anything. We had at least two of everything anyone could possibly want for the house, we were trying to figure out how to get rid of it all! If anyone asked me, I said I didn't want ANYthing, and I really meant it. We had NO room and NO need for anything.

I have heard time and time and time again that cash and/or gift card are "tacky" because they require no thought and aren't personal. Well, speaking for us, we didn't feel that way at all. We appreciate those gifts a lot! We had a great time on our honeymoon with that money!

[Edwina's Secretary]

Carriage ride gift certificate...it was one of our favorite wedding gifts...

[Pembroke_Corgi]

Thanks for all of the really great ideas! Some of them are so creative- like the door knocker (though in this case my boss is keeping her maiden name- so it would have to be engraved twice! ). The carriage ride also sounds really nice.

I think I will try to find something related to music- my boss plays the piano beautifully and still teaches a few nights a week. A concert is a good idea, I will have to look into that. The only problem is they only live in the Denver area a few days a week, and have their main residence in Estes Park (which I don't think has many concerts, but I guess I could find out!).

I would feel funny giving cash because my boss pays me, and also she is marrying an aerospace engineer turned software developer who really doesn't need cash. I would actually prefer money myself to do many things to take a honeymoon but I think in this case it would be a bit awkward.