Wedding guests have a long tradition of buying gifts for the happy couple. In the earliest weddings, the couple was still living with their parents—sometimes entire families. They didn’t have anything for the new life together that they were starting. In present day, it’s more common for couples to already be living together—or very least, not with Mom or Dad. But the giving of gifts still persists as way to make the couple feel at home in their own home. And monogrammed wedding gifts are a great way to add personal touch to any house.
Plenty of home goods and décor can be enhanced with the right monogramming, although the bathroom and kitchen are the two most monogram-able rooms in the house. Luxurious hand and bath towels are common monogrammed wedding gifts for master bathrooms. And drinkware and cutting boards are customizable and kitchen friendly.
Before you set out to purchase monogrammed wedding gifts, however, do your research. There are some common mistakes made by well-intentioned guests that can easily be avoided. Keep reading below, to learn more about the important do’s and don’ts of buying a monogrammed wedding gift for the happy couple.
DO…
…check the registry
The registry will tell you exactly what the happy couple needs for this next stage of their lives. It takes the guesswork out of buying gifts—so you don’t have to predict what color bath towels or patterned dinner plates they want. Because the couple took the time to create a registry, you should always respect it. Before you buy anything to monogram, make sure someone else hasn’t scooped it from the registry!
For example, if you want to monogram bath towels, confirm that the couple still needs some from their registry. All registries will show you two numbers: how many the couple wants, and how many have already been purchased for them. Any item you choose to monogram should still be “needed” or “remaining” on their registry list. Otherwise, the couple will have to return extras. (Which can be difficult for custom monogrammed wedding gifts!)
…confirm any name changes
Commonly, monogrammed wedding gifts use a last name, or the individuals’ initials. But not everyone changes their last name! Or the couple may have created a brand new last name, so both parties could “give up” their own. And the last thing you want to do is give your friends a monogrammed wedding gift with the wrong name on it!
The wedding registry and wedding invitations probably won’t reflect the couples decisions. Most of the time, both of those items reflect the current, unmarried name of both parties. So, to get this answer, you will have to reach out to the couple directly, or ask a close friend or family member. However you choose to get the information—don’t guess!
DON’T…
…ignore the return policy
It’s unpleasant to think about the happy couple returning your wedding gift. But, unfortunately, it happens sometimes. The couple may have received too many glasses, and needs to return some. Or, could have changed their mind about the accent color in the kitchen. And if you bought a gift outside of the registry, they, unfortunately, might not like the gift.
When you buy monogrammed wedding gifts, research the return policy. For many—if not all—online registries, couples can return guest-bought items within a certain number of days. (So long as the item hasn’t been used, of course!) But that doesn’t include altered items, like those with custom monogramming. And if you didn’t buy using the registry, that company might have a more severe return policy. Do your best to gift a returnable item—just in case!
…guess what the couple will like
Monogrammed wedding gifts are great for couples you know well. That way, you don’t have to guess whether or not they’ll like it—you already know they will. Like we mentioned earlier, it’s challenging to return a monogrammed item. So you need to be sure the happy couple will like the gift.
How do you know if you know someone well? For starters, have you been to their house? Many wedding gifts are for the home, so if you’ve seen the couple’s personal style in, well, person—you’ll be able to pick a gift that will match. If you’re still unsure, try asking yourself a series of home goods-related questions. For example, do you know which type of wood they’d prefer for a cutting board? Are they whisky drinkers, or wine connoisseurs? And, as always—when in doubt, just stick to the registry.
Conclusion
If you give careful thought to your monogrammed wedding gift, it can be a real treat for the newlyweds. As with any gift, the most important thing is that the recipient likes it. So make sure you’re thinking about them and their home—and not necessarily something you would like to receive.
What monogrammed items do you own? Do you prefer adding last names, or using initials?
