Looking for an appropriate wedding gift for a cousin or an extended family member? Picking the correct gift can be difficult when it’s something you are aware of, but may not be especially close to. Using this guide you’ll learn about some gift ideas and etiquette to set your gift apart. Before diving into the exact gift idea, however, you’ll learn some tips and tricks on how best to select a gift!
How Much To Spend?
The first aspect of buying an appropriate wedding gift for a cousin is determining the right amount of money to spend on the gift itself. For example, it may not make sense to only spend a few dollars on a cheap gift. In some cases buying a gift of such little value can be seen as insulting. You will also need to take into consideration what type of person you’re buying the gift for and the type of wedding they are throwing.
For example, if the wedding is going to be ‘fancy’ and will be held somewhere expensive, or if you have to travel to reach the destination then odds are you should be willing to spend more on buying an appropriate wedding gift for your cousin. However, if the wedding is a smaller affair with fewer people and a smaller venue, then your gift likely does not need to be extravagant or glamorous.
So, try your best to gather details about the wedding like where it will be held, how many guests are coming, how well you know the person, and maybe even what other guests are buying and bringing to the wedding.
Are Gifts Even Required?
Some people ask if gifts are even required for a wedding, especially if you don’t know the bride or groom well. For example, you may be attending a wedding for an extended family member that you never talk to or only see once every few years. Generally speaking in these situations you may still want to bring even a small gift as a gesture of respect. In some cases not bringing a gift can be seen as you not supporting the wedding or even being opposed to it. The only time you should not bring a gift is if the bride or groom specifically says to not bring a gift to the wedding. Any other time you should bring something, even if it’s small as a gesture of good luck and respect.
Group Gifts
You may also be wondering if going in on a gift with a group is a good idea. Again, this can depend on the person receiving the gift. Generally speaking, if you are purchasing something expensive you should still at least give them a card and write something personal on it. After all, most people want to receive something personal and special to them. Also, it’s best to do a group gift if each person is expected to pay $100 or more. For example, if a gift only costs $50, this gift would be a bad group gift because it was so cheap. Meanwhile, a good group gift split between 3 people may cost $500 or more. Either way, be sure to also provide a card as a personal touch even if you do decide to buy a group gift.
What About Cash?
Cash is another gift that highly depends on your relationship with the bride or groom and what type of gifts they want to receive. Cash can be a good gift if you aren’t close to either the bride or groom. Cash can also be insulting if you know them well. At the same time, some brides and grooms may specifically ask for cash, in that case, it’s a good idea to bring cash in a card as a gift. Either way, never bring just cash and hand it to them. Instead, you want to put the cash in an envelope and buy a nice card. Make sure to write something personal on the card as well. In other cases, if you are close to the bride or groom and they did not ask for cash, then it may be best to purchase a useful present instead.
Brainstorming Ideas
When buying an appropriate wedding gift for a cousin, it’s best to follow the basic wedding gift rules. For instance, buy them something useful. Newlywed couples want things that will make their lives together easier. Although flashy and glamorous gifts may be nice, try to be as practical as possible. For instance, new bedding, or household items are great gift idea’s as opposed to flashy objects that won’t help them in day-to-day life.
Pet’s
To start brainstorming ideas to buy an appropriate wedding gift for a cousin, you should start by looking at details you know about their lives. For example, does either the bride or groom have any pets? You can never go wrong with buying a gift for someone’s pet. In this case, try to buy a gift that is helpful and practical. You may want to consider buying something like a voucher for puppy school if the couple has a dog who is under 1 year old. At the same time, you could also find out if anyone has bought them a puppy as a gift and the puppy school voucher can complement the other gift. Or if they have a cat, you could consider buying them coupons for cat vaccinations to keep their little furry friends healthy.
Personal
Aside from buying an appropriate wedding gift for cousin that involves their pets, you could also focus on the bride or groom. Since not everyone has pets or their pets may be taken care of already, you could focus on personal care! For example, getting them a manicure and pedicures coupon for the local spa could be a great gift idea. This is one of the foolproof gifts that almost always works very well. You may also consider buying them a couples massage gift certificate as well. If the bride or groom isn’t as interested in spa services, then consider getting one of them hair coloring before the wedding as well.
Experiences
Newlywed couples also love to have new and exciting experiences together. So, if the bride or groom isn’t as interested in spa services, you could consider getting them a gift certificate coupon for a shared experience that is new and unique to them both. One great experience the newlywed couple may enjoy is a dance school. This simple gift idea is great for couples who enjoy a new experience and who don’t mind getting out of their comfort zones. However, make sure not to buy gifts like these for people who may be introverted. Another great shared experience idea could also be an adventure the couple gets to go on together. If you live near a large body of water, you may consider getting them a local boat tour gift package. Either way, try to think about their personalities and whether they are extroverted or introverted. Also consider if they like adventure, or if they like to explore culture and art, etc. Either way, a gift for a shared experience is a fantastic idea for almost any newlywed couple.
Practical Materials
As previously mentioned, when buying an appropriate wedding gift for a cousin you could also remain practical. New couples will often need or want practical things to help make their lives easier together. You could consider purchasing either of them a gift coupon or certificate to an eyeglasses store for a gift if either of them wears glasses. That would be one less stressor they have to worry about as a new couple. If either of them likes to collect old things or is interested in history, you could purchase historical coins as a gift as well.
Other practical things related to the kitchen are also usually great gift ideas. For instance, if the couple is moving in together or getting a house together as the next step, you could focus on buying a kitchen-oriented gift. Some gift idea’s for the kitchen would be an automatic mixer or mixing bowl solution for when the couple wants to bake from scratch. You could also buy them a nice fancy set of cast iron skillets for cooking on. Another great kitchen-based gift would be a new silverware set, especially if you gift them real silver. You may also want to think about your kitchen and what you appreciate in it. For example, if there is a small appliance or tool that you use often, you may consider buying that for the new couple as well.
Make It Personal
When brainstorming idea’s for an appropriate wedding gift for cousin, you could also try being more personal. For example, earlier we talked about buying them an experience to do together. But, you could also set up an experience that they can do with you. This can be a great time to not only spoil and treat them but also spend some good quality time with them as well. If either of them enjoys dining out, then you may want to take them out to the best breakfast restaurant in town. Afterward, you could spoil them with other gifts or take them to the spa after breakfast. Either way, try to be imaginative and creative with whatever you decide to get them as an experience.
Gift Ideas To Avoid
We’ve shared a lot of great gift idea’s that would be appropriate wedding gifts for cousins, however, there are some gifts and ideas you would be better off avoiding. This is important since some gift ideas may not fit well with the idea of a wedding or newlywed couple. Therefore, to avoid confusion or insults you should avoid these gift ideas at all costs to not cause any hurt feelings.
Jewelry
Although weddings and life events are usually celebrated with new jewelry, a wedding is not the time to buy someone new jewelry. Why? The centerpiece of the wedding ceremony surrounds the new addition of wedding rings on the fingers of the newlywed couple. If you introduce new jewelry as a gift on the wedding day, then that may conflict with the new rings the bride or groom is wearing. Therefore, it may water down or take away from the new rings. So, it’s best to avoid gifts like a womens diamond ring and instead go for gifts that are more practical and helpful to a new couple.
Individual Gifts
Since you are buying gifts for a newlywed couple on their wedding day, it’s also best to avoid gifts that are for only one of the individuals. Since the entire day is about two people becoming married and joining together as one, your gift should reflect that feeling and focus on both of them. So, don’t buy a gift if you only know one of them. Instead, make sure your gift can include them both. This is easy to do if you focus on practical items they could both use in daily life. Or, if you focus on getting them an experience to share then you won’t make the mistake of buying an individual gift.
Wrapping Up
When looking for an appropriate wedding gift for a cousin or an extended family member’s wedding day, it can be helpful to brainstorm. Some of the best gift ideas may be ones where you either improve the new couple’s lives in some way or if you give them a fun new shared experience to cherish together. Great gifts don’t need to be extremely extravagant or fancy, but instead should be practical and focus on celebrating the new couple and their new status as married. So, next time you need to get a great gift for a wedding, try brainstorming what you feel may help the new couple, or consider a new experience they may enjoy. Just, be sure that whatever gift you give them fits their personalities and includes them both to start their new journey together.
