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This is the fifth installment of a six part series on engagement gift ideas. We have covered engagement gifts for men, both traditional and modern, plus gift ideas for couples and women! Perhaps you are looking for an engagement gift for your best friend? Some of these suggestions would also work well for other gift giving occasions, such as birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas and more.
A Manicure
Whether they consciously stare at their ring all day or not, most ladies will be fielding requests to see their ring every hour or two for the first few weeks! Give them a gift card for a manicure, so they can flash their hands in style.
Craft Store Gift Card
If you know the couple and know that they will DIY some aspects of their wedding, giving them a gift card to Michaels or a similar craft store could go a long way in their wedding budget.
Customized Hanger
Have you ever wondered why so many people splurge for the wooden hangers that have their name, or “Bride” or “Mrs.” written on them? Here’s the secret, it’s for the photos! It is extremely common to take photos of the wedding dress before it is on, so having a nice hanger is much nicer than a plastic one. If you go this route, mention in your card that the hanger will show off her dress nicely in the pictures, so she doesn’t forget! There are many DIY tutorials available online, or you could order one by searching for Personalized Hanger on Etsy or you can also get them from Amazon.
Dance Lessons
Many couples take ballroom lessons prior to getting hitched. You know your friends best, so use your judgement when giving this gift. If one half of the couple will have to strong arm (or blackmail!) the other into taking classes, you may help them a lot by making it a gift. Definitely check out your groupon type sites for deals on these lessons.
Engagement Photos Session
If you are a moderately good photographer, you could offer your own services up. If you have a slightly larger budget, you could offer to foot the cost for engagement pictures. For some, it is a great chance to work with their photographer before the big day and to get used to being the focus of a camera! For others, it is a complete luxury and they would love to have a friend help out and take some nice photos for them to use.
Wedding Website
There are many different wedding websites out there, many of which are free. However, some charge for some of the fancier features, such as online RSVP tracking. If you are a bit handy with the internet, you could offer to set up their website for them. (I recommend using Google Forms to track online RSVPs, for free!). You could also offer to pay for their site, they usually run $15-30 for a year.
Books
There are a whole variety of books out there to aid couples as they get ready for marriage. Tread carefully, but gifting a copy of The 5 Love Languages
Countdown Clock
Not everyone’s going to appreciate this one, but it could still be fun! There are all sorts of these available, with many for pregnancy countdowns and retirement countdowns. They appear to range from $10 to $25. You could even get them an Obama’s Last Day clock that specifically says January 29, 2013. For some reason, they aren’t less than a dollar yet. (Note: The countdown can be changed to any date.)
Board Games
You can stick with the traditional Monopoly, which includes a fair number of references to marriage. Alternatively, you could branch out and get them a more risque adult board game
Flowers
Flowers are a lovely gift for times of celebration and they are available for all sorts of price points. You can include a card that says, “I look forward to seeing you two blossom together.”
Ring Photography
Ring photography you may ask? Given how pervasive social media is these days, most people who get engagement rings are hounded by their friends and family for photos immediately. While they may not yet have engagement photos, if you are a photographer or know one who could do an affordable mini-session focusing on the ring, they could have the nicest social media photos around! This engagement gift is best offered up immediately after the engagement.
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This is a part of the mini-series on Engagement Gift ideas… I hope that I have managed to inspire some great engagement gifts, as well as gifts for other occasions. I would love to hear any additional suggestions that you may have!
[Photo – CC Attribution – love Maegan]
