Picnic for Two

With wedding season again upon us, many people are hitting up Macy's, Bed Bath & Beyond,  Crate and Barrel and the other usual registry go-tos. Luckily, Nick and I only have one wedding to buy for this season, but last year we had several. One wedding we attend was for a well-established couple who and therefore didn’t register for plates, towels, or other such typical wedding items. The couple had a small registry at Macy's and another at REI but those were quickly cleaned out, forcing us to be a little bit more creative with our wedding gift. 
Now when it comes to deviating from the list and being creative with gifting, the gift can be very much appreciated- or end up as one of those things you sell in a yard sale or are desperate to return! We had a couple such gifts at our own wedding, as I'm sure everyone does.

One rule to remember when buying a wedding gift is to know the couple’s style and hobbies. Said couple enjoy camping and outdoor adventures (they registered for a canoe and were going on a 2 –week camping tour of California for their honeymoon, to give you a hint). However, when we headed to REI, we were disappointed to see that all the camping supplies they had asked for had been purchased. Not to be deterred, Nick and I came up with the idea to give the happy couple a “romantic dinner” camping gift basket. So, we picked up two lightweight heat-protective camping plates, two sets of cutlery, 2 mugs, a Mountain Home camping meal, and an oilcloth tablecloth from REI. 

Next we headed to Target to pick up a cute picnic basket for on $14.99, along with some trail mix, a bottle of wine, and a handy pack of hand sanitizer. 

On to Bed, Bath, and Beyond, where we picked up a great big citronella candle, for some mood lighting- form and function! (to the tune of $7!).  Last, I picked up matching blue bandanas, to work as napkins, or be used when hiking, at Michaels, for $0.49 apiece. 

Although the present had many parts, the price ended up being no more than we would spend on a typical wedding present.

The next step was to arrange the goodies artfully in the picnic basket, and wrap the whole thing is cellophane and tie with a big bow.

Presto- instant personalized wedding gift for a great couple! 

 

Shared on Centsational Girl.