In today’s increasing complex of world of changing social etiquette the tricky question of what to buy the engaged or married couple has never been more difficult. Forty years ago, the answer would have been easy. Gifts were often bought for the ‘bottom drawer’ and ranged from electric kettles to towels. Nowadays, however, most couples have their own place – either separately or together – and chances are they will have most household goods not only once but probably in duplicate!
Knowing what to buy a couple for an engagement present is even harder if you are not in their immediate circle of friends. Do they have linen, towels and vases? Probably yes! Would they like your style if you did buy them linen? Probably not!
In the case of weddings, the wedding list has become very popular but even this can cause difficulty. With some lists it appears that even the smallest gift is very expensive. Guests do not want to appear mean but perhaps the Wedgewood china is beyond their budget and they cannot possibly imagine how an iron can cost â‚ ¬200. An Iron? You can almost hear the frazzled guests say!
Yet another trend is that some couples have ditched the pretence of wanting to receive gifts and only want cash. This definitely puts the spotlight on guests and they can feel pressurised into writing a cheque for more than they might feel comfortable with or indeed can afford.
So, what is the answer? Here at WeddingsIreland.com we can suggest two alternatives.
You are invited to engagement party and know the couple slightly but have no idea about their domestic setup. You want to give a gift of beauty that they will remember, that the couple do not already possess, but you also want to ensure that the gift is simple enough to meet with most people’s tastes.
We suggest the Georgian silver coffee set from Irish Provincial Hampers (www.irishhampers.com). The set consists of a silver plated coffee pot, creamer, sugar bowl and serving tray. It comes packaged in a suede gift box and looks like a million dollars. However, in conjunction with Irish Provincial Hampers we are offering this set for only â‚ ¬ 60.76 plus VAT, which represents a 20 percent reduction. To avail of this offer, email [email protected]
quoting this article and web site.
For the wedding present, we have another fabulous suggestion again from Irish Provincial Hampers. This time we recommend the Italian Experience. This is dining experience is presented in a wicker picnic basket and consists of a large hand painted serving bowl with four matching pasta bowls, spaghetti cutlery, spaghetti in a collectable tin wine, chocolate – in fact everything you need for a fantastic romantic meal. Have a look at the hamper on www.irishhampers.com and if you feel like buying it, remember to quote this article to receive your 20percent discount. For a mere â‚ ¬98.95 plus VAT you could make a lucky couple very happy!
So there you have it. Two ideas from the Irish Provincial Hampers’ website that will really impress the couple without costing the earth. And the choice is yours! Hampers are not just for Christmas you know!
