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Looking for an alternative to the traditional wedding gift list?
Why not ask your friends and family to contribute to something really special?
Although there has been a gradual long-term decline in the number of people tying the knot since the early 1970s, the number of older couples getting married has increased. There isn’t the same social expectation that couples should get married before living together or starting a family anymore so many of us are waiting until we are older if we bother at all and some of us are getting married for a second or third time for whatever reason.
As far as weddings and gifts go these cultural changes have made some traditions a bit obsolete. In the past young women might save for the day she would be married by collecting linens and crockery for her ‘bottom drawer’. Wedding gift registries have been popular, maybe as a way of trying to avoid receiving too many toasters and not enough towels. Many couples now already have a home (sometimes two) full of the things they need and are not relying on the generosity of family and friends for the useful and necessary items required for setting up a new home together.
However, it seems that the tradition of giving and receiving wedding gifts is still going strong with family and friends wanting to contribute something in celebration of the marriage whether that be from a gift list, a donation to charity, a donation towards the honeymoon or just cash.
In researching for this blog, I found some very different ideas on wedding gifts and whether or not couples should ask for cash or indeed anything at all. There are so many differing points of view and there are some very angry people out there! (I know, I shouldn’t read the comments on social media). It seems like a tricky subject for some and one which I think should be left up to the couple to figure out for their own personal circumstances.
Of course, we think that asking for a contribution to an artwork is the perfect idea for a wedding gift. An original work of art is unique and enduring; a symbol of your relationship which you can keep forever and even hand down to future generations. As a rule a quality work of art, well cared for, shouldn’t depreciate in value and the value could, with a little luck, increase significantly over a period of time.
Choosing or commissioning a painting or a sculpture together can be a really fun experience and you might even learn something new about each other’s taste.
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Setting up a wedding gift service with Saul Hay Gallery is easy and a wonderful experience in itself.
Find out more here
Thank you to Sarah Valentine for her gorgeous wedding photograph. Visit Sarah's site here