Weirdest wedding present request ever?

My cousin was renovating their home when they got married and asked for contributions towards their new staircase!

To my recollection, no one thought it was that strange and were happy to go with that.

I don't think it's unreasonable compared to requesting other gifts (I don't like being asked for gifts in the first place, but this isn't any odder than asking for a honeymoon dinner or a duvet set).

However....

I would loathe, with every fibre of my being, buying someone a basin. Or a table. Or part of a boiler.

I want to buy froth, fun and frivolity. I want to buy beauty. I want to buy something that the couple look at in twenty years time and smile.

My friend asked for B&Q vouchers for her wedding, we didn't find that weird at all as we all knew they had just moved into a new house.

Do what you like - what's the point in asking people for towels, toasters etc when you already have it! I would much prefer to buy someone something they need / want!

We're going with honeymoon contributions I think - we can afford a honeymoon but how nice to say everyone else paid for it!

Friends of ours asked for financial contributions to their new kitchen. No problem at all!

Why not just ask for vouchers for certain stores? We've done that and everyone was just as happy! We can then pool them and put them towards stuff for our new house as well!

Recently we have had friends ask for contributions to a) a kitchen 2) a driveway.

If the gift is to be money and not a 'proper' gift, Im honestly not bothered. Spend it on what you like!

xxx

I went to a wedding, where the couple were getting a new kitchen.

We were the proud sponsors of their taps, and about 4 cupboard doors...

I had no problem with that. Would rather give towards something they wanted, rather than buy tat "just because".

Ooohhh, I would *love* a gift from you!!! ?

I think contributions towards a lovely big kitchen table would be fab. You'd use it for years and years, inviting many of the people who came to your wedding to have dinner sitting at it.

A bathroom basin, specifically, would be a bit odd. But B&Q vouchers or the like is quite normal, in my world.

Now I feel massively smug as we have a wedding present from FTLOMB.

And we love it and use it and it makes us smile. I'm very glad we have that sort of present ?

I realise I'm hijacking this thread but I'm incredibly intrigued to know what that present was.... or to put it another way, nosey!! ?

It sounds like a wonderful present......

WE asked for contributions to a new shed. Nobody minded, they were pleased to contribute to something we desperately needed.

Picture of current shed attached.

My friend asked us all to buy her a dishwasher which if I'm honest I begrudged slightly as I don't even have one myself. As others said maybe ask for vouchers then you can spend it on what you like !

xx

I wouldn't mind, but then again I'm one of these that doesn't really mind polite money requests in an invitation. We had an invitation once which included a request for money towards a new boiler. At least I knew they were spending it on something useful rather than frittering it away.

I have politely spread the word that we would like money for our wedding to go towards a new kitchen. We've lived here 4 years and have everything we need so didn't really want to make a list of things I felt were a waste of money.

No one has complained and I will write thank you notes saying exactly what their money has gone towards (new worktop or doors etc) I didn't ask for gift vouchers because we're not 100% on where we will be buying things. Plus it's risky, if a shop closes you lose the money.

I know some people think it's rude to ask for money (mostly the older generations) but years ago when people got married, they didn't live together, so needed new things to start a home. Nowadays a lot of people live together for a few years before getting married, so don't need that sort of thing.

I'm one of those who thinks a gift should be something lovely and not a necessity hence I don't give money for weddings whether requested or not.

I think it is a smokescreen to suggest that because people have been living together they have everything they need.

Does nothing ever merit replacing?

Is everything so upscale and beautiful it cannot be improved upon?

Do single people not use saucepans?

Don't you want something lovely to (as FTLOMB says) look on in twenty years time and smile? That sure as hell won't be a dishwasher bought this year!

A friend's wedding list included loads of garden tools, lawnmower etc but it included a chainsaw if I remember correctly! They had just bought a place to renovate. Unfortunately the website didn't work properly - it was a Canadian one - so most people ended up giving them money - but knowing it was going towards stuff like that.

People do have differing opinions on things like this but I wouldn't be offended if someone put in a similar request to yours in an invite. I'd still be prepared to end up with a few more traditional gifts as well.

On this note though for my parents 25th wedding anniversary they were asked 'what do you want' and so they asked for money towards a nice dining room table as in 25 years of marriage they still had a cheap one they bought when they first got married.

They bought a gorgeous solid mahogony table and 27 years on it still takes price of place in the house, fits all 12 of us every sunday lunch and mum still takes great pleasure polishing it every week It definately makes her smile every day

I strongly dislike wedding registries in general, but I don't see anything wrong with asking for home improvement things if that's what you need.

However, my wife-to-be is getting me two taxidermy squirrels for a wedding gift, so I probably can't talk. They'll have on mini versions of our wedding outfits, and they'll live next to the mouse (dressed as a wee doctor!) I got from my best friend when I graduated from med school. I... really like taxidermy. That's definitely odder than asking someone for a basin.

Double congratulations. I don't think that's odd at all, it is far better to receive something of use than something you're font to give away. I'm sure prior would be delighted to have helped make your house a home.

I see what you are saying with this, but on a practical issue I don't see how it would work well...... we'd still have to have a list of some sort, as most people (apart from those that visit our house regularly) wouldn't know what we would we already have/what could do with replacing etc so we'd still end up having to have a list of some sort. For example, we got some beauiful champagne flutes as an engagement present, so if we got given some more as a wedding present, we wouldn't want to get rid of the others as they're lovely (and they themselves are meaningful to us) but we simply don't have room in our house to keep double sets of items....

I think we are going to be asking for honeymoon contributions, but it's not something I felt that strongly about. I was happy to initially just not put anything on the invite, but a few people suggested we did, but I'm sure I would be happy if someone picked out something for us, but it would be a shame if we couldn't or wouldn't use it for some reason.... (like the random rhino puzzle someone bought OH for christmas- he doesn't particularly like rhinos or puzzles!)

I personally, when going to a wedding, would prefer to know I'm giving the couple something they want or will use, and don't have a problem just giving them cash. I actually found it difficult last year when I was invited to the wedding of an old university friend. I hadn't seen her for several years and had never met her OH, and they had no gift list, and worried about what I was getting them, as I didn't feel I knew them 'as a couple' well enough to pick out something they would definitely like.....

Ooh forgot to say congratulations on the baby too!

Congrats on the baby

I wouldn't find it weird if someone put it out there that they were doing renos etc and the money would be used for that, however, like mentioned I don't know if I would specifically say for a new sink, toilet, etc. In my opinion Id rather see my hard earned cash helping someone rather than it just being used/wasted on stuff (although Id never say anything as it was a gift)

For my aunts wedding, people knew they didnt need a whole lot so someone put it out there that they only needed a few bigger ticket items (washer, dryer) and groups of people put in equal amounts and bought certificates for them. (the guests choose to do it, it wasnt asked of them)

Myself, I prefer to recieve a gift that was something from the giver, and not asked for. But thats just because I like the fancy pretty stuff, and like to be surprised, rather than the stuff I would probably put on a registry. Now that being said, as we probably have a lot of guests from the US and Canada not attending, we will probably do a registry so they can send something if they wish.

I think this wins as weirdest present request ?

To the OP, I wouldn't find it weird at all. Congratulations on the baby!

I agree with this!

Hooray!! See, compared to taxidermy, asking for a new sink is totally normal.

Thankyou all so much for your responses thats made me feel heaps better im glad most agree with me! However i do see that some people may think it should be a more personal gift i suppose if people feel that way they can buy me something else Its nice to know im not the only one thinking along these lines, with the baby coming and the house a mess plus the price of the wedding we would be grateful for help i guess my family will be happy to help me....if i ask nicely!

Thanks for helping settling my nerves about this i think may start to hint hint hint!

We asked for B&Q vouchers for a new kitchen as ours was literally a wreck with no cupboards etc. We also had a small list at John Lewis but most gave us cash or vouchers. I made sure we included pictures of the kitchen in the Christmas cards the following year so people could see how it turned out. I think people don't mind giving money or vouchers so much so long as they know what it will be used for so listing a specific project is a good idea rather than just money for spending.

Incidentally it was only AFTER my wedding B&Q started doing a gift list service... A much better idea as the lady on the till was less than amused when I gave her 30 odd giftcards to put through 5 minutes before closing time on a Saturday night.

We didn't "ask" for anything for our wedding, and most people ended up giving money.

We got a few lovely gifts, personalised photo frames, that sort of stuff, but mostly we received money which we used for our honeymoon & house renovation.

I think it makes more sense than a honeymoon in some ways, cos wasn't the point of wedding gifts in the first place to set up your own home? So contributing to your new home is totally in the spirit of things. ?