Wedding Gift List Tips: Jane From Our London Townhouse Shares Her Advice

Gift Guru Jane has worked as an expert advisor at The Wedding Shop for over six years. Based at our flagship Showroom in Chelsea, Jane loves sharing her wisdom with couples and introducing them to unique homewares. Now newly married, she's experienced the wedding gift list journey herself! Read on to discover Jane's top tips, from how to build a gift list to how she planned her traditional English wedding day.

Create Your Own Heirlooms

One of my top wedding gift list tips is to choose Timeless Classics that will remind you of your wedding day for years to come. They may even become family heirlooms! Your guests will love gifting you something that will spark joy for a lifetime. A set of crystal cut whisky glasses or a Sterling Silver photo frame are great examples.

Give Your Guests Choice

Your guests will want to buy you something that feels meaningful to them and you. Adding gifts from different categories and price ranges ensures that your list has something for everyone. It also allows your guests to browse without feeling pressured to spend a certain amount! 

And don't forget, the group gifting feature is a great way to add higher-priced items to your gift list. The feature allows guests to contribute an amount of their choice toward a product. This feature was so helpful when building my list. It meant I could add furniture I loved without expecting one guest to pay for it.

Upgrade Your Home

Say goodbye to your used baking trays or (not-so) non-stick pans because your gift list is the perfect opportunity to upgrade your home. We added cookware from Le Creuset and bed linen from Piglet in Bed. And as lovers of all things coffee, we even decided to treat ourselves to a barista coffee machine from Sage! These gifts are long-lasting and such a treat to have - we will forever be grateful to our guests.

Visit Our Showrooms

So I may be a little biassed, but my ultimate wedding gift list tip is to visit us! It's one of the experiences that makes a gift list with The Wedding Shop truly unique. With a glass of bubbles or a hot cuppa, we'll talk you through our service and give you tailored advice. Plus, viewing gifts in a home setting helps you envisage what your presents will look like in situ. And you can scan away like Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and The City! It's such a blast. 

Make Use of the Wedding Shop’s Tools

The Wedding Shop has many perks! So, make sure to ask your Gift Guru for more details. Our website is updated regularly with inspiring collections, from starter collections to trends. We've also designed helpful tools to make wedmin easier. The Thank You Manager feature automatically records which guests bought what to make thanking your guests for your lovely gifts a breeze. There's also a gift checklist to help you add wedding gifts from every category. You can explore these features on your desktop. 

Choose Gifts To See You Through the Seasons

If you're creating a gift list in winter, you'll probably feel more inspired by homewares that bring warmth, such as throws and fireplaces. But, it's important to add gifts designed for all the seasons! 

I found it helpful to look back at key events from each season. In spring, I like to give my home a spring refresh. Summer is the season of garden parties. Autumn is our favourite time of year for long walks. And in winter, we love hosting dinner parties with cheese and wine. Find gifts that will elevate these occasions. Here are some of my favourite picks:

My best advice is to get all the crucial elements booked asap. Don't stress too much about the little details. These will fall into place. And if they don't, it really won't matter. When it comes to your big day, you'll be too busy enjoying the moment to even think about it! 

Sneak Peak: Our Wedding Day

How We Made Our Day Unique

When planning your wedding, think about how to inject your personality into the day. We wanted our wedding day to be fun! And name a better way to start the party than with a Mariachi band? It was a great way to get our guests to the dancefloor, dad-dancing away! To top it off, we even had a guest star appearance from our beloved family dog, Margot.

Our Inspiration and Styling

I used Pinterest and Instagram for inspiration. We were going for a classic, timeless English wedding. Our wedding flowers were a styling focus, and we chose a palette of pink, peach and white. We also opted for a flower arch to pull the whole theme together. It also made a beautiful backdrop for our wedding photos.

Why Our Guests Loved Our Wedding Gift List

Our guests found our wedding gift list so easy. They loved knowing they were purchasing gifts we would love for many years. It also meant our guests didn't have to lug presents to our wedding venue - and we didn't have to keep track of them! It was a win-win for all.

Our Favourite Wedding Gift and Why

We love our Renaissance Dinnerware set from Wedgwood. We were going to save it for special occasions, but we decided to get the most out of it and use it daily. The set can even go in the dishwasher. Our Dualit Hand Mixer, perfect for making soups and curry pastes, has also been a triumph.

A few of our favourite brands include William Yeoward for timeless, classic gifts that stand the test of time. Pooky lighting because their lamps are just so fun. We also made our wedding album through Bob Books. The photographs are of excellent quality. So much so that we've printed several off since for family members!

Thank you for reading my top wedding gift list tips. Are you looking for more wedding list advice? Book a showroom appointment or meet us virtually. We'd love to chat and help you build your dream gift list.