Over the years, people plans and priorities change when they get married and so have their wedding gift lists. We take a look at how a gift list has changed from when your grandparents got married, all the way up to present day.
Have you ever heard of a ‘bottom drawer’. Basically, it was a tradition where the unmarried girls in a family had a spare drawer in the parents’ home where they could start stockpiling items they would need when they were married.
So they might put away things they were given like table linen, glassware, crockery. Then take it all out when they got married and had their own home to use the items in. A sweet idea, don’t you think?
These days, most couples live together before they get married and so traditions like the bottom drawer have really been forgotten about.
You’ll probably have your own house and flat together before you tie the knot so you’ll already have a kettle, mugs and lots of cutlery – the more traditional wedding items.
A 1960’s gift list
When your grandparents got married and living together before marriage was almost unheard of, what would have been their must-have items on a wedding list? We asked grandparents, great aunts and uncles and this is what they were getting excited about receiving back in the day!
- A hostess trolley
- Electric kettle
- Towels
- Sheets and blankets
- A set of saucepans
- Formal dinner service
- Everyday china
Modern gift list items
These days, although couples may have everyday home essentials, they will probably use their gift list to upgrade to items that are better quality or ‘designer’.
According to JustTheThing these are the 10 most popular gift list items being asked for at the moment. And not a toaster in sight!
- Honeymoon accommodation
- Romantic dinner for two
- Loft extension contribution
- Honeymoon flight upgrades
- Kitchen make over
- Home deposit fund
- Garden goodies
- Department store gift vouchers
- Wedgewood dinner service
- Couple’s cookery lessons
As you can see the modern day gift list is quite different to a gift list from 50 years ago. Whereas partners in the 1960s asked for items that helped them begin their lives together, a modern gift list focuses on the continuation of the couple’s life, so keep that in mind when putting together your list. Would you rather than products or an actual experience? Come and chat with us in the Wedding Ideas forum and let us know what kinds of gifts are making the cut!
