Unique and Unexpected Wedding Gifts for the Couple Who Already Has it All

Once upon a time, young people moved straight out of their parents' houses into their marriage house with little more than the clothes on their backs. This is no longer as true as it once was. Today, many people live on their own and establish themselves as individuals before getting married, sometimes in their mid to late 30's. The days of pots and pans, plates, glasses, and silver for wedding gifts are going by the wayside. Recently, a couple of my friends got married and there were less than twenty items between their two gift registries. This all leaves wedding guests with the question of a unique and thoughtful gift that the couple isn't going to be inundated with by the other guests attending the same wedding.

Homemade gifts are terrific because they are sure to be one of a kind. Also it is a great way to personalize your gift to show the couple that you truly are thrilled for them. Take a look at their gift registries, if they are registered, and find a pattern. For example, if all of their requested kitchen wares are red, paint a still-life of a bowl of apples or strawberries for them to hang in the kitchen. Or hit a craft store to find raw wood cut-outs of red fruits, paint them, spray them with a glossy acrylic and glue magnets to the back. You can even stencil words like Groceries, Memos, To-Do on them to make them even more interesting.

If you have a talent for yarn craft - knitting, crocheting and the like - a cozy throw blanket large enough for the newlyweds to snuggle beneath is a great idea. No-sew fleece blankets are another, and very simple, alternative if knitting is not your forté. These warm and super soft blankets have become so popular in recent years that there are patterns and instructions available almost anywhere you can buy the fleece to make the blankets. And if the couple will be living in a warmer climate year-round, a heavy cotton can be substituted for one layer of the two layers of fleece.

Books are another great gift that most people would never think of. Specifically guided journals to help the new couple write their story for children and grand-children to read. Some titles to look for are To Our Children's Children Journal of Family Memories by Bob Greene, All About Us by Phillip Keel, and Book of Us: A Journal of Your Love Story in 150 Questions by David Marshall and Kate Marshall. These books contain questions regarding everything from the couple's first meeting to how they came to settle on a wedding date to how they chose the name(s) for their child(ren). Hit the bookstores, pick up each of these and thumb through them. See which one best fits your intended recipients.

There are also several "self-help" style books on marriage but be careful with these. They are not a recommended wedding gift for the young lady who works in the cubicle next to yours who invited you to her wedding because you have being inhaling one another's hairspray fumes for the past six months. One of these types of books may, however, be a welcomed and appreciated gift from sister to sister, brother to brother, or between friends who have been together since toddler-hood. This is one of those cases where it is best to know a little about who you are giving your gifts to before shopping.

Harkening back to the idea of homemade gifts, what about creating a cookbook for the newly married couple? Gather your favorite recipes then go on a crusade to get favorite recipes from your mom, the couples' mothers if you are well acquainted with them, friends, neighbors. From there, there are several options for compilation. A card file box is great if you are only able to collect a small number of recipes (20 or fewer). Print the various recipes onto index cards or card stock, either by hand or from a computer. Laminating them will keep them clean and neat (and legible) for years to come. For a larger collection, get a photo album with static filler sheets. Printing on card stock is still great for added durability.

These are just a few ideas for unique and unexpected wedding gifts for the couple who has everything the already need. If you tune into to your intended recipients, there are hundreds of other ideas to be found.