Useful Wedding Gifts for a Young Couple

It may be less common now than 20 years ago, but what do you get for a young couple getting married and just starting out? Let's assume that they don't already have their own place, and that their plan is to get an apartment or house once they're married, and go from there. Here are five wedding gift ideas to think about.

The first thing every couple is going to need is appliances. I'm not saying that they need a fridge, but a blender, toaster, toaster oven, mixer, small things like that? Perfect wedding gifts! Find out what they already have, though, no sense in giving them a microwave if they've already got one just waiting for their kitchen counter.

Next, they'll need linens. Linens are a wedding gift that is time-honored! This is another thing you should research a bit. Make sure that they don't have anything standing by, and then get them something you think they'll like. A bathroom set, or a bedding set maybe. Make it appropriate to the time of year, or get them something for each season. Many young couples won't spend the money getting themselves nice towels or sheets, so this would be something they would probably use. Some nice flannels are especially good, in my opinion!

This category is general, but every young couple that's getting married that doesn't already have a place will need all the small things that no one really thinks about - a shower curtain, a dish drying rack, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, paper towels. You could make them a kit full of these things, and then they won't have to think about it! It's an unusual wedding gift, but there's nothing wrong with that.

Home improvement items might be appropriate for the young couple as well. Many people are buying homes that have been foreclosed, and most of those homes need work before they can be moved into. Find out what they're going to need, and help them out with it. Labor as a wedding gift might even be helpful!

I know this one's obvious, but at this point in time, money and gift cards are very appropriate for a young couple just getting married. There are bills to pay, a honeymoon to go on hopefully, and things to buy for the new home they'll be sharing. If you feel like cash is too impersonal, you could give them stocks, the beginning of a retirement fund, gift cards for any number of things, be creative. If you know where they're going on their honeymoon, buy them things they might need for that, like batteries for a digital camera or airline gift cards.

It's not every day a young couple gets married! Enjoy the wedding, and good luck finding a memorable gift for them.