Since it's happened to me twice in the last few weeks, I'm sure it's happened to you, too. I have been the lucky recipient of a wedding invitation and a birth announcement for someone I barely know. Not that I don't want to help them celebrate, but it's hard to get a gift for long lost friends or more distant family members when you haven't spent time with them in ages! As I've been struggling with this of late, let me share my process... (Some of these ideas were also shared with me by the wives of two local pastors who receive many wedding invitations from people they may have never even met, as they search for personal-- and economical-- gifts.)
Take a cue from the invitation or announcement. It can give you a great sense of whether the couple is more formal and traditional or more laid back. It also give you a great idea of favorite colors. And look at the font-- sometimes I can even copy the font exactly. But if not, a person's font choice tells a lot about the styles they prefer. I designed this pacifier clip after receiving a baby announcement that used a less formal font, with a chocolate brown and blue color scheme.
Check out the registry. Even if you don't get something off the registry, it provides a wealth of information. Again, you can tell if the decoration style is more formal, casual, or whimsical, and we can design a gift accordingly. It's also a great help in color selection. One cousin had registered for a very expensive champagne colored duvet, which was quite a bit out of my price range. So, I found these tone on tone cotton satteen pillowcases and monogrammed them in champagne so that they'll look lovely on her bed if anyone does buy her that duvet! (I chose this monogram style becuase I know that the traditional, formal monogram just won't be her style.)
Check out the registry. Even if you don't get something off the registry, it provides a wealth of information. Again, you can tell if the decoration style is more formal, casual, or whimsical, and we can design a gift accordingly. It's also a great help in color selection. One cousin had registered for a very expensive champagne colored duvet, which was quite a bit out of my price range. So, I found these tone on tone cotton satteen pillowcases and monogrammed them in champagne so that they'll look lovely on her bed if anyone does buy her that duvet! (I chose this monogram style becuase I know that the traditional, formal monogram just won't be her style.)
Take a cue from her personality. (Or his!) Faithful readers may remember the white hand towel set that I monogrammed in red as a tribute to the fact that the bride wore red pumps on her wedding day. Even if they don't exactly match her powder room, I imagine after reading the card explaining the color choice, these towels are a favorite!
Geography matters. Let's face it, raised in the midwest, I didn't see much smocking or monogramming growing up. So if I'm sending a baby gift back home, I try to keep that in mind, and I usually send things that are a little more fun or practical, and leave the traditional behind. But when I'm sending a gift down south, I go for things that are much more traditional-- formal scripty monograms for girls and the very formal diamond monogram for boys. Oh, and there's always a "big sister" hairbow thrown in, too!
When in doubt, go simple. I don't think that you can really fail in a wedding gift using white on white. A simple last name initial in white on sheets, pillowcases, or a tea towel is always a great gift. And a pink or blue gingham pacifier clip will go with nearly anything that a new little baby girl or boy puts on!
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