Wedding gifts , what to spend

We got 4 sets of cutlery one which we still have to use after 40+ years and a few sets of nylon sheets . I tend to spend about £30to £50 more for immediate family

We had no list, but I remember my mother’s friend ( who was attending the wedding) asking if I’d prefer an iron and ironing board, set of pans, or canteen of cutlery. The pans lasted a long time!
We got about 4 stainless steel tea sets ( teapot, water jug, sugar & cream, and tray), and numerous Chance Glass dishes.

We had some lovely gifts, most of which have been replaced years ago except for the pressure cooker my sister in law bought and I'm still using it 40 years later.

Six earthenware soup sets (!)...a Russel Hobbs stainless steel coffee percolator from my brother (subsequently sold by ex husband for money to gamble with !).Lots of stainless steel bowls etc ....set of blue sheets, asked by rich auntie to choose a dinner service, which we did, only to receive on from Woolies (was ok, it lasted a long time !). Second marriage didn't want any pressies ..but friend made the cake and others bought champagne for the reception (in our house !). Oddest thing I GAVE as a gift ...was asked the afternoon before a work colleague's wedding if we would like to go (posh hotel in Epping forest,) as all the reception was paid for ane one couple had a last minute crisis and couldn't go .....no list, too late, etc ...so I bought a nice bucket, a mop, several electric plugs and fuses (in those days !) a set of dish cloths, sponges wash ing up liquid, etc......) everyone thought it was hilarious, displayed amongst the cut glass, china and crystal !! Personally back when first married (1971) never heard of anyone asking for a washing machine, fridge, etc !

We married in 1973 and received 6 canteens of cutlery, an ironing board, 2 identical alarm clocks, egg cups, £47 in cash, sheets and blankets, various sets of stainless steel teapots, coffee pot, sugar bowl, butter dish and tray. Stainless steel was very fashionable at the time.

Yes it was all Pyrex and pottery in my day too.
We have a great niece on h side of the family who was married in July we were asked in the evening but it was to far to go, I sent her an Argos voucher for £40. They were living together any way so don’t think they wanted much.
Harder to buy when they have been living together for a few years, so a voucher is fine I think.

Still have stainless steel meat dish and carvers, linen tablecloths, blankets and a set of bathroom scales that DH won't part with because they weigh light.
I wrote all the thank you letters, DH's sole contribution being a sheet of writing paper with 'Dear Aunty Hilda, Thank you for the lovely......' on it and then he ran out of steam.

Grannybear I had one of those percolators from a posh aunt! Probably my favourite present as the rest were on the Pyrex and cheeseboard theme, previously remembered. No Waterford glass sadly.
We had a handwritten list which was ignored by DH’s side. He was so embarrassed when he returned from a pre wedding visit with a Morris Minor full of gilt magazine racks, plastic pouffes and novelty cheese boards. ?

To answer the original question, I forgot to add I tend to spend £30
-50 depending on how well i know the couple. More obviously for my own children.

Did anyone else receive a Russel Hobbs stainless steel coffee percolator?! Also I remember lots of stainless steel dishes and Waterford glasses. Married 1968 in Ireland

Unlike most couples today we had nothing and were grateful for all practical household gifts. The sheets and towels have long gone as has tge china and most of the Pyrex)but I still have a load of stainless steel dishes (all the rage in the 1960s) and cutery and some of the now very dsted and mostly unused glasses (smoky, dimpled, tall & thin with low handle for jug -most impractical!) Luke another poster we had a single handwritten list which was sent on request to guests who crossed off what they were going to buy.
I remember all the presents,complete with gift cards, being on display on my mothers dining table gor everyone to view!
How different it is today! Presents ordered online from a store list and delivered to their home so you never actually see what youve bought. Or worse, requests for money towards the honeymoon as they live together and have everything they need already.

My lovely FIL bought us a twin tub washing machine,it was 1959 and was about £100. So generous. My mother said she would buy us a present when we got a house. Got the house but didn't get a present!

I can remember getting Pyrex dishes as well. And blankets - there was definitely a green cellular type one. There were nylon sheets (ugh!') Quite popular at that time though. I can also remember getting £15 from my in laws, plus a load of unwanted furniture, most of which I ditched in favour of the salerooms, where I could at least choose! I can imagine the couple's faces now if given those sort of things. A lot of couples now have been together for some time when they marry and want money to fund their honeymoons. Its quite usual to get a little printed card with your invitation, telling you the best gift is your presence at the ceremony, but if you'd like to give, cash is most acceptable.

Generous gifts from my side of the family but not a penny from the other side. Can't recall any from friends either. This was the late fifties. How times change.

It was 14 cheese boards we got in 1970 and my husband hated cheese. We didn’t have a wedding list for my daughters wedding, just asked if people would donate to Cancer Research since she had cervical cancer the year before and we were so grateful to have her alive. Going to a wedding these days I spend £80–£100. More if we know the people well. We try to make the present very personal to the recipients. Recently one of our friends who has had his own palatial home for years and was marrying a wealthy lady asked my husband to be his best man.
We gave them a very good quality digital photo frame and embroidered towels that said potting shed on one and greenhouse on the other because they are both very keen gardeners. Others attending the wedding gave them vouchers for special restaurants or special experiences.

I'm still using some of the mugs bought by people we got friendly with on holiday the year before our wedding. Now, sadly, I've lost contact with them and can't even remember their surname to look them up but still wonder what they are up to when I have a cup of tea. I don't remember having loads of the same presents (1976) and nothing was expensive but I do remember being grateful as we were starting out with nothing. You can never have enough tea towels and pyrex is such good quality, it lass forever.

First time round in the 70s we mostly had china, glasses & linen but surprisingly for the time, no Pyrex. Best present then was a casserole from my then sis-in-law accompanied by very practical recipes for her own trusted favourites. Second time was very quiet so no big presents.

Married in 1970, yes we did have a list as did all pur friends at the time. It was not lodged at a shop but friends and family would ask to see it and cross off what they wanted to buy us. People also just gave us what they wanted, as we were starting with nothing everything was welcome, even the set of glasses that came free on a local offer! I still have the list of gifts I kept to write thank you letters.

Presents were not expected to cost a lot, wages were not high then. Today the usual request is money via a wedding site. It is an easy get out, so I happily pay up a lot more than our wedding gifts costs!

Pyrex, trays & table mats! Still have most of them nearly 37 years later!

I supppose we ought to remember that a fiver ‘back in the day (we too married in 1974) represented about a third of an average secretary’s weekly wage! It helps put gift buying in context! A third of a weekly wage now..... ??

When we announced our wedding the MIL-to-be went around her side of the family and made it be known that we wanted things like fridges and other expensive, big ticket items. We had not asked for these at all. The IL's were very generous themselves and bought us a twin tub washing machine themselves but the others bought nothing like they were requested by my DH's mother. I remember a set of six coffee cups with yellow roses on them. We still have them but they have never been used. My father's present was a set of steak knives and my mother bought us a pressure cooker but explained that she wasn't going to buy me a birthday present (the week before the wedding) as well.

We went to a wedding this summer where the bride and groom had had the actual ceremony the year before and a big, 'posh' reception with a blessing in London this year. They requested donations to charity instead of presents but we buy pressies so gave them £100 in vouchers and the children (who both have good jobs) gave £50 each of the same shop's vouchers so that the happy couple could have a nice time choosing something good.

My own child is getting married next year and they are going to ask for contributions towards a honeymoon which, apparently, is par for the course these days. They might end up spending the present money on paying the wedding bills as it's so expensive.

I think this is an interesting set of wedding gifts which reflects changing social mores and attitudes, not to mention the increasing prosperity of our present times.

I seem to remember an abundance of Ravenhead glass wear, it was pretty indestructible and M and S plastic kitchenware, bowls, sink tidy etc., amd Tupperware of course. Still have (and use) the M and S melamine tray though. How times change. Wouldn't have dreamt of asking for half the high price/luxury items that appear on lists now.

When I married 50 years ago I specifically asked for no gifts. One reason is I had a fully furnished flat and we were going to be living abroad immediately. Some people simply couldn't cope with this and donated accordingly. Two gifts I found 'strange' were a breakfast set and three novelty chopping boards. Do you know, the breakfast set was used to death and the chopping boards still cheer my kitchen and are used daily. I do also still have solemio blankets, a clothes airer and scales on which I weigh myself daily. Use of these ancient gifts always inspires happy smiley thoughts of the donor. I'm sure I have other items but these are the ones that spring to mind.

I had a small wedding and remember one particular present - for the wrong reasons!
Received from a friend of my sister, a box of linen serviettes which remained unopened for many years. Eventually I thought I may as well use them ..., opened the box and out fell the original gift card on the occasion of my guests marriage, hidden away in the folds of a serviette! Let's call it recycling. Clearly she didn't like them either ....

We got married in 1976 and didn’t have a wedding list,don’t think they existed then,and we ended up with 6 toast racks,9 sets of egg cups,some gorgeous Christy towels(I worked on a soft furnishing dept in a department store) 3 Pyrex dishes(one with a stand) and a set of saucepans. Never used the egg cups or toast racks,they are probably still up in the loft.