Getting married at my aunt's house, need gift ideas!

osborn.annam

I am getting married at my aunt's house in May.  She lives on a river and we are having the ceremony at the dock and the reception in her back yard.  She is doing a lot for my fiance and I (getting the yard ready, making food, etc) and I want to get her something really nice.  Does anyone have any ideas?  All I have come up with so far is a case of her favorite wine.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciation!

[Deleted User]

osborn.annam said:

I am getting married at my aunt's house in May.  She lives on a river and we are having the ceremony at the dock and the reception in her back yard.  She is doing a lot for my fiance and I (getting the yard ready, making food, etc) and I want to get her something really nice.  Does anyone have any ideas?  All I have come up with so far is a case of her favorite wine.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciation!

Can you buy her a couple sessions of a cleaning/landscaping service she can use either before or AFTER your wedding too?  I'm just thinking that cleaning up beforehand might be pretty easy, it's the "after" cleanup that would bug me.  "I Just cleaned!!!"

southernbelle0915

I like @adk19's idea. I would gift her with a gift certificate for a house cleaning service and a yard service. Also, before the wedding, you should stock her up with toilet paper, hand towels, trash bags, etc. Basically anything people will use at her home. 

In addition to that, I'd get her a gift card to a nice restaurant so she can have a night out.

flbride2015

Is it possible to hire people to get the yard ready fo her and possibly hire a caterer? I'm sure making it so she doesn't have to work on your wedding and can enjoy just being a guest would be a much nicer gift for allowing you to use her house for your wedding than a gift card.

Also, are there enough bathrooms in the house for the number of people you're inviting?

SP29

Cleaning service is a nice idea! She could use it for after the wedding, or anytime.

Restaurant gift card. Spa gift card. Weekend away at a hotel or bed and breakfast. 

osborn.annam

Thanks for all the great ideas!  They (being my aunt and uncle) usually have landscaping and cleaning service for the house weekly anyway.  I might have to sneakily get her to tell me who she uses so that I can pay them in advance because I know she will just refuse to take money from me. But who says no to extra toilet paper?!

[Deleted User]

osborn.annam said:

Thanks for all the great ideas!  They (being my aunt and uncle) usually have landscaping and cleaning service for the house weekly anyway.  I might have to sneakily get her to tell me who she uses so that I can pay them in advance because I know she will just refuse to take money from me. But who says no to extra toilet paper?!

If she'll refuse to take your money, I seriously like the idea of a bathroom giftbag; a package of toilet paper, two bottles of handsoap, a pack of 5 or so cheap white hand towels, maybe a couple boxes of kleenex and some hand lotion.  Also throw in a bottle or two of wine and a gift card to a nice restaurant with a card, "the wedding could not have happened without you."

amelisha

If they've already got cleaning services I'd definitely go for a gift certificate for a night or two at a nearby hotel as a little getaway (bonus if you can maybe get one of those little "romance b&b" packages most hotels have where they include champagne and strawberries and breakfast and sometimes even a spa service); or, if your budget doesn't stretch that far, a gift card for a nearby restaurant (enough for an appetizer, a couple entrees, a dessert, a bottle of wine or a couple cocktails, and tip - so again, choose the restaurant depending on your budget and make sure that the gift card will cover all that wherever you pick.)

It sounds like they're reasonably well-off and so you don't have to go crazy, but something generous shows them how much you appreciate what they're doing, which is a pretty big inconvenience.

Another option might be a subscription box to something they like - wine-of-the-month, one of those gourmet food boxes, whatever - for even three or six months. People seem to really like those and it's kind of awesome to keep getting them for a while and be continually reminded of the gift-giver every time you get one.