What are you getting your parents?

ceglare4

I have very few ideas for what to get my parents as wedding gifts. Last night FI and I were brainstorming and came up with the idea to get them each a tree to plant in their yard. I know that FI's mom and dad would appreciate that, and my mom might too, but not my dad haha. So I need some ideas please!

k8888

Oh, my mom would love the tree idea... that's really unique.

We're getting both sets of parents wedding albums from our photographer.  My mom actually asked for one and we're going to surprise FI's parents with one.

Tickets to a play/show/dinner/etc?  Nice bottle of wine/liquor?  Something for the house?

AllyG303

I think I am getting my parents a weekend getaway somewhere that they can use for their 30th anniversary in September. 

ceglare4

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_july-2012-weddings_what-are-you-getting-your-parents?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20Club%20BoardsForum:066005ef-215f-48b1-8655-328b41e07c52Discussion:31478ebd-b9f2-4498-b385-d7126733e084Post:4600b60a-fd17-4de0-9b92-43f78129f06a">Re: What are you getting your parents?</a>:
[QUOTE]Oh, my mom would love the tree idea... that's really unique. We're getting both sets of parents wedding albums from our photographer.  My mom actually asked for one and we're going to surprise FI's parents with one.<strong> Tickets to a play/show/dinner/etc? </strong> Nice bottle of wine/liquor?  Something for the house?
Posted by k8888[/QUOTE]

We had this idea too, but I don't know how to plan something like this without outwardly asking them when they are available to go.

BmoreBride311

No clue! The album idea is nice, but then you would have to wait several months. Maybe we'll do something small like wine and a heartfelt card before the wedding and albums later or for Christmas?

I feel like we should do a bit more, but I have no clue.

ceglare4

I like the album idea too but I know that they can be hundreds of dollars, and we have 4 sets of parents to buy for. I was hoping to keep it at around $100 per couple... does that sound like not enough?

Madisonpenny

We're also surprising our parents with wedding photo albums from the wedding but we were also going to buy them each a clock they can put on their mantle and have it engraved with something like
"Thank you for your love and support
A & T
July 21, 2012"

Something like this http://www.thingsengraved.ca/oneproduct.php?p=110_012575

BmoreBride311

Well I don't plan to order albums from my photographer, b/c she does charge several hundred dollars PER album. It seems so crazy to me. I was thinking of going the mixbook or similar route. From what I've heard, those come out more like ~$60 each. I haven't researched it in detail, though.

butterflyjumper1

we are also doing wedding albums for our parents. it will definitely be a few months after the wedding, but i know they will both love it, and it wil be a true memento of the wedding for them to keep forever.

ceglare our photographers offer lots of alternatives to the traditional (and super expensive) coffee table books. ours does mini-books that are only $200 or so. they also do a fun little mini-calendar that is really cheap.

maybe if you have a photography package which includes digital rights to images, you could even DIY for a photobook from shutterfly, or a fun calendar from vistaprint, something like that...

to me, photos are the most meaningful way to express thanks and to give a keepsake from the day of the wedding. however, i think a night away, a gift card to a restaurant and tickets to a play, or something similar would be a fun side-gift that you could give them immediately that they could perhaps take advantage of when we are on our honeymoons

ceglare4

I'll have to see what my photog has in the way of albums or anything for around $100. I did make an album of our e-pics on Shutterfly and it turned out really well, so that is an option too!

mekiakoo

We probably will do an album too. It costs several hundred dollars for 2, but at the same time I don't know if "just an album" is enough??

ceglare4

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_july-2012-weddings_what-are-you-getting-your-parents?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20Club%20BoardsForum:066005ef-215f-48b1-8655-328b41e07c52Discussion:31478ebd-b9f2-4498-b385-d7126733e084Post:4eff64d8-0eeb-4443-9667-a9904ff3014c">Re: What are you getting your parents?</a>:
[QUOTE]We probably will do an album too. It costs several hundred dollars for 2, but at the same time I don't know if "just an album" is enough??
Posted by mekiakoo[/QUOTE]

Are you talking about doing an album through your photog? If so, those are more than enough IMO. My friend had her photog do one for their wedding 2 years ago and it is stunning.

butterflyjumper1

i agree, the coffee table books truly are stunning.  the ones my photog does are very thick, leather bound, glossy, and gorgeous.  you can write a special note in the front of the book to them which is sweet too.

bells24412

I haven't really thought about this yet. I guess I will probably give them a nice bottle of something.

bridetobe71412

In addition to the parents' albums, I'm having these hankies made for fiance's parents: http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/112801165636369483_4RuDamEH_c.jpg

And then for my mom, who is paying for the wedding almost entirely, I think we are going to pay for a mini vacation for her somewhere she'd like to go - like Florida, Nashville (huge country fan), or California vineyards. We also considered getting her a dog because she wants to adopt a new one. But I don't know if that's a good present!

ceglare4

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_july-2012-weddings_what-are-you-getting-your-parents?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20Club%20BoardsForum:066005ef-215f-48b1-8655-328b41e07c52Discussion:31478ebd-b9f2-4498-b385-d7126733e084Post:f2cc24f5-c2e2-42ff-aa95-1240a5e8d010">Re: What are you getting your parents?</a>:
[QUOTE]In addition to the parents' albums, I'm having these hankies made for fiance's parents: <a href="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/112801165636369483_4RuDamEH_c.jpg" rel="nofollow">http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/112801165636369483_4RuDamEH_c.jpg</a> And then for my mom, who is paying for the wedding almost entirely, I think we are going to pay for a mini vacation for her somewhere she'd like to go - like Florida, Nashville (huge country fan), or California vineyards. <strong>We also considered getting her a dog because she wants to adopt a new one.</strong> But I don't know if that's a good present!
Posted by bridetobe71412[/QUOTE]

We had this idea for FI's mom too, because she loves dogs and never has enough it seems haha.

dramaqueen91087

I'm definitly doing albums on shutterfly, but I think that will be for christmas. So for the wedding I'm thinking about doing gift cards to a restaurant/movies. Neither family gets to go out much so this will be a nice thing for them to do.

Madisonpenny

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_july-2012-weddings_what-are-you-getting-your-parents?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding Club BoardsForum:066005ef-215f-48b1-8655-328b41e07c52Discussion:31478ebd-b9f2-4498-b385-d7126733e084Post:f2cc24f5-c2e2-42ff-aa95-1240a5e8d010">Re: What are you getting your parents?</a>:
[QUOTE]<strong>In addition to the parents' albums, I'm having these hankies made for fiance's parents: <a href="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/112801165636369483_4RuDamEH_c.jpg" rel="nofollow">http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/112801165636369483_4RuDamEH_c.jpg</a></strong> And then for my mom, who is paying for the wedding almost entirely, I think we are going to pay for a mini vacation for her somewhere she'd like to go - like Florida, Nashville (huge country fan), or California vineyards. We also considered getting her a dog because she wants to adopt a new one. But I don't know if that's a good present!
Posted by bridetobe71412[/QUOTE]

I'm actually making these myself by hand but I don't really count these as part of our parents gifts, I guess we could though.

LADY324

we are giving both or our parents albums which are included in our photo package.  We are also going to try and send them away for the weekend to Cape May, NJ where we actually got engaged.  My parents love it there so we were going to pay for their hotel room for 2 nights and get them a GC to our favorite restaurant down there that they actually told us about.  We are going to send FI's parents there too but on a different weekend so they don't feel like they all have to hang out together!

Elinetrouwt

I'm thinking shutterfly albums for christmas too.

For the wedding itself, I don't know. I love the idea of a tree! Not sure about the inlaws, but my parents would like it. But they're planning on selling the house in the near future, so that might be silly.

bridetobe71412

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_july-2012-weddings_what-are-you-getting-your-parents?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding Club BoardsForum:066005ef-215f-48b1-8655-328b41e07c52Discussion:31478ebd-b9f2-4498-b385-d7126733e084Post:615eb5ea-7e59-4abf-96b3-f24dceec5e3c">Re: What are you getting your parents?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: What are you getting your parents? : I'm actually making these myself by hand but I don't really count these as part of our parents gifts, I guess we could though.
Posted by Madisonpenny[/QUOTE]

You are craftier than I am! They're cheap on etsy, so I figure they'll be a nice thing to add to their gift.

elizabethmae315

I had completely forgotten about this. darnit. Thank you for the reminder. 

We just decided on bridal party gifts recently. 

I like the album idea, but I dont know that my parents will look through my wedding pictures all that often. 

I will probably do shutterfly for christmas. I could get them traveling stuff, all of our parents enjoy that. mmhhmm. 

littlemoments324

aww! I love the tree idea!!!  But honestly, I'm not quite sure what to get them either...

ceglare4

I'm glad to see some support of the tree haha. I thought it might be a lame idea. I think we're definitely going to get a tree for his mom, maybe a cherry tree. My mom has said that she would like a magnolia tree in the past, so that might be a nice thing too.

MeaganR12

Awww I love the tree idea, that's so special! Unfortunately my future in-laws would be like "WTF is this?". The only one who would really appreciate it would be my mom and she lives in a condo. I think that's a really sweet idea though

I have no clue what we're doing yet.

k8888

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_july-2012-weddings_what-are-you-getting-your-parents?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20Club%20BoardsForum:066005ef-215f-48b1-8655-328b41e07c52Discussion:31478ebd-b9f2-4498-b385-d7126733e084Post:fd14b1dd-05bd-425b-8d9c-3c00f2126d0e">Re: What are you getting your parents?</a>:
[QUOTE]I'm glad to see some support of the tree haha. I thought it might be a lame idea. I think we're definitely going to get a tree for his mom, maybe a cherry tree. My mom has said that she would like a magnolia tree in the past, so that might be a nice thing too.
Posted by ceglare4[/QUOTE]

I think I may totally steal this idea for my mom, too... we planted a beautiful little weeping willow tree at the last house we lived in prior to my parents divorce and it was kind of like a memorial to my brother who passed away.  Since the divorce and the move, I think maybe getting her another tree would blow her away.  Seriously, thank you for the idea!

michelle11988

I think we are going to get them albums.  We can get some reasonably priced good albums from our photographer but we don't have to decide until after if we want them or not. He gave us a quote at one point but I forget what it was.

shelby8020

Such a tough one! What can you give them that will ever repay them for all they have done?! I was thinking a really fancy dinner in the city, a weekend away, etc. I want to get them something great but I don't want to go extreme because they wouldn't want me to do that.

singing_lyn

We're getting my parents a photo album because my mom kept saying she wants pictures because she didn't get any from my brother's wedding. Both of FI's parent's have passed so just have my parents.

hippygrl673

I've been struggling with this too. I know my FI's mom would love an album and mine probably would too since I'm the only one of my siblings to have an actual wedding (I'm one of 5). That said, I want to give them each something special to them on the actual day of the wedding. I did see a really pretty hankie with a beautiful sentiment embroidered on it for his mom but I'm not sure what to do for my parents on the actual day. This is a great question and I'll keep an eye out and also watch for responses for what some others have done or will do.

meagkcal62

I'm not sure about what to get my mom and my FI's parents yet but I'm pretty sure I'm getting my dad this two sided frame which will be engraved with "your daughter always..." on the top and under each picture have the date - the first is a picture of us on my first day of school in 1st grade and the other will be from the wedding day.  I found it on exclusivelyweddings.com 

Also - LOVE the tree idea!!  My family planted a tree at my parents house when my great-grandmother died a few years ago as a memorial.  We take pictures next to it every Easter - it's become a nice tradition!