Shower Gift Disaster

CL3542 · March 2010

I'm going to a bridal shower and when I checked out the registry, everything is expensive! I want to get a gift, but cannot figure out what I should do. I don't want to be lame and show up to the shower with one towel nicely wrapped, but at $40 a pop, that seems to be one of my only options.

What is a nice gift for a bridal shower (family oriented so nothing racy) that will seem thoughtful, even though it's not on their registry?

Please help spare me from bringing a $30 meat tenderizer to a bridal shower, any help will be appreciated!

shellydiane820 · March 2010

You could do a gift basket, maybe with a bunch of little things. Cookbook, measuring cups, measuring spoons, cookie cutters...stuff like that.

btrflykate1230 · March 2010

I would do a gift card or cash. There's nothing wrong with bringing cash or a gift card to a shower. When I had my baby shower, I loved cash and gift cards because I could buy the rest of the stuff off my registry with them.

Mrs.B6302007 · March 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_shower-gift-disaster?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:83d1f938-6298-4201-908f-5b20bfa79ed7Post:450394ec-6019-4bd1-a94b-c9448b2b3716">Re: Shower Gift Disaster</a>:
[QUOTE]You could do a gift basket, maybe with a bunch of little things. Cookbook, measuring cups, measuring spoons, cookie cutters...stuff like that.
Posted by shellydiane820[/QUOTE]

Thumbs up!

One of our favorite non-registry gifts we received was a fajita kit. We've used it many times and I doubt it was that expensive.

Mrs.B6302007 · March 2010

I think this might be the one (if not, it's really similar)
http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=422778&CategoryID=47293

shellydiane820 · March 2010

my aunt and cousin went together and made a really nice gift basket full of holiday decorations and different cookie cutters. I loved it. Its stuff you need, but don't really think about. When you're moving into a new house, you might not think of those little things.

WildRumpus · March 2010

What about a nice bottle of wine and a set of wine glasses?

mwhitson14 · March 2010

One gift that I really liked was a basket like shelly is suggesting, it had a lot of the small stuff we needed, like potholders, a spoon rest, a couple trivets, that sort of thing. It was nice to not have to go buy that stuff.

LesPaul · March 2010

A gift card to Bed Bath & Beyond, maybe? Or Macy's (whatever is in your area). I enjoyed our gift cards - two people got us JCPenney cards and we replaced our bedding with a much nicer set than I would have purchased with my own money. Do they like a certain specialty store or restaurant? Do they like wine or beer - I'm thinking basket of various varieties might be fun.

banana468 · March 2010

I think the "BEST" cookbook by America's Test Kitchen can be a great gift in itself. Stick a gift receipt in there in case the couple has it and you have a great gift.

MyNameIsNot · March 2010

You could also do a date night basket. Get a GC to a restaurant or a cookbook, add a bottle of wine, some kind of chocolate for dessert and a DVD.

petehole · March 2010

Can you "go in" with another guest or two and split the cost of a gift? Frankly, this couple should really have a wider price range of items on their list, but maybe they don't need a lot of smaller stuff.

If they put $40 towels on their list, they must really be into them, and they certainly should expect that people can't necessarily afford an entire set, so I don't see why you couldn't just get them one towel. It may feel weird, but then it's one more thing from their registry that they do get.

I like others' suggestions on gift baskets. One shower I went to I bought the couple a crock pot, and then I put together a scrapbook-type recipe book of my favorite crock pot recipes and a small gift card to a grocery store because I couldn't find a gift on their registry that was exactly what I wanted to spend (the crock pot was on the registry). Another shower I was at the couple received a gift basket of baking stuff -- it had some things like wooden spoons and measuring spoons, but then the person who gave it to them put in boxes of brownie mix, spices, etc. I thought that was actually kind of cute. I wouldn't do that for a wedding gift, but for a shower I thought it was okay. Someone else mentioned a date-night gift....I think a gift card to a restaurant would be a perfect shower gift.

Another shower idea is get something like a personalized Christmas ornament....it will be personal, something they can use, and inexpensive. You want to stay away from other personalized items that aren't on the registry or other decor type items that they may never use, but something like that might work.

MairePoppy · March 2010

If all the items on the registry are expensive, you will not be the only one that is shopping off registry. The bride should have been a little more considerate of her guests.
The gift basket ideas from pp's are great. You could also do an emergency or first aid kit.

DanielleD7782 · March 2010

How about a gift card to get a massage or something? I'm sure every bride would love a a pampering gift card!

brookelynpaisley · March 2010

I don't know if this is up the bride's alley, but my friend gave me the WIlton Cake Decorating course for a shower gift and it was awesome. She got me the book, course kit, and a gift card for the course and other supplies. I figured out she spent about $60.

brookelynpaisley · March 2010

I love Shelly's idea too though. I did that for a friend when she got married: cookie cutters, cooling racks, baking sheets, and I included a homemade cookie cook book of my mom's (I didn't bake yet then) favorite cookie recipes. You could make it a "registry" gift if she has measuring cups and spoons on her registry.

agoldhammer · March 2010

A cutting board. Everyone needs a good cutting board. An Acacia wood or Bamboo wood cutting board. You can NEVER have enough cutting boards. It's a good, thought-out gift that will actually come in handy. This is our go-to gift when the registry is out of control or all that is left is something too little, like a tea bag difuser. ( $42 tea-light holders..yes, we almost resorted to that for a wedding gift once, but then I cam up with the cutting board idea.)

banana468 · March 2010

[QUOTE]A cutting board. Everyone needs a good cutting board. An Acacia wood or Bamboo wood cutting board. You can NEVER have enough cutting boards. It's a good, thought-out gift that will actually come in handy.[/QUOTE]

Ohhhh yes you can. We have 30.

THIRTY!! I don't know why we have so freakin' many but of that quantity, I think DH and I purchased five between the two of us. Now we laugh.

harrypotterrocks13 · March 2010

Something that my family always does at bridal showers is to go in and get a bunch of cleaning supplies. Its something that alot of people don't think about until they are in their new house and realize they need something. Its something they are evenutally going to need!

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