e-weddinglist.co.uk :: wedding list advice blog

At e-weddinglist we are always looking for new ideas for your wedding gift, and how you can make the most out of the flexibility that the e-weddinglist offers. This week, we have been thinking about how you could write an eco-friendly gift list online, using our website!  This can cover a huge range of wedding gift ideas, whether you choose to donate to a particular charity that you are passionate about, a particular store or range of products.

Eco friendly gifts do not have to be hand calved figures or furniture from obscure parts of the world.  The umbrella extends far beyond that now…

Wedding gifts that use an alternative energy source
We are all being encouraged to save energy and  reduce our carbon footprint.  A consideration would be to include on your wedding gift list solar powered,  wind up or wedding gift designed to minimise environmental impact.  www.ethicalsuperstore.com shows some good products and is one example of the many online stores that you could list products from.  There are a wide range of solar powered products, as well as low energy products, specifically designed with low standby power consumption.  Not only does this reduce your carbon footprint, it would also help reduce your household energy bills.  

Wedding gifts to help reducing household costs
With a new household and a wedding to pay for, (let alone the honeymoon!), green thinking in your new home, could make life easier and cheaper!  You could suggest simple items such as tumble dryer balls – these are reported to reduce the energy usage by up to 20%.   There are many energy saving small items on the market, how about asking for ‘an energy saving package’ on your wedding gift list – low energy light bulbs, dryer balls, etc., your guests could use their imagination when putting a purpose made package for you!

Charity donations on your wedding gift list
Whether you want to help promote garden waste recycling, or encourage and help educate in growing  ‘organic’ vegetables,  or to help ensure that vital plant seeds are protected from extinction, www.gardenorganic.org.uk  is a eco-friendly charity you could request donations to as part of your wedding gift list.    Alternatively, there are eco sites that protect various wildlife or natural resources,  www.mcsuk.org  or www.savetherhino.org  are two further examples of charities you could request donations to on your wedding gift list. 

Start 2009 with ‘green tinted spectacles’ and take advantage of the flexibility the e-weddinglist provides by listing environmentally friendly items on your wedding gift list. 

Don’t forget, the e-weddinglist is completlly independent of all of the stores listed in this email today, they are just ideas to help you compile your list. We provide the means to compile your wedding list, you write it and your guests do their own shopping.

Libby

There are many wedding gift lists on offer, and many wedding forums have questions from bride and grooms to be asking which is the best to use.  As you are aware many of the lists offered by department stores are free (so the items listed are purchased from them) .  This is a good idea if you tend to shop at one store, but limits the customer buying power and ability to shop around for the best deal.

It may be that you decide that you would like your kitchenware from a John Lewis gift list,  gift vouchers for B&Q and a long list of general gift items that can be purchased from any high street retailer.. all of these can be included on one gift list with the e-weddinglist. 

This is where www.e-weddinglist.co.uk  list comes into its own.  You can have one wedding gift list, to circulate to your wedding guests, but can have a link to multiple store wedding lists, such as your department store wedding list!   You can take advantage of any incentive the department store is offering to use  their list, but  have the flexibility to feature other stores or items that can be purchased anywhere too! The best of both worlds!

Using the gift list example above, I would suggest you list kitchenware as an item on your e-wedding list, with a note informing your guests  that there is a department store gift list in your name, then provide a link to guide your guests to your store wedding list link.   They can then view the list and make their purchase.  It need not stop there – e-wedding is so versatile you could use any number of department store wedding lists and bring them together on one wedding gift list. 

The secret is don’t fence yourself in.  By keeping your list flexible, it benefits your guests by giving them greater buying power (they may live close to a factory shop) and benefits you as the recipient!

Happy listing!
Libby x

Have you and your partner (h2b or w2b) lived together for a number of years?  Have you furnished your house with lovely items that you don’t want to or need to replace?  Are you getting lots of requests for gift ideas from your guests?  Have a look out of the window…..

Is your garden a haven that you escape to at any given opportunity or is it a place that makes your heart sink every time you look out of the window? 

I used to look out of the bedroom window at my neighbours gardens, beautifully kept,  a pleasure to just sit and look at, then I would look at ours, willing the snow to come to make our garden the same as everyone else’s.  It was then that we decided that a little time, effort and cash would stop me staring into other people’s property, as no matter how hard I wished, we would not get snow in July.

Why not have garden items on your wedding gift list!  There are so many different ideas that guests can contribute towards or buy for you and what a wonderful way to remember your wedding day and your guests!

Firstly, it would be helpful to give your guests an idea of what you have in mind with the garden on your wedding gift list.  Perhaps you want a patio area.  Consider which areas of your garden are shaded and where the morning sun/afternoon sun catches.  This is useful for guests when they are choosing plants and where to place them in the garden.

Landscaping – if you are not hands on or simply do not have the time, there are many garden landscaping companies around.  Your garden wedding gift list could feature your plan or intention and guests could donate towards the cost.  To be safe, you would probably be best asking for cash donations on your wedding gift list for you to use once you have appointed a landscaper.

Trees and plants – your wedding gift list could be a vague or defined as you wish – is there a particular plant or tree that you like, or let your guests choose.  It is a lovely way to remember each guest, when each year the plant flowers again.

Garden Ornaments/furniture – once your garden is complete you will want  to sit and enjoy it, guests could contribute to  a patio table and chairs for al fresco dining or how about a statue or a water feature, or an outdoor heater so you can still enjoy the garden  on cooler evenings.

Garden gift vouchers are an excellent flexible wedding gift list solution for couples who have already furnished their homes.  Most garden centres offer national garden vouchers as well as their own, so you are not tied to a particular store. Click on the link to find out more. http://www.thevouchergarden.co.uk. 

What’s more using e-wedding you can combine gardening gifts with traditional gift ideas, getting the best of both worlds.

Libby x

Here at e-weddinglist.co.uk,  we are always looking out for ideas to pass on to soon to be married couples for their wedding gift lists.  Our aim is to make this task as pain free as possible, doing the thinking for you, so all you have to do is decide which ideas to feature in your wedding gift list!

Again we are considering couples who may already have set up home, and so not needing household items, but have guests asking them for wedding gift ideas.  Memberships or subscriptions are another solution wedding gift list ideas.

Wine lovers could ask for a membership to a wine club as part of their wedding gift list (an excellent accompaniment to the wine glasses you may have asked for).   Wine clubs offer a wide variety of packages, from two bottle packages up to a case.  Some plans send a case on a quarterly basis, so you receive wine throughout the year.  Just think you could then invite your friends or family round for a meal and enjoy the wine together!  http://www.sundaytimeswineclub.co.uk  is an example of one of many clubs available.

Do you prefer to drink beer – how about a membership to CAMRA , http://www.camra.org.uk.  This works the same as a wine club, where you can purchase bottles to be delivered to your door, ideal if you prefer hops to grapes!!  Don’t forget to include beer glasses on your wedding gift list too!

Alternatively do you have a particular hobby or interest?  You could consider a membership to the National Trust or English Heritage perhaps.

For couples who may be planning a new garden, how about a membership to Royal Horticultural Society http://www.rhs.org.uk/membership.  This offers a monthly magazine and entry to RHS gardens.  This would be a good way to get idea s for your garden that you are planning.

Magazine Subscriptions.  Do you have a major project to tackle after the wedding – is there a particular magazine that has ideas and tips that are helpful to you?  Why not ask for a subscription on your wedding gift list.

With all the ideas above, make sure that you detail which subscription or membership you would like and why, when listing them.  Include a link for your guests to click straight onto and of course a guide to how much it will cost.

I hope you find these ideas helpful.  Again if you choose to us e-weddinglist.co.uk as your wedding gift list, you have the flexibility to list memberships and subscriptions alongside household items or requests for donations to a major project.  Make the http://www.e-weddinglist.co.uk work for you!

Libby

Do you regularly donate to charity?  How about considering asking for charity donations as part of your wedding gift list?  

Oxfam is one charity who offers a diverse list of donation ideas, some of which come with a dvd so you can see what your donation has brought and the good it will do. http://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/Hub.aspx?catalog=Unwrapped .

Most charities offer on-line donations and some then provide a receipt detailing what your donation will be used for, the link shows an example.  http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/supportus/

Charity wedding gift donations are becoming a more popular idea for wedding gift lists.  Most guests are quite happy to fulfil your wish if they understand why you are asking for donations in the first place.
When putting your wedding gift list together:

• start by detailing why you are asking for donations to be made to that particular charity.

• Consider how much you would like to donate in total and split it up into denominations (ie 5 lots of £10).

• Include a link to the website, make it easy for your guests!

By using a wedding gift list like http://www.e-weddinglist.co.uk, charity donation requests can be included alongside regular gift ideas.  This is where you could include on your introduction page why you have chosen to ask for charity donations.  Pass on the giving.

Good luck and happy listing!

Libby

Putting a wedding gift list together is a daunting task at times, especially if you need everything for your new home together.  The secret is to have an organised method.  This hopefully will ensure that you don’t forget anything!

List room by room. In your mind, start by the front door and work your way up through the house.  Under each room, list the items you require, this should help you remember all the gift ideas for you list.,  for example:-

Hall way – umbrella stand (then list the store, item reference and price if there is a particular one you would like).

Hall way – consol table – Laura Ashley – Garratt console table £464. http://www.lauraashley.com/Furniture/Occasional-Tables/icat/fuoccasstables

Makes it easier to the eye. Use each room type as a heading. Guests can scan down the list when deciding what to buy you.

If you have a particular colour scheme in mind for each room, you could list this under each room heading.   This is particularly useful if you are giving general gift ideas, unless you are happy to have a rainbow of colour in your towel cupboard!

Give clear and informative descriptions – if you are asking for glasses, give a description of  your preferred style or manufacturer, i.e. cut glass, plain….

How many – don’t forget to add how many of each item you would like.

Links  - if using an online wedding gift list, like ours, make use of links to websites, just like this one http://www.e-weddinglist.co.uk.

Estimate prices – if you are giving ideas and not listing particular items, try and give an estimated price.  Useful for guests on a budget.

Sell it to your guests – when describing each gift, particularly if its not the norm or asking for donations towards a more expensive item.  Engage your guests and make them feel they are making a real contribution to your new home.   It may be a piece of artwork that you want donations towards, if it has special meaning to you, tell your guests!

Now you have some pointers how to organise your wedding gift list, you can start adding all those lovely items that you have been window shopping for!!

Happy Listing!

Libby

Vouchers can be a useful tool in a wedding gift list.  Our aim is to help you get the best from your wedding gift list.  It’s an age old joke about the 5 toasters, 7 frying pans…….  Nowadays as many couples have lived together before tying the knot, contributions to more expensive items or large projects are so much more useful.

DIY vouchers – ask for wedding gift contributions towards a DIY project – a new bathroom or kitchen.  Just make sure that you include on your wedding gift list which store you intend to use.

Honeymoon vouchers – your wedding gift list could include contributions towards your dream honeymoon – most leading travel companies offer a gift voucher system.  You could use your wedding gift list to give guests the option to contribute towards the trip, or to pay for a particular excursion (champagne balloon flight over the Masai Mara, for example) .  Have a look at the link below as an example how it works.   www.thomson.co.uk/editorial/extras/holiday-vouchers.html?essential=vouchers.

Shopping vouchers – if you are undecided about what you want as a wedding gift, a good flexible idea is to ask for shopping vouchers.  Most leading shopping centres offer them, and they can be used in any store displaying the ‘mastercard’ sign.   You are then not tied to one store, again increasing your buying power – giving you the ability to shop around for the best deal on the high street. http://uk.westfield.com/ukcentres/  is an example of how the voucher system or store card works and how to obtain them.

Garden vouchers - most garden centres sell national garden vouchers as well as their own.  These again are a flexible gift and you are not tied to a particular garden centre. An excellent idea if you are considering a large project or just want to stock up your garden.  Click on the link for details http://www.thevouchergarden.co.uk.

Again you can have a mix of gift ideas and vouchers on your list, making it flexible for your guests and for you too.

Remember when including a request for vouchers, don’t forget to tell your guests what or why you want them for (it’s not that you don’t trust your guests taste in gifts!)

Happy Listing!

Libby

The venue, photographer and transport are booked with the date you wanted, only problem is, it’s a year away!! With very little to organise so early on - it’s too early for dress fittings, flowers or sending invitations, it’s a perfect time to consider your wedding gift list.

However you decide to produce your wedding gift list, it is a time consuming task, but as with all things, you reap what you sew. By starting to put your wedding gift list together early, whether it’s a simple hand-written list on the fridge or an on-line wedding gift list, you can add things as you think of them. You can always delete things, should you change your mind. By compiling it online and updating the list as you go along, the list should be complete by the time you are ready to send out the invitations.

There is not a stated time scale to how soon you should do your wedding gift list. If you are asking for particular models, then check with the retailer how long it will be available. (Is this the latest model or is it likely to be replaced in the coming months). You do not want to make life difficult for wedding guests trying to purchase you something that no longer exists. A quick check with the retailer before you send out the invitations, if you have time, should prevent this.

As the wedding approaches, there is so much to remember and do that you don’t want to add pressure on yourself by having to start compiling a wedding gift list too close to the wedding date. So there’s no time like the present

The benefit of e-weddinglist.co.uk is that once you have registered, you can start adding gift ideas immediately, there is no time limit to how long the list is live on the web. Also by compiling it week by week, it should not be such a chore. Combine regular shopping trips or lunch time browsing, with ‘wedding gift’ research missions, should make the whole experience pleasurable and fun!

Happy shopping

Libby

When compiling your e-wedding list, this would be a useful link to include, as it could well benefit your guests by saving them money!

Have a look at www.discountcodes.co.uk.  It is a free website detailing current discounts and offers from a comprehensive list of UK websites and stores. 

It is easy to use, with various search options, for example either by category, by selecting stores from A –Z list, or by selecting a particular store to view current offers.  It could be described as a one stop website for deals and discounts!

Once you have found the discount voucher most suitable to your needs, note down the voucher code as detailed on the site, and start shopping!  To obtain your discount, input the voucher code at the checkout on your chosen website.

Not only does it detail current voucher offers, it also shows special offers stores may have on particular items and more importantly how long the offer is running for.

Include the link on your wedding list, for your guests to take advantage of the offers.  They may even choose to upgrade the item to the more expensive model, and still be within their original budget!

Libby

E-weddinglist.co.uk team member Libby looks back at her wedding and examines how gift lists have evolved over the years. A few unwanted ‘traditional’ gifts were seen as being par for the course but, with a touch of ingenuity, Libby and her hubby-to-be avoided the pitfalls and ensured their guests were able to buy them things they really wanted…

“I’ve been married for 20-something years and things have changed dramatically since my wedding. When discussing my wedding gift list I remember my prospective mother-in-law telling me to start collecting for my bottom drawer, and that in her day everyone would have at least one candlewick bedspread as a wedding gift (what’s one of those? - ask you grandmother).

At the risk of sounding a total dinosaur, computers were in their infancy, so the only option for our wedding list was a piece of paper. We were a little more innovative and used a small receipt book, with a gift idea per page. The book was passed around and our friends and relatives could tear the page out with their gift choice. We were very lucky to end up with an empty book.

Nowadays email has surpassed letter writing and internet shopping is a popular option, so the team at e-weddinglist.co.uk wants to bring back the traditional element of present giving. Unlike many online wedding gift lists that are allied to a particular store or outlet, guests can choose where and how they buy their gift.  They can either buy the wedding gift personally from a shop or elect to have the item delivered to their own address, they also get the chance to wrap it themselves and present it to the bride and groom on their wedding day.

But e-weddinglist.co.uk is more than just a wedding gift list service – it’s a real online community. We encourage couples to share their experiences and upload their own ‘do’s and don’ts’ on our blog page. We are also uniquely placed to offer advice as we have insight from two different perspectives – one wedding that took place over 20 years ago and one in summer 2008. In our view, this sums up to whole concept of e-weddinglist.co.uk – a traditional wedding list that reaps the benefits of today’s technology – and no-one has to worry about chasing the receipt book to ensure it gets passed around all the guests!.”

Libby

P.S. In case you are still interested, I didn’t ask for a candlewick bedspread, couldn’t stand them myself!