Frugal Yet Expensive Looking Wedding Gifts

With the economy still down in the dumps, many people are finding it hard to find room in their budgets for "extra" items like wedding gifts. If that describes you than you're in luck! Here are some cheap gifts that look expensive and are very useful for newly married couples.

A large part of a wedding budget is the photographer and for good reason. Every couple wants to have tangible memories of their special day. This is why frames make a perfect gift for new couples. I know what you're thinking, "Frames? But they are expensive!" It all depends on where you get them. Oftentimes department stores such as Kohls, Sears, or JC Penny will put their frames on sale or even clearance. If you combine a sale with a store coupon, such as a ten dollars off fifty dollar purchase or similar, frames can be very inexpensive. Another avenue to look for frames is garage and yard sales. Of course, if you go this route you need to closely inspect the frames to make sure they are nice enough to give as a gift, but you can often find unused or new frames very cheaply. Craigslist.com is another excellent resource for finding inexpensive frames.

My mom's favorite gift for weddings is a holiday decoration basket. Now this gift requires a bit of forethought, but it is a meaningful and wonderful gift for a new couple. After each major holiday during the year, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Valentine's Day, etc. check out the clearance and sale holiday decoration items. Oftentimes you can find beautiful dishes, tablecloths, wall hangings, pillows, and centerpieces for seventy-five percent off or more. My mother fills a large basket or plastic storage container with some kind of decoration for each holiday and usually spends, maybe $20-25 on a gift that is easily worth over $100. Part of the appeal is that this gift can easily be personalized depending on the couple. For example, if you know they are Irish, perhaps you could simply focus on St. Patrick's Day and get them a whole basket of decorations and dishes for that holiday. Or if they are getting married around Christmas, plan ahead and put together a basket of Christmas decorations. Last year, Oriental Trading Company offered all of their personalized ornaments for around two dollars each. Since they weren't dated, I purchased some and personalized them for a few couples that I know are getting married this year. This idea doesn't just apply to holidays either, if you know of a hobby or sport the couple likes you can search thrift shops, Craigslist, and clearance sections for items that would fit into practically any category. With a little foresight, wedding gifts don't have to be a huge item in your budget and can be wonderful expressions of celebration for the bride and groom.