• Wedding gifts can be anything that is useful to the happy couple.gift image by Vasina Nazarenko from Fotolia.com
  
  Giving a wedding gift allows guests to provide a token of warm wishes to the wedding couple. Traditionally, wedding gifts consist of items the new couple needs to set up a household. While many couples still receive gifts of this nature, there are also couples in second marriages who do not need new household items. Given that, wedding gifts should be useful in helping the bride and groom enjoy life together, and wedding registries may reflect the unique situation of the couple.
  
  

Traditional Gifts

• Traditional gifts, often for those getting married for the first time, primarily consist of household items that the bride and groom jointly select at a registry. Selected gifts often include fine china, sterling silver serving pieces and place settings and glasses for wine and water. Many couples select everyday china, table linens, pots, small appliances and decorative items that will help accent their homes. Depending on finances, sometimes the groom's family will purchase bed linens, but couples can register for these items as well.
  
  

Leisure Gifts

• Sometimes couples have been living together for years or have household items from prior marriages. Often, their friends will ask what they should purchase, and the couple may have difficulty making a suggestion. One idea is for couples to create a virtual list that guests can access. Couples can list favorite restaurants, dates with shows they would like to see, sports events they enjoy and other forms of recreation that they would like guests to give as gifts. Guests may also choose to give Visa gift cards, available at many banks, which allow recipients to spend them however they wish.
  
  

Big-Ticket Gifts

• Some couples may prefer to receive gifts that help them pay for a big-ticket item. Contributions toward a honeymoon, a house renovation or a special luxury item may be appealing. Although not all guests may want to make a contribution, those who do will know that they helped the couple obtain an item that may have been a financial burden to purchase on their own. If the couple does not identify a big-ticket item, a large group of guests can pool their money to give the couple a weekend away.
  
  

Family Gift List

• If the bride or groom has children who will be living with the couple, consider a family wedding gift. Some couples may enjoy or request memberships to the zoo, a favorite local attraction or an amusement park.