weddings

i have to go to two weddings this summer. i'm broke, and i'm looking for (non-registry) gifts that don't suck. since i know the tastes of one of the couples, i was gonna get a persian area rug. but for my budget ($50-75/couple) doesn't allow anything that isn't horrible. tastewise, both are pretty staid and white. idears?

http://www.intimatewedding.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/dogs-450x400.jpg

buy them walkie talkies

(think about how many boring presents they're going to get. at least they'll remember you)

maybe this will sound crappy and boring, but i've had success with it in the past: a really nice photo album, with a sappy inscription like "i hope this album becomes a record of all the happy years the two of you are about to spend together" or some shit.

maybe this will sound crappy and boring, but stick to what they registered. people register for a reason. i like to find the smaller things no one else has gotten them a day or two out and get three or four of those- butter dishes and measuring spoons and things like that.

plan b: take mad photos at the wedding (and/or bachelor/ette parties, rehersal dinner, etc), go to a 24 walgreens within the 24 hours after the wedding, print out your favorite 50 - 100, stuff a cheap album, put it in a gift bag. works great if you can get it to them before they leave for a honeymoon because you steal the expensive photog's thunder.

another non-registry idea: put together a small bag of things related to where they're going on thier honeymoon. like guidebooks, sunscreen, travellers checks for a dinner out or something.

i'm only doing non-registry stuff b/c the registries are already bought out.

oh, well good for them i guess.

my mom's done that instant photo album trick a bunch and i've done it a few times. its usually a pretty good one.

(think about how many boring presents they're going to get. at least they'll remember you)

yes they will remember you all the way to the returns department!

maybe this will sound crappy and boring, but stick to what they registered. people register for a reason. i like to find the smaller things no one else has gotten them a day or two out and get three or four of those- butter dishes and measuring spoons and things like that.

yes, grady, this would seem logical but my sister actually admitted to my lil sis that they registered for some things so they could return them and then go get other stuff? i don't get this bc gift card is also an option on certain registries (like bbb). i also don't understand why they wouldn't just register for the stuff they wanted in the first place? maybe too expensive but if they combine 2 or 3 cheap returns they can get 1 rly expensive thing? i dunno.

that makes sense, but registering for shit like measuring spoons and butterdishes to that is silly.

to *do* that

my new position is at a place that does 300+ weddings a year.