Gift for a goth wedding?

October 2, 2008 8:35 PM

Help me choose an unconventional wedding gift for a goth couple.

Friends of mine are getting married this Halloween. The bride and groom are in their late thirties, and they've both been in the goth scene for many years; the groom plays in a goth band. The ceremony is a masquerade affair, so all the guests will be attending in costume, and the bride, groom and attendants will be dressed in black. Though I can't attend the wedding, I'd like to send them a small gift that fits with their theme. But what should I get?

They've lived together for years, and they don't really need any start-a-household items. They already have large music, movie, clothing, and board game collections. They haven't registered anywhere, so I'm on my own in choosing a gift, which would be great if only I could think of something!

I want to get something creative and unconventional that won't strain my grad-student budget too much. I'd like to avoid sending cash or gift certificates, and I don't think I will have sufficient time to do anything crafty or handmade, unless it's something really simple.

I'm drawing a blank. What kind of wedding gift might be suitable for a couple like this? Any ideas would be welcome. I'm in Portland, OR, if it matters.

posted by velvet winter to shopping (22 comments total)

Crystal Skull Vodka? Seriously, it looks like a perfect gift for the gothy types, like me.
posted by Countess Elena at 8:41 PM on October 2, 2008

When I was given wedding gifts, one of them was an awesome gargoyle statuette. I'm not too outwardly gothy, myself (although I have sympathies in that direction), but I'd gladly give something similar were I in your circumstances. I've seen similar statues for very reasonable prices.
posted by majick at 8:48 PM on October 2, 2008

The new DVD re-release of Beetlejuice.
posted by amyms at 8:52 PM on October 2, 2008

Something from here.
posted by chez shoes at 9:02 PM on October 2, 2008

Matching canes? Matching top hats? Matching gothy flasks?
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 9:04 PM on October 2, 2008

Goblets.
posted by xo at 9:24 PM on October 2, 2008

How are they doing on corsets? Those can wear out. Just sayin'

Halloween huh? It's a, nice day for a, goth wedding!
posted by No New Diamonds Please at 9:54 PM on October 2, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Something with a "My Little Kitty" logo on it. (gag gift)

The "My Little Kitty" vibrator would be classic. (But I'm not sure if they sell that anymore.)

Or "My Little Kitty" toilet paper, to turn the gag the other way.
posted by Class Goat at 10:03 PM on October 2, 2008

How about giving them a nice artistic piece that makes them remember you. Since I moved to Canada, all my friends in the UK have been getting Inuit soapstone carvings.

Something away from the goth might be good.
posted by Frasermoo at 10:35 PM on October 2, 2008

Gothy linens! Who could ever have enough?

Or let Etsy take care of it. (Maybe something from here?) That's what I'd personally do given your time/budget constraints; if you do a search for "goth art" there's tons, and you can set a price range.
posted by melissa may at 11:18 PM on October 2, 2008

Black roses? Here is one site that sells them made of silk or feathers: Send black roses.com.
posted by metahawk at 11:24 PM on October 2, 2008

Oh my god, I just noticed that the same artist I linked does custom portraits for a very reasonable price. I wonder if she'd be willing to do a two-person job, perhaps for more than her usual fee? If you have a good picture of them, it couldn't hurt to ask!
posted by melissa may at 11:27 PM on October 2, 2008

Dang, this is the page I meant to link.
posted by melissa may at 11:29 PM on October 2, 2008

If they're into games, there's always Gother Than Thou, Munchkin Bites or Gloom, if they haven't got them yet. They all require a bit of humor about the whole goth scene though. As well as the gamer scene ...

I've never played, but my friends of similar dispositions also really like the game Lunch Money.

Others have recommended Zombies too.

This is getting a bit long so if it's in the right vein, give me a holler and I'll keep going.
posted by oreonax at 11:38 PM on October 2, 2008

Seconding the Crystal Head Vodka.
posted by demon666 at 11:44 PM on October 2, 2008

@ oreonax: Those games look great! I'm not sure which games they have and which they don't, though. I do know that the groom plays the Call of Cthulhu RPG.

Great ideas, everyone. Thank you! I'm still undecided, so please feel free to keep the ideas coming!
posted by velvet winter at 12:12 AM on October 3, 2008

Come to Seattle and go to Gargoyle Statuary.
posted by lemuria at 12:45 AM on October 3, 2008

Amphigorey
posted by nickyskye at 12:55 AM on October 3, 2008

A crucifix. Goths love crucifixes.
I'm quite partial to this one.
posted by Methylviolet at 1:24 AM on October 3, 2008

How about "traditional" wedding gifts but with a goth twist?

Goth flatware. Or any of this awesome glassware. Lamps, maybe? Display case? Skeleton bottle opener, skull salt & pepper shakers, goth coaster set, spider web toaster, decorative switchplate covers, kitchen clock... well, you get the idea. :)

Or, heck, really anything from Alchemy Gothic.
posted by twiki at 6:25 AM on October 3, 2008

There's a lot of gothy/steampunky handmade items on Etsy - art, jewelry, home decor. Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab is the go-to for goth scents, but I will warn that their shipping latency can run to a month or more.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:15 AM on October 3, 2008

Wow...so many excellent ideas! I appreciate all the suggestions. I'll probably refer back to this list for birthdays, anniversaries, and other occasions too.

For the wedding itself, I think I'm going to go with some kind of home decor item, probably from the necromance, Etsy or Alchemy Gothic sites. No doubt they'd love those skull bed linens, goblets, serving trays, coasters, or a gargoyle statuette. And a spider web toaster! How cool is that? Thanks for tracking down all these goodies.

I think they're going to love my gift. And I'll wrap it appropriately, of course: black wrapping paper with a skull print, with a black rose tied on top.

Thanks again, everyone!
posted by velvet winter at 10:23 AM on October 3, 2008