Yet again, using AskMe as a Personal Shopper.

September 2, 2007 7:32 PM

Yet another use of AskMe as personal shopper - please help me select a wedding gift:

The groom is a friend of mine with whom I have stayed close through correspondence but whom I've not seen in person in a couple of years. Bride and Groom are both [reform, fairly liberal] Jewish. Both love to cook, but groom has significant food "issues" that make gifts of food inappropriate. Groom has a pre-teen daughter from his first marriage. Both Bride and Groom have recently sold their houses and are combining households currently in a rented space, until they can find a new home to purchase together. I don't know the Bride at all, really, so I don't have a sense of what the "style" of their new home might be.

What I'm looking for: something small, but that could emphasize the blending of two families into one. $100 range.

posted by anastasiav to shopping (12 comments total)

Are they registered anywhere? If you're not sure and don't want to ask for some reason, you can just search for their names at various online store sites.
posted by la petite marie at 8:04 PM on September 2, 2007

I've tried about a dozen likely suspects and have found no registries.
posted by anastasiav at 8:22 PM on September 2, 2007

No registries implies a plan, for example they may be registered with a travel agency. I'd get in touch with the mother of the groom or best man and ask.
posted by cali at 9:29 PM on September 2, 2007

I've tried about a dozen likely suspects and have found no registries.

Hmm...I had a friend who just married the guy she's been living with for a couple of years. They're both in their late 40's, so they both had a lot of stuff, and didn't feel like they wanted to register to get more "stuff." I tried to beat an idea out of her, but she wouldn't budge. I even asked her sisters, and she told them the same thing and they had no idea what they wanted/needed. So I ended up getting a gift card to Bed, Bath, Beyond, where they can get anything. I much prefer getting an actual gift that I can put some thought into, but not knowing what they need (and them not telling me), it was the best I could do, and I'm sure they'll use it. Actually, after I gave it to her, she said "well, it would be nice to get some new [towels, dishes, etc.]" so I think they will use it to "refresh" some of their things.
posted by la petite marie at 9:40 PM on September 2, 2007

Game? Croquet set or similar; might be a nice family thing if they have some outdoor space and the daughter is over a lot.

If you were willing to do gift card, you could do a gift card to Zingerman's Deli in Ann Arbor MI - they do delivery of all kinds of great gourmet stuff. Groom could choose something that doesn't trigger his issues. Another sort of generic gift, but nice for a foodie, is a set of spices from Penzey's Spices.
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:00 PM on September 2, 2007

They will not be using any of the kiddush cups, etc. from the previous weddings, so assuming that they will be having a Jewish ceremony, you could go that route.

Alternatively, you can give something like this , a keepsake album with the "ani l'dodi" theme for storing their wedding memories. We received something like that, and it was nice for keeping the napkin, invitation, guest list, etc.
posted by Flakypastry at 4:38 AM on September 3, 2007

I'd give them a nice Megillah
posted by matteo at 5:31 AM on September 3, 2007

My default wedding gift is usually a rice cooker, unless you know they have one already. You could get a very nice one for 100 bucks.
posted by anitar at 5:34 AM on September 3, 2007

I gave a friend who was not registered a picnic backpack. She loved it.
posted by francesca too at 6:07 AM on September 3, 2007

We've been getting people board games. Like the croquet suggestion above, this is especially good for a blended family. Apples to Apples and Carcassonne area fun for groups and parties and easy to learn.
posted by hydropsyche at 6:55 AM on September 3, 2007

You could get them a nice mezuzah. Even if they're not observant, mezuzahs are nice little homey additions.
posted by brina at 9:37 AM on September 3, 2007

Oh, also, the Jewish Museum has a lot of great stuff, including this gorgeous wedding glass mezuzah, into which the bride and groom would insert shards of their smashed glass along with a scroll.
posted by brina at 9:45 AM on September 3, 2007