Help! I need a gift for my fiance!
June 7, 2017 10:36 AM Subscribe
My fiance and I agreed to exchange gifts at our wedding. I have foolishly forgotten to get something. Help!
My fiancé and I agreed to get each other gifts for the wedding. I was originally planning on getting him boudoir photos (which is why I so enthusiastically agreed to exchange gifts!), but time and money just didn't end up working out... and now we're getting married in 10 days and I've got nothing. He's definitely getting me something. And I was so excited to get him something fun for the day of!
I wanted to get him something useful and fun for groomsmen getting ready time. I thought maybe cigars, but I know his friend group and there's a good chance 1-2 of them will come with cigars. (One literally just got back from Cuba!) Nice whiskey is an option, but I'd love a few more ideas. Someone suggested a decanter, but we already have one and never ever use it.
He loves board games and hates sports and will probably be spending the time before the wedding hanging out with his friends and goofing around and drinking Jagerbombs.
I live in Denver and can get to a fair number of gift and specialty shops, but won't have time to do something special-order from Etsy or elsewhere.
My fiancé and I agreed to get each other gifts for the wedding. I was originally planning on getting him boudoir photos (which is why I so enthusiastically agreed to exchange gifts!), but time and money just didn't end up working out... and now we're getting married in 10 days and I've got nothing. He's definitely getting me something. And I was so excited to get him something fun for the day of!
I wanted to get him something useful and fun for groomsmen getting ready time. I thought maybe cigars, but I know his friend group and there's a good chance 1-2 of them will come with cigars. (One literally just got back from Cuba!) Nice whiskey is an option, but I'd love a few more ideas. Someone suggested a decanter, but we already have one and never ever use it.
He loves board games and hates sports and will probably be spending the time before the wedding hanging out with his friends and goofing around and drinking Jagerbombs.
I live in Denver and can get to a fair number of gift and specialty shops, but won't have time to do something special-order from Etsy or elsewhere.
Nice silver flasks are a common groomsman gift that could extend to your fiance. (Congratulations!)
posted by praemunire at 10:44 AM on June 7, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by praemunire at 10:44 AM on June 7, 2017 [3 favorites]
If you think a board game would be fun, you should head to the Wizard's Chest on Broadway and they can help you pick out something special. I know I've gotten a few that can be quite pricey, with nice pieces and pretty layouts, etc. The sales people could help you find something that's a bit more underground or indie that could be pretty cool. You could pair that with Love Letter, an inexpensive game but love-themed :) I've seen that at the B&N on Colorado if Wizard's Chest doesn't have it.
posted by LKWorking at 10:54 AM on June 7, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by LKWorking at 10:54 AM on June 7, 2017 [3 favorites]
Whatever you decide to go with, I think the addition of special cuff links would be lovely! You could get something from Etsy that doesn't require a special order, or something from Amazon (I love these hourglass cuff links). Or try a department store of gift/specialty shop in your area. And then he can wear them for the wedding and they'll take on a really special meaning.
This is assuming his shirt for the day has French cuffs, which, in my opinion, are way more fun that regular cuffs.
posted by cooker girl at 11:04 AM on June 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
This is assuming his shirt for the day has French cuffs, which, in my opinion, are way more fun that regular cuffs.
posted by cooker girl at 11:04 AM on June 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
I gave my hubby a nice watch that he still wears everyday.
I would gently caution you against giving the men a bottle of liquor* to consume right before the wedding. The hope is always that everyone can maintain, but we've all watched enough movies to know that the likelihood is that at least one person will get sloppy.
*Maybe a bottle of champagne would be a nice touch though.
posted by vignettist at 11:20 AM on June 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
I would gently caution you against giving the men a bottle of liquor* to consume right before the wedding. The hope is always that everyone can maintain, but we've all watched enough movies to know that the likelihood is that at least one person will get sloppy.
*Maybe a bottle of champagne would be a nice touch though.
posted by vignettist at 11:20 AM on June 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
As best I remember, the two things that I would have wanted most in the pre-wedding hours were something to settle my stomach and a replacement for the clip-on bow tie that didn't want to stay in place. And I can't imagine any bride willing to facilitate the groom smelling like either cigar or whiskey at the ceremony.
Be all that as it may, I think a little bling would be in order. The most obvious sort of male bling is a watch, usually one with a big, clunky band in gold or silver (color, not metal). I sat in an airline terminal across from a guy who I thought was probably a pro athlete and his wife. Their wedding rings were very blingy and his watch had a couple stones in the setting. It was a little small for the size of his wrist and muscular forearm, though.
Another sort of acceptable bling (at least is some quarters) is a gold or silver chain, perhaps with a dangling object of some kind. At one time, my wife claimed to find this a turn on. So if you warm to the thought of a manly chest, you can prime the pump via suggestive comments pre-gift exchange.
posted by SemiSalt at 12:09 PM on June 7, 2017
Be all that as it may, I think a little bling would be in order. The most obvious sort of male bling is a watch, usually one with a big, clunky band in gold or silver (color, not metal). I sat in an airline terminal across from a guy who I thought was probably a pro athlete and his wife. Their wedding rings were very blingy and his watch had a couple stones in the setting. It was a little small for the size of his wrist and muscular forearm, though.
Another sort of acceptable bling (at least is some quarters) is a gold or silver chain, perhaps with a dangling object of some kind. At one time, my wife claimed to find this a turn on. So if you warm to the thought of a manly chest, you can prime the pump via suggestive comments pre-gift exchange.
posted by SemiSalt at 12:09 PM on June 7, 2017
When I was married, I gave my husband a fountain pen. We have since divorced, but as far as I know, he still uses and cherishes that pen. His best man gave us both some very unusual and special watches. I still have mine, though I don't use it, and I love it.
posted by mumimor at 12:25 PM on June 7, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by mumimor at 12:25 PM on June 7, 2017 [2 favorites]
LKWorking beat me to the Love Letter rec, but I have a little wedding sparkle to throw on it. Send an email to Alderac's customer service (customerservice@alderac.com). They make Love Letter, and they will sell you a special wedding edition of the game if you send them a pic of your invites. It's $40 for a set of 5 games. I'd keep two so you can play with up to 8 people, and I guess you could gift the other 3 (got any similarly-minded friends getting married soon?)
The nice thing about Love Letter is that it's a quick, short game, so he and his groomsmen should be able to learn it and knock out a few rounds easily. It's a great game, and one my friends and I play regularly.
posted by natabat at 12:29 PM on June 7, 2017 [3 favorites]
The nice thing about Love Letter is that it's a quick, short game, so he and his groomsmen should be able to learn it and knock out a few rounds easily. It's a great game, and one my friends and I play regularly.
posted by natabat at 12:29 PM on June 7, 2017 [3 favorites]
This is absolutely the occasion at which to give him a very nice watch.
posted by Countess Sandwich at 12:33 PM on June 7, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by Countess Sandwich at 12:33 PM on June 7, 2017 [5 favorites]
for our wedding my wife surprised me with a silver tie bar (engraved with our anniversary) and collar stays with short messages. i wear 'em anytime i put a suit on now!
posted by noloveforned at 1:12 PM on June 7, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by noloveforned at 1:12 PM on June 7, 2017 [3 favorites]
Tiffany cufflinks. Those sailor knots.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 2:11 PM on June 7, 2017
posted by St. Peepsburg at 2:11 PM on June 7, 2017
I would give him something for *him* and not something that will be part of the day-of activities with his groomsmen. It's a special gift between you both and it's symbolic in my mind. I'd go for a very nice watch or something that he can carry with him as a reminder of you (fancy wallet, keychain, pen, jewelry, etc) or something that's a keepsake like a beautiful carved wood box for him to store special objects, or an engraved tray for his ring & phone and other bedside things.
posted by quince at 2:13 PM on June 7, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by quince at 2:13 PM on June 7, 2017 [3 favorites]
I gave my husband a leather jacket, which he has worn a LOT over the last 10 years. The good news is, he loves it and wears it and has warm romantic feelings associated with it because it was my gift when we got married; the bad news is, it's time to get a new jacket. Something like a pen or watch or cufflinks would be more of a "forever" gift. On the other hand, I knew he wouldn't want those other things, and the jacket was really right for him.
If you want to stick with something related to the event, are you going anyplace for a honeymoon? Does he need anything related to that trip - hiking boots (or city walking shoes), swimwear (matched you and him), luggage, messenger/day bag?
posted by aimedwander at 2:27 PM on June 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
If you want to stick with something related to the event, are you going anyplace for a honeymoon? Does he need anything related to that trip - hiking boots (or city walking shoes), swimwear (matched you and him), luggage, messenger/day bag?
posted by aimedwander at 2:27 PM on June 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
Could he use really good sunglasses? I surprised my husband with a pair of Maui Jims that I thought he'd like; they are his first pair of top shelf sunglasses and he is crazy about them.
posted by fingersandtoes at 4:54 PM on June 7, 2017
posted by fingersandtoes at 4:54 PM on June 7, 2017
I gave my husband a Fielder XL pocket knife from SOG, engraved with our names and the date of our wedding.
posted by cp311 at 5:04 PM on June 7, 2017
posted by cp311 at 5:04 PM on June 7, 2017
Response by poster: These are all awesome answers, thank you! I just bought him a gorgeous engraved watch.
posted by good day merlock at 5:13 PM on June 7, 2017 [7 favorites]
posted by good day merlock at 5:13 PM on June 7, 2017 [7 favorites]
Do the wedding suitcase! A friend of mine and her husband have a pretty antique suitcase. On their wedding night, they shared a bottle of wine and each wrote a letter to the other and sealed it up and put it in the suitcase, and they put a bottle of wine in there. Each year on their anniversary, they open the suitcase and open and drink the wine they put in there the previous year while reading last year's letters and writing new letters for this year, and they put in a new bottle for next year.
posted by Don Pepino at 9:14 PM on June 7, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by Don Pepino at 9:14 PM on June 7, 2017 [4 favorites]
Now that you've got that sorted, I'll chime back in with practical advice: absolutely send a cooler to wherever they are getting ready (and to the bridesmaids too) with bottled water, snapples or whatever, and some good heavy snacks like trail mix or beef jerky. Maybe some crackers and cheese and salami. Maybe a Starbucks traveler of coffee. Nothing too sweet but things that will keep everyone's stomachs settled. Wedding prep and the wedding itself is long and people get peckish after a few hours. Everyone having something good in their stomach will keep them in good spirits, and people are less likely to act out emotionally when their blood sugar level is good.
And the advice that I give every bride, based on my friend who learned this lesson the hard way - be sure to wear a button-down shirt when you go get your hair done!
posted by vignettist at 8:30 AM on June 8, 2017
And the advice that I give every bride, based on my friend who learned this lesson the hard way - be sure to wear a button-down shirt when you go get your hair done!
posted by vignettist at 8:30 AM on June 8, 2017
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posted by Everydayville at 10:44 AM on June 7, 2017 [2 favorites]