Wedding Gift List Tips from our Expert Wedding List Advisors

• Use what we call the ‘The Thank You Letter test’. When adding a present to your wedding list, imagine writing a thank you letter to the guest that may buy you that gift. For example, ‘thank you for the wooden spoon….’, hard to make that sound sexy or exciting!
• In line with the ‘Thank You Letter test’, we advise avoiding items that you wouldn't hesitate to buy yourselves on any given day. Your wedding list is a once in a lifetime opportunity to set up your home, or upgrade your home, so think about using your guests' generosity towards extra special presents that you wouldn't perhaps justify buying for yourself in your next John Lewis shop. For this reason, presents such as a food processor or Le Creuset are always a favourite wedding present for couples and guests alike. 
• Take advantage of our extensive wedding list checklist. We've thought of everything you could possibly need! Our top tip is to start by crossing presents off that you know that you don’t need or want, leaving you with a clear list of what you do need. If you would like a copy of this handy checklist, simply pop us an email here.
• One of our biggest and best tips is to ensure you have a good variety of presents on your wedding list. Make sure you cover all price points and categories, giving your guests plenty of choice - remember this is a personal purchase for them too, they will want to love the present they buy you. 

• When building your wedding list, one of our most important gift list tips is to think to the future. The wedding presents that you add to your list should last you for a lifetime. Use your wedding list as a wish list for the beginning of building your home together as a married couple. Try and think beyond your current living situation and storage potential. 
• Think about what you like to buy from a wedding list as a guest, when building your own list. Use this for inspiration and guidance on what to add to your gift list.
• Friends love to come to your home to see their present in use, so individual presents are really important.
• Always add a few big ticket items such as a BBQ or, a piece of furniture, as you never know who might be feeling generous!
• Don’t be afraid to add a splash of colour with furnishings, you can always move them to another room if it doesn’t fit with a new colour scheme if re-decorating or moving house.

• Most people go for one set of china these days. In the past, many opted for a full formal china set and a full informal china set. However, we have definitely seen the trend shift towards one set that bridges the gap. With this in mind, our best tip is to go BIG on numbers and get as much of one set as possible. Think to the future - imagine entertaining for multiple people at big future family events! We suggest aiming for a 12 person setting as a bare minimum, as this will give you flexibility to have items in the dishwasher, some in the fridge with left overs on and still have some in the cupboard! 
• One of our most loved and valued tips is to get double the number of side plates, dessert knifes, and dessert forks – to allow you to use these for a starter/dessert during a dinner party, meaning you don’t need to wash up half way through! 
• Add more glasses than you think you need to your gift list, to allow for breakages. If you want 8, go for 12.

• We get asked this a lot! We always work back from how many guests you are having for your wedding. Consider that the average guest spends approximately £50 on a present, or £100 as a couple (a very rough ball park figure, every guest list is totally unique!) we multiply those to give you a rough figure on the monetary amount that you could use as a rough guide.
• We recommend adding a good variety of price points, to cater for all budgets. It's always worth adding some entry level presents around the £25 mark, such as photo frames, mugs, candles and napkins. Then consider presents between the £50-£100 mark, this is by far the most popular price point for guests. For those extra special, higher priced presents don't forget about our 'group gift' option. At the touch of a button you can make any present on your wedding list a Group Gift, meaning that your guests can individually contribute thier chosen amount to the overall cost of that present. 
• Aim for quality not quantity. We believe the sustainability aspect of a wedding list comes from choosing great quality items that you will see you through married life and that you could even hand down to your family in the future.
• Keep an eye on your wedding list. If you notice that lots of presents are being purchased quickly by your guests, keep adding more! You can add presents right up to your wedding day, to ensure that your guests have a great variety of choice. We are always here to support you with this if you need advice.

• Don't use dishwasher tablets as they scratch cutlery, glasses and plates and the same goes for dishwasher granules, always use a liquid
• Don’t put kitchen knives in the dishwasher. Also get a good knife sharpener - they really are brilliant at rejuvenating your knives
• Don't put your non stick pans in the dishwasher
• Dont use metal utensils in your non stick pans
• Don't put your silver plated or solid silver cutlery in the dishwasher
• Don't use fabric softener on towels as this will reduce their absorbancy. Always try and dry them in a tumble dryer to keep them soft and fluffy.
• Wash bedlinen inside out, especially if it has delicate or embroidery detailing 
• For any electricals, always register your guarantee with the manufacturer as soon as you can

• Dont put any wooden items in the dishwasher, instead wash in warm soapy water
• If you do want to put glassware in the dishwasher, put them on a low heat so they don't cloud and always make sure you stack them safely to avoid breakages
• Avoid putting any china with a gold or silver detailing in the dishwasher or microwave as it will tarnish or come off

• Try to get your wedding list ready for the time your invitations go out, so that guests can log on straight away and buy you a present
• If you are worried about storage, there’s always a solution even if it’s under your bed! We offer 9 months free storage from the date of your wedding which gifts you a buffer whilst you work out your plans.
• It is good to think practically about size and price based on what is important to you. For example, if you never want to hand wash your glasses ensure they will fit in the dishwasher. 

• It's tempting to go for really tall vases but do consider storage and how often you buy large bouquets or flowers with long stems. We find a mixture of bud vases and medium size vases work really well and are easier to style flowers in. 

• We know that it's a mammoth task writing thank you letters after your wedding.  Take advantage of our handy Thank You Manager in your online dashboard and tick off the guests you have written to. Why not make it into a day and sit down with a nice drink and write them in one go, splitting them out between the two of you. Our favourite companies to order thank you letters from include Romeo and Jules, Scribble & Daub and Heather Evelyn.

If you have any more questions on building your wedding list call or email us with any queries or for general advice. We could talk about this all day! We are always more than happy to look over your list and check that you have enough presents, with a good range of price points and see if we can think of anything that you might not have thought to add. Follow us on Instagram for new arrivals and general interiors inspiration.