Some of you may have guessed from the cryptic posts as of late, but Luke and I are moving! Can you guess where to?
Image from www.dezinerfolio.com
Image from remote.ucdavis.edu
Photo courtesy of Heavenly Mountain
Photo from LT Visitors Authority
More details to come soon, I promise!
When you get married, one of the perks is all the awesome presents you receive. Almost all of your household items get an upgrade, from your trash can (thanks mom!) to your bathroom towels. And of course, you get a lot of cash to help pay off the wedding and start your new life together.
When you’re a guest at a wedding, it can be hard to figure out what a good gift is. I was reflecting the other day on what my favorite presents were and noticed they all tended to fit a few criteria: unique, special, practical and thoughtful.
Here are a few of our favorite gifts:
Wedding Memories
My sister and her husband were a huge help during my last few weeks of wedding planning because they offered to handle our guest book as part of their wedding gift. You have no idea how much these little details can be a thorn in a bride’s side!
They came to Chicago with this gorgeous frame, printed photo from our engagement session and everything we needed to create a “guest book” that we can show off in our home forever. We have it hanging in our living room now and I love looking at all the notes we got from guests.
Unique Registry Items
I am all about buying someone something off their registry- they really need those things to build a new home together. Instead of buying the typical items listed though, I like to purchase one of the few odd items – like a neck massager or a set of bathrobes – you can find on a couple’s list.
These less common items are often times the gifts that the bride and groom are secretly most excited about. For us, it was our ice cream maker. This is the one kitchen item I am absolutely in love with. I use it literally once a week to make delicious, homemade ice cream like this:
Personalized Home Decor
My best friend Julia gave us this gorgeous, hand-painted vase that features the Chicago skyline.
It was made by a popular artist in our hometown and I know Julia put a lot of thought into matching the blue with our new dishes. I love this gift because every time I look at it, I think of my beloved Chicago and where we fell in love and eventually married.
Another personalized present I loved came from my friend Jaime. She had a bottle of wine branded with a picture from our wedding dance, and paired it with some gorgeous Tiffany’s wine glasses.
Trust me- anything that comes in that blue box will be adored by the bride!
Group Purchases
We had a few items on our registry that were significantly higher in price than others- like our bathroom towel set and pots and pans. We really needed them, but weren’t expecting to get them since they cost a lot for one person to buy.
So we were happily surprised when my parent’s friends coordinated together to get us some of these more expensive items. Buying gifts with other people definitely takes more time and effort, but the extra level of thoughtfulness doesn’t go unnoticed by the bride and groom.
A Honeymoon Surprise
Luke and I spent our honeymoon in Maui, HI and when we checked into the hotel, were greeted with a wonderful surprise: our friends Gary and Serena had arranged for us to have breakfast “in bed” on any morning we chose.
Enjoying a gourmet breakfast on the balcony of our room ended up being one of our favorite moments from our honeymoon and definitely a memorable gift.
$$$
Of course, you can never go wrong with money. Checks, gift cards, cash- these are ALWAYS appreciated by a newly married couple. Luke and I used some of the money we received to splurge on some big ticket items like a new bed, camera and computer.
We were lucky enough to receive many thoughtful, special presents for our wedding.
What do you typically give the bride and groom at weddings you attend? If you’re married, what is your favorite wedding gift?
This weekend we attended a Halloween party with some of our friends. We dressed as some totally random, inanimate objects- ketchup and mustard. Lol!
During the party, the topic of relationships came up. Being the only married couple there, someone asked how we knew our relationship was marriage material.
I told them what my Dad told me. His method of analysis is extremely simple, but also pretty accurate in predicting a good relationship.
Ask yourself two things…
Does your relationship make you feel like this most of the time?
Or like this?
I know that seems like an over-simplified way to judge if you’re well-matched with your beau, but really, in my experience when it’s right you really are happy most of the time.
When I first started dating Luke the ease into which our relationship progressed startled me. It was just smooth sailing all the time and it was a little unnerving.
I was so trained to think that fighting and making up equaled “passion.” When I thought about it though, the lows in those scenarios weren’t worth the temporary highs. I also noticed all those relationships eventually ended.
Sure we have our squabbles, like this morning when I spilt toothpaste on the counter and didn’t clean it (sorry babe!), but really I can count the number of legit fights we’ve ever had on less than one hand.
Some of my friends didn’t really seem to buy my response. In fact, a couple (mainly guys) commented that my idea of a good relationship sounded boring and monotonous without the drama fighting can bring.
I guess I can see where they’re coming from, but I’d argue that getting along is MUCH better than not getting along. Who really likes being around that couple who constantly bickers and makes up while trying to play it off as “cute?”
Even worse? Living as that couple everyday.
But maybe that’s just me. Do you guys find a healthy dose of arguing is good for a relationship? Or do you prefer to be with someone who you get along with most of the time?
Can you guys pitch in and do me a favor today?
My friend and colleague Lauren needs your support in a big way. In December, Lauren was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer. She’s been kicking cancer’s butt since then all while keeping a smile on her face.
Now we need YOUR help! Lauren is in the final rounds of a contest that would give her $10,000 to help off set her medical bills!
Our other co-worker, Michelle recently ran the marathon to help benefit Lauren. She entered her fundraising effort in The Classy Awards, an online voting awards program.
They won the Chicago chapter and now are in third place for the national contest and $10,000!
All you have to do to help is visit http://www.stayclassy.org/classy-awards/, scroll down to “Most Successful Fundraising by an Individual or Group” and vote for “Running 26 Miles to Help LC Beat Cancer.”
Don’t forget to hit SUBMIT at the top of the page once you’ve selected them! Voting ends tomorrow– so don’t wait!
Lauren is a HUGE inspiration to everyone who meets her. With our help, we can surely move her into first place!
Thanks guys and leave questions in the comments section.