Spotlight On... Weddings

Love

& Marriage

With weddings firmly back on the agenda this year - ranging from the lavish £3m Peltz-Beckham wedding in April to more intimate, smaller nuptials held for only the very closest of family and friends - tying the knot means different things to different couples. But big or small, a certainty is that guests are on the lookout for those meaningful, extra special wedding gifts that stand out from the crowd.

PG&H asked some of the leading wedding/occasion gift suppliers to reveal what’s driving sales.

With a flurry of summer weddings in the offing, gift suppliers are at the ready to help the bride and groom and their guests to celebrate the big day. And while Brooklyn Beckham might have received a £380,000 classic Jag as a wedding present from dad David, for most people, buying wedding gifts for the happy couple tend to be a lot more realistic!

“Personalisation has become increasingly popular for weddings, with gifts now available for not only the bride and groom, but the whole wedding party too,” says PMC’s Felicity Colbert. “With this popularity comes the demand for unique and original personalised gifts that really stand out from the crowd.”

As she highlights: “With more and more of us sharing all aspects of our lives on social media, particularly using platforms such as Instagram, we feel that personalised gifts must therefore have the ‘wow’ factor, inevitably encouraging consumers to also share our products online as part of their wedding celebrations.”

Additionally, with many couples paying for their own wedding celebrations nowadays, it’s not unusual for couples to save for prolonged periods in preparation for their special day, points out Joe Davies’ buyer Mary Caputo. “Wedding fund money boxes are a growing trend and ymake ideal gifts, providing a practical, fun way of saving for a dream wedding.”

Adds Mary: “Our Xpressions’ Wedding Pots of Dreams offer a unique way to save, as the pots are fed with coins and notes before being smashed when they are full.”

Enesco’s marketing and product director Helen Cottrill reflects that, as so many people now have a home established before they get married, so the traditional wedding

Above left: Xpressions Wedding Pot of Dreams money boxes from Joe Davies. Above: Inspired Bells by Demdaco from Enesco. Left: Among the photogenic personalised wedding gift from PMC.

Weddings 2022: The Lowdown

The findings of a recent survey by caterer.com revealed that:

l 3.3m people are planning a wedding this year. l 1.8m will be hosting their wedding party at a pub for a more relaxed vibe. l 25% of people revealed that they would be attending up to three weddings this year. l According to recent research, an increasing number of brides are choosing to have a double-barrelled surname when they marry.

list seems to have fallen out of fashion, with requests for donations towards large home renovations or honeymoons becoming the norm.

“However, no-one likes to turn up at a wedding - or any occasion - without something, and we have many well priced gifts to fit,” she comments. “These include our love and wedding Inspired Bells, together with vases and home accessories from Impressions, and Together Time family games, all from Demdaco. All make ideal gifts for weddings and are equally suitable as new home or engagement presents, or as a hostess gift.”

Meanwhile, Katie Loxton’s Bridal collection has taken the key SS22 colour trends into consideration, with sage green and blush pink taking centre stage across the company’s Bridal Perfect Pouches range.

“The big day calls for some sweet sentiment, which can be found in our brand new semi-precious stone bridal pouches that each feature a real semi-precious stone and secret sentiment inside that are ideal to take brides from ceremony-toreception,” explains founder and creative director Katie Loxton. “After a couple of years of no travel, honeymooning has become an even bigger focus, so the collection ensures that the couple jet off without a hitch with their ‘Just Married’ luggage tag and passport cover!”

While not specifically wedding themed, Lesser & Pavey’s managing director Julian Hunt highlights a gift for a couple that’s historic and practical - the company’s new Golden Lily range of William Morris - featuring affordable, individual gift boxed houseware items. “What better gift to receive than something that enhances a kitchen setting or coffee table look, as well as being a quality vessel to drink from and display cakes on after the wedding,” says Julian. “It’s something that will be with the happy couple for some time, something to enjoy together every day, making it a perfect wedding gift or a gift for a new home, or other important occasion,” says Julian.

“The joy that weddings are back on has meant that customers are really looking for extra special gifts and cards as there’s a lot of extra love for couples being able to finally tie the knot,” states Mark Coulson, managing director of Coulson Macleod. “The sentiments in our wordy Wise Words marriage print are certainly being appreciated, which handily comes already

framed and gift-boxed. In fact, the Wise Words range has reduced a number of people to happy tears over the years and you really can’t ask for more than that from a gift!” states Mark.

No matter how big or small, a gift is always appreciated, so from a gifting perspective, let’s raise a glass to the bride and groom, their friends and their families!

Gifts For Team Bride

Among the company’s adding sparkle to the bride’s big day is Joma Jewellery. The company’s bridal proposals - currently a big a trend for brides who want to send a gift to their bridesmaids, maid of honour and everyone who is part of team bride - add another gift giving element to the occasion.

Joma’s Instagrammable offer features the A Little collection, with items including A Little ‘Will You Be My Bridesmaid’ to A Little ‘Thank You For Helping Me Tie The Knot’ bracelets, which are part of the company’s Bridal collection.

“And if the guests are looking to thank the happy couple for allowing them to be part of their big day, our Bridal boxed bracelets make for a sentimental treat that they’ll cherish long after the wedding day,” points out Joma Jewellery’s founder and creative director Katie Loxton.

Right: A gift for a bridesmaid from Joma Jewellery’s Bridal A Little collection. Top: Lesser & Pavey’s Golden Lily range of William Morris. Above right: Wise Words mini art from Coulson Macleod. Left: Katie Loxton semi-precious stone bridal pouch.