I am the type of person who likes to put a lot of thought and care into gift giving but when the situation calls for no gifts . . . I usually run into a problem. I recently was invited to a wedding where guests were asked not to bring gifts because the bride and groom would be moving and did not want to "lug" a large amount of gifts to their new home. I was being forced out of my comfort zone, what do I get someone who does not want a gift? Money, a gift card? Boring!
Just giving cash or a gift card does not let the recipient know that you put extra time and effort into their gift. When you give a gift that shows meaning, thought, and makes the recipient remember your efforts, you have succeeded! So how was I supposed to make cash and a gift card meaningful? Just add some flair!
I wanted to give the bride and groom some cash they could spend on their honeymoon to Hawaii and instead of slipping some dallar bills into a card, I "dressed" up some currency. I found origami tutorials online and spent some time folding three dollar bills into a Hawaiin shirt, a dress, and a suitcase--all very "suiting" for a beach get-a-way!
Next, I created a boarding pass folder and added some tropical scrapbook cut-outs as well as a cute saying--"Cash, to get you through the honeymoon . . ."
I slipped the money origami into the boarding pass and had a creative way to give a cash gift!
I also wanted to send the bride and groom off with something to help set-up their home. I took the classic route and bought a gift card to Sears but added a ribbon and a gift-tag.
To complete the wedding gift in an envelope, I created a hand-made card (it just didn't seem right to hand-make everything and ultimately stick it in a store bought card).
The card was nothing too special but I hope it will stand out from the rest of the cards the bride and groom will open. The most difficult part of designing the card was coming up with a quote or saying to include inside. When it came down to it, the only quote I loved was from a line in the movie "Moulin Rouge."
"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."
And finally, some snapshots from the beautiful wedding!
No comments:
Post a Comment