Top 11 Nontraditional Wedding Gifts
No Time Like the Present
Dillydallying over what to buy for the happy couple? Check out these experience gift ideas - like, now - and avoid rushing out to buy the same old pots and pans.
(And if you're the one headed for the altar, check out our Biter's Guide to Getting Hitched.)
1. Cookin' the Books.
Know a twosome who live on takeout? Set 'em up with a cooking class that focuses on using seasonal, local, and organic ingredients like Hipcooks ($55 and up) or The Chopping Block ($75 and up). Better food, cheaper food, and less trash at the end - bound to boost domestic bliss.
2. Do Re Mi Spa So La Ti Do.
For the couple that can't agree on reception music, an eco-friendly spa (organic, paraben-free products) might be in order. A Spa Finder Gift Certificate ($50 and up per person) gives them options - accepted at more than 5,000 spas worldwide, they can just search eco-spa on the site to find one in their 'hood.
3. Bottle Rocket.
For the lushes, er, entertainers: Go for a membership to the Organic Wine Company's Wine of the Month Club ($50/3 bottles a month; minimum of 3 months) or Pristine Planet's Organic Beer Club ($90/3 months). You'll get a thank you from the earth too, since organic farming keeps synthetic pesticides out of the environment.
4. Think Inside the Box.
Let adventurous folks tackle another challenge together with a Gifty Box - a free pass to their choice of 120+ classes and workshops, including tango dancing, knitting, and cocktail making ($100/two passes), plus discounts on future classes.
5. Prince Farming.
Gift foodie types just-picked produce through a local CSA (community-supported agriculture) program. They'll get deliveries (usually weekly or biweekly; starting around $75/month, so might be a good one to go in on with friends) from local farms that skip the fuel-burning journey of conventional produce - and sometimes include recipes.
6. Get Into the Groove.
The music lovers (and snobs) out there'll be stoked to get tix to their favorite concert. Purchase through sites like Groove Tickets (which recently partnered with CarbonFree to do things like paperless ticketing) and you'll only have to worry about damaging your hearing.
7. The Royal Tree-tment.
For the tree-thumping couple (or the paper-happy), dedicate one ($25 for one tree; $100/5 trees) in their name via TreePeople. They'll get a card or a personalized certificate (frame it in recycled wood for another $30), plus the well-being of knowing their trees are absorbing CO2 to keep the planet cool.
8. Get a Movie on It.
Prevent in-theater PDA by gifting movie lovers a membership to online rental services like Netflix or CinemaNow ($5-$200). Note: Cutting their late fees and transportation emissions (with Netflix, the mailman was coming either way…) won't guarantee an invite to watch The Hangover.
9. Purple Mountain's Majesty.
Outdoorsy newlyweds can enjoy nature without shelling out for entrance and amenity fees if you give them a National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Annual Pass ($80).
10. Playing Musical Charity.
For the couple that has or has done everything: Give to an eco-charity in their name (usually any amount). Check out Charity Navigator before you donate to make sure your nonprof of choice is legit.
11. Heir(loom) Apparent.
NPR-heads, rejoice: fans of This American Life will dig Audio Heirlooms, an audio telegram service that coordinates and records personal messages from friends ‘n’ fam, and sets them to sound effects and music in a digital file - a waste-free way to hear the grooms’ brother tell the real story of how the lovebirds met. Or, if they’d prefer CDs to mp3s, AH’ll package it in recycled materials and offset production with wind energy ($600 per audio card).
Dillydallying over what to buy for the happy couple? Check out these experience gift ideas - like, now - and avoid rushing out to buy the same old pots and pans.
(And if you're the one headed for the altar, check out our Biter's Guide to Getting Hitched.)
1. Cookin' the Books.
Know a twosome who live on takeout? Set 'em up with a cooking class that focuses on using seasonal, local, and organic ingredients like Hipcooks ($55 and up) or The Chopping Block ($75 and up). Better food, cheaper food, and less trash at the end - bound to boost domestic bliss.
2. Do Re Mi Spa So La Ti Do.
For the couple that can't agree on reception music, an eco-friendly spa (organic, paraben-free products) might be in order. A Spa Finder Gift Certificate ($50 and up per person) gives them options - accepted at more than 5,000 spas worldwide, they can just search eco-spa on the site to find one in their 'hood.
3. Bottle Rocket.
For the lushes, er, entertainers: Go for a membership to the Organic Wine Company's Wine of the Month Club ($50/3 bottles a month; minimum of 3 months) or Pristine Planet's Organic Beer Club ($90/3 months). You'll get a thank you from the earth too, since organic farming keeps synthetic pesticides out of the environment.
4. Think Inside the Box.
Let adventurous folks tackle another challenge together with a Gifty Box - a free pass to their choice of 120+ classes and workshops, including tango dancing, knitting, and cocktail making ($100/two passes), plus discounts on future classes.
5. Prince Farming.
Gift foodie types just-picked produce through a local CSA (community-supported agriculture) program. They'll get deliveries (usually weekly or biweekly; starting around $75/month, so might be a good one to go in on with friends) from local farms that skip the fuel-burning journey of conventional produce - and sometimes include recipes.
6. Get Into the Groove.
The music lovers (and snobs) out there'll be stoked to get tix to their favorite concert. Purchase through sites like Groove Tickets (which recently partnered with CarbonFree to do things like paperless ticketing) and you'll only have to worry about damaging your hearing.
7. The Royal Tree-tment.
For the tree-thumping couple (or the paper-happy), dedicate one ($25 for one tree; $100/5 trees) in their name via TreePeople. They'll get a card or a personalized certificate (frame it in recycled wood for another $30), plus the well-being of knowing their trees are absorbing CO2 to keep the planet cool.
8. Get a Movie on It.
Prevent in-theater PDA by gifting movie lovers a membership to online rental services like Netflix or CinemaNow ($5-$200). Note: Cutting their late fees and transportation emissions (with Netflix, the mailman was coming either way…) won't guarantee an invite to watch The Hangover.
9. Purple Mountain's Majesty.
Outdoorsy newlyweds can enjoy nature without shelling out for entrance and amenity fees if you give them a National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Annual Pass ($80).
10. Playing Musical Charity.
For the couple that has or has done everything: Give to an eco-charity in their name (usually any amount). Check out Charity Navigator before you donate to make sure your nonprof of choice is legit.
11. Heir(loom) Apparent.
NPR-heads, rejoice: fans of This American Life will dig Audio Heirlooms, an audio telegram service that coordinates and records personal messages from friends ‘n’ fam, and sets them to sound effects and music in a digital file - a waste-free way to hear the grooms’ brother tell the real story of how the lovebirds met. Or, if they’d prefer CDs to mp3s, AH’ll package it in recycled materials and offset production with wind energy ($600 per audio card).
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