Here’s help on choosing gifts for a newly married couple after the wedding

The excitement of the wedding has come and gone. And chances are, the happy couple received a lot of gifts to honor their big day. 

But now it’s a holiday or birthday or housewarming, and you need to buy a present for two people who just finished getting a bunch of presents. So what do you do? 

You’re in luck. Choosing gifts for a newly married couple is actually easier than it sounds. Here are some ideas to get you started. 

Check the registry

Most couples register for their favorite china, towel color and a host of other things, and those wedding registries are usually still active for a year or more after the wedding. All you need to do is look up what they didn’t get, and you’re set for the perfect gift. 

A gift that marks their wedding date

Even though the wedding is past, they’re still newlyweds!  Select a personalized gift that marks the date or is imprinted with their names like a door mat, throw blanket (perfect for movie night) or garden path stone. They’ll love having a present that says you still want to celebrate their new status as a married couple.

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Look around. What’s missing? 

If you’re around the couple, take a look around their space and see what’s missing. Is there a lack of art on the walls? How about a gift certificate to an art catalog? Or if the furniture is mostly of the dorm or lawn variety, maybe chip in with friends and give them a gift card towards a new sofa or kitchen table. 

Once you spot the empty spaces, the rest is easy. 

Playtime!

When they were dating, there was always time for fun. But even newlyweds can forget how much fun date night can be. Remind them with an evening out at a restaurant, movie tickets or passes to an amusement park. Or help them with at-home date night with a gift basket filled with sweet treats, wine or snacks for cozy evening by the fire. 

Holiday themed gifts

If you’re buying a present for a holiday, or if one is coming up, items the couple can use to celebrate are a great choice. A big serving platter for Thanksgiving, a picnic basket or cooler for the 4th of July, a Seder plate for passover, or personalized stockings for Christmas are gifts can become part of their family tradition year after year. 

Treats for their pets

I know this may sound silly. After all, you’re looking for help chosing gifts for a newly married couple, not Fido or Fifi.  But so many of the newlywed couples I know love to lavish attention on their pets. So what better gift for the family than something they can use at the park, on a walk or at home on the couch?  Think special dog toys, a new bed or a fancy collar and leash. 

Travel gifts

Newly married couples tend to travel more than people who are busy raising families, so travel gifts are another thoughtful choice. Packing cubes, matching travel pillows and blankets, personalized luggage tags, a carry-on bag, or toiletry kits are inexpensive but useful options. Or go all out and buy the lucky couple a set of luggage. 

Tuition

Not what you think of as a gift? With the price of college, this might well be the most thoughtful gift you can give a newlywed couple if one or both are still in college. A gift towards to the price of tuition or just a gift card to the campus bookstore can take some of the financial pressure off a struggling young couple.