Thursday, May 29, 2008

As usual, this summer has been a busy time for weddings. Are you at a loss for original gift ideas? Here are some fresh, unique, and fun wedding gift ideas for the last of the summer months to help your favorite couple enjoy the outdoors, celebrate the remaining summer holidays and sunny Saturdays, cool off, strengthen their relationship, and just plain have fun together. There’s a fun and unique summer wedding gift for every personality and every gift-giver budget!

Picnic blanket/basket
Any gift that is related to a park is an instant outdoor date! A lot of stores have picnic basket gift sets. Some of Target’s include a matching picnic blanket. Bed Bath & Beyond picnic baskets come with built-in insulation and picnic dishes. If you’re looking for a great picnic blanket, look for one that has a waterproof bottom, or whip up a quite large-patch quilt out of scrap fabric as a very thoughtful gift.

Kite
You’ll probably want a nylon kite rather than a cheap kids’ plastic one, but you can find suitable nylon kites for under $20 at most stores or at Amazon.com.

American flag
A medium-sized flag for hanging on holidays is an excellent unique gift for newlyweds. You can find flags that include hanging devices for an outside wall or that stick in a lawn. This will help the wedding couple build a great patriotic family tradition from the start!

Two-player games
You can’t go wrong with any game as a wedding gift, but selecting something that works well for two players makes an especially fun and thoughtful wedding gift. My personal favorite is Connect-4. Card games like Uno can work well too, as can puzzles.

Sports equipment
A lot of stores sell sports packs with a net and equipment for badminton and other games. Sports balls make great gifts, like a volleyball or basketball. A good Frisbee is another favorite sports gift. For an even more unique sports gift, buy the couple a Bocce ball set.

Barbecue
We’re not talking about anything with propane, but a small charcoal barbecue is a great under $50 gift. Make the gift set complete by adding a bag of charcoal, a cleaning brush, or tongs.

Fan
A small box fan is a great summer wedding gift, very practical and essential. You can choose a basic box fan, or on a bigger budget look for one that is quiet and can be pre-set.

Cooler
The best selection of a cooler would be not too small and not too large. In other words, pick something that is easy enough to carry for one person but large enough for food (or road trip drinks!) for two.

Ice cream maker
There are a lot of different types of ice cream makers available in the summertime. Large bucket-type ice cream makers that require a layer of ice on the outside are great for parties, but other designs are better for two if you just freeze the inner bucket yourself, no outside ice required.

Beach towels
Great wedding gift ideas, like the ideas above, can be fun, unique, and also very meaningful. Games and tools that will help the wedding couple enjoy summer will also help strengthen their brand-new family. Take the time to enjoy selecting fun and meaningful wedding gifts for the rest of this summer!