Top 20 Unique Gift Ideas

You don't have to register for crystal and matching towel sets anymore. Wedding gifts and gift registries can be as unique and personal as you'd like!

We suggest you register for or suggest to your guests items and/or experiences that suit your tastes and lifestyle. Alternatively, if you are on the hunt for a wedding gift for another couple, why not surprise them with something a bit different and pleasantly unexpected?

We've come up with a list of 20 Unique Gift Ideas...something you may never have considered giving as a wedding gift, but you know will leave a lasting impression...whether your buying it for someone else, or listing it on your own wedding gift wish list.

1. A Globe. It may sound odd, but it's a great present! You can usually find them at bookstores, special travel stores (such as The Map Store in Wellington) or special department stores (such as Kirkcaldie & Stains). We have one at home and everyone that comes over always picks it up and looks at it. We also bought one as a wedding gift for our good friends, and they absolutely loved it - especially the groom, as most of their wedding gifts were for the kitchen or home, and he is definitely not what you would call "domestic"!

2. Cranium (the board game). This is a present that you could only give to a couple who genuinely enjoys board games...and aren't destructively competitive! It's also a present you can share with them when you next get together. (* This is Lauren's favourite)

3. A really nice bottle of wine. A beautiful bottle of wine that matures in 5 or 1o years time is a great gift you or they can share on that particular anniversary (make sure, if you are gifting it, that you note that sentiment in the card).

4. A Year at the Movies. If you're movie buffs, why not ask your guests for a year's pass to your local cinema? This is the gift that keeps on giving.

5. Voucher for a good framer. New married couples often have a few of their wedding photos blown up and framed, or even printed on canvas - not cheap, if you have heaps of photos you'd like done. If you are looking for a different gift idea, why not give them a voucher to get their favourite photo matted and framed?

6. Books. Special books, such as an atlas, dictionary or thesaurus, are items you may never have thought to buy for yourselves, but ones you are glad to have they're on your bookshelf! You'd be surprised how much you use them too...

7. Treatments. After the stresses of your wedding are things of the past, it's the best gift...trust me! Giving a bride and groom his and her massages, an afternoon at a spa or special body treatments gives them the chance to relax with one another.

8. Video. If you know the wedding couple isn't planning to have a videographer, why not bring along your video camera and capture the moments of their wedding day for them? I was a bridesmaid in my best friend's wedding last year, and as everything rushed past her and her groom, my husband managed to capture it all on film. He may not be Martin Scorsese, but she did cry with happiness the next day when we told her what we'd done! We then printed special CD cases, and sent her the three DVDs. Now they can sit back and watch their day unfold as often as they'd like.

9. Cleaner. Chances are the bride and groom have been so focused on the wedding that they have neglected their poor house. Then again, who likes cleaning?!? Why not give them a break and organize a housecleaner to come to the home and clean it from head to toe...a great way to start a fresh, new marriage!

10. Honeymoon Preparation Kit. A quirky idea is to put together a honeymoon kit for the married couple. Buy them a cute and practical travel bag, filled with a travel guide to their destination, two disposable cameras, some spending money (in their destination's currency) and items that are weather-specific (scarves if they're going to a cold climate and jandals if they're going to the beach).

11. Dinner for Two. Treat the couple to a romantic dinner at their favourite restaurant, or a dinner for two at a restaurant they've always talked about but never been to themselves. They're more likely to remember the experience than salad tongs! And if you're putting your own registry together, why not ask for a (or multiple) romantic dinner?

12. Quintessential New Zealand Experience. Give them an experience that they'll remember for a lifetime...or create a gift registry that gives you the chance to experience New Zealand up close. Whether it's a wine tour for two in Marlborough (see The Interislander website for their special wine tour packages), a helicopter ride over Wellington or an adventure package for two in Taupo, they'll remember the experience with fondness. Even more, if they live overseas, it's a great way for them to take in a bit of home before heading back.

13. Name a Star. This is probably the oddest one of the bunch, but it's a great gift to give the couple that seems to have everything! It sounds strange, but you can in fact have a real star named after the couple...all you need to do is nominate the constellation, select the date of registration and have the name ready for the star. Find out more at www.redballoondays.co.nz.

14. Homemade Artwork. Lauren and her fiancé gave my husband and me a fantastic wedding gift - they took three photographs of iconic Wellington spots, printed them on canvas, and stretched them themselves. It was a beautiful gift that really captured our styles, personalities and history.

15. Trip to the Psychic. Why not give them an experience they probably never thought they'd have? A trip to the psychic, whether they love the results or laugh at the results, will no doubt be an unforgettable memory!

16. Candid Wedding Album. While the professional photographer snaps away, why not do a bit of your own? Take candid photographs of the couple, the wedding party and the guests throughout the night. Have the photographs printed and create an album for the bride and groom that chronicles the day in a fun way. 

17. His and Her Lessons. The lesson depends on the couple. If they're sporty, what about giving them a set of golf or tennis lessons? If they're more artistic, gift them a series of pottery classes, and if they're intellectual, what about tickets to an upcoming lecture series of interest to them?

18. Greenstone Necklaces. Two greenstone necklaces that intertwine is a great gift, as it gives them something personal, spiritual and meaningful.

19. Frame the Front Page. It may be a bit cheesy, but it would be a great gift to receive! Take the front page of the newspaper on the day of their wedding and have it professionally framed.

20. DVDs. Do you have a favourite television show, movie or series you always wished you both had on DVD? Well why don't you ask for it as a wedding gift! If it's something you both love, it's a gift you know you'll enjoy...unlike those salad tongs, matching towel sets or crystal!