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More often than not, wedding registries work as they should for everyone involved. The couple gets exactly what they need for the life they’re building together, and guests don’t have to put too much thought into what they should buy. But what if you want to put more thought into your gift? Alternatively, what if you waited until the last minute to shop and now the only thing left on the list is a six-pack of washcloths?
In either case, the most fun option is an off-registry wedding gift. But there’s an art to buying something the couple didn’t select themselves, and how and what you purchase will depend on your relationship with the soon-to-be newlyweds. Perhaps you know them both well enough to feel certain they’ll appreciate a piece of custom art to hang in their dining room. If the bride is your bestie, you could just ask if she minds an off-registry gift, and you might even feel comfortable getting her take on the $500 air fryer oven that will make weeknight dinner a breeze, or the even pricier mop vac that you hope will save them a few spats over at least one household chore. Just don’t forget to include a gift receipt with those big-ticket small appliances.
That cousin you haven’t seen in a decade might be a little harder to buy for, but a quick peek at the couple’s registry might give you some insight into a good supplemental offering. If their list is packed with wine glasses, aerators, and other wine accessories, consider a wine or cheese subscription. Anyone who registers for the best cooking gear will surely appreciate our editors’ favorite finishing oils or a subscription to receive a fancy new pasta every month. And if their list tells you literally nothing about their tastes, you can always get them something cool to help them memorialize their big day.
Here are 17 great off-registry wedding gifts to give in 2024, whether you’re supplementing something from the registry or going completely rogue.
A set of flavored finishing oils
If the couple is known for getting creative in the kitchen, the four flavored finishing oils in this set from Brightland will make almost anything feel like it came out of a high-end restaurant kitchen (I like to drizzle the lemon oil over vanilla-bean ice cream). If you’re looking to spend a little less, there’s a mini version too.
A hand-painted portrait of their home
If the newlyweds also happen to be new homeowners, they’ll likely get a little weepy when they open a hand-painted painting of their home. Just make sure you get a good picture to send to the artist (which also gives you a good excuse to stalk their spot on Zillow).
Their song as wall art
If the couple has a special song they consider “theirs”—or you know the one that will play as they do their first dance as newlyweds—a framed poster featuring the lyrics makes an especially thoughtful gift they can hang in their dining room.
A wine subscription
This wine subscription “for normal people” from Wine Access makes a great gift for people who seem to enjoy wine but have never annoyed you with their vast knowledge of it. Even better, it allows you to select the number of shipments and pre-pay up front so there’s no awkward renewal (or cancellation) down the line.
A cheese subscription
If they have annoyed you by waxing poetic on terroirs and tannins, bypass wine completely. Send them some really good cheese and let them take pleasure in figuring out what the hell to pair with it.
A vintage-inspired decanter
If they already have a cute bar cart or cabinet, they’ll love this vintage-inspired amber glass decanter from Estelle Colored Glass. It’s hand blown in Poland, and unlike something similar you might pick up at an estate sale, there’s zero risk of lead contamination.
A do-it-all countertop oven
A couple that loves to cook will have a lot of fun with this countertop cooker from Breville. In addition to air frying, broiling, roasting, baking, proofing, dehydrating, slow cooking, and of course, toasting, BA’s favorite smart oven connects to the Breville+ app which can be used to precision cook hundreds of recipes at the push of a button. (This is the kind of gift you probably want to check in about ahead of time, though.)
A do-it-all floor cleaner
No mop vac on the registry? If they don’t already have one, it means they probably don’t know it exists—yet. This life-changing floor cleaner vacuums dirt and debris from hard floors while it mops with fresh water and cleaning solution. It probably won’t save their marriage, but depending on how much both parties hate cleaning the floor, it could.
A portable projector
Cinephile couples will love this portable mini projector with built-in speakers, WiFi, and bluetooth connectivity. It's compact enough they could take it on their honeymoon if they’re really that dedicated to movie night. Make the gift even more fun by including some fancy popcorn seasoning.
A high quality bluetooth speaker
There are so many good reasons to have a good portable bluetooth speaker: Outdoor dinners, picnics, pool parties, the list goes on. Sonos makes some of the best speakers in this category, and because they’re water-and-gunk-resistant they’re perfect for adding some ambiance to the kitchen.
A gift card for printing services
One downside to being extremely online is that we sometimes forget to print photos, even the ones that capture the biggest moments of our lives. This might be just the nudge they need to make a hardcover wedding album or get their favorite wedding photos printed and framed with a gift card for a service like Artifact Uprising or Printique.
A Polaroid camera (with film!)
Give them the chance to print pictures the old fashioned way with a new Polaroid camera and plenty of film. Include a sweet card encouraging them to document their honeymoon—or the entire honeymoon phase.
A place to store mementos
Shoeboxes are great for stashing concert ticket stubs and love letters from exes but a wedding
keepsakes deserve more stylish digs, like this wedding keepsake library. This structured storage features little acid-free drawers, vertical files, and labels so they’ll remember what’s what when they go through it on their 30th anniversary.
