How Love Languages Are Revolutionising The Art of Wedding Gifting

Walking into a homeware shop, or a florist, or a department store, with nothing more than ‘wedding present’ as your criteria can be incredibly overwhelming. Do I get them salt and pepper shakers, or is that too boring? Do I buy them a bouquet of roses, or will they only last two weeks?

We all ask ourselves variations of these questions, turning what should be a beautiful expression of your shared excitement and happiness at your friends or relative tying the knot, into a pretty stressful experience.

Heartfelt wedding gift ideas come most easily when you consider the love language of those you’re buying for, whether you share a connection with one or both of the lovingly engaged. In this article, we’ll be re-capping on what the five love languages are, before learning how they’re revolutionising the art of wedding gifting, with some creative suggestions to inspire you.

The 5 Love Languages

Before we delve into the art of wedding gifting, let’s take a moment to refresh ourselves on the 5 love languages.

1. Physical Touch

Partners who express their love through this ‘language’ tend to place a higher emphasis on physical contact, which can be as simple as sitting next to each other, or cuddling after a long day of work. Not the easiest to incorporate into wedding gifting, but not impossible! 

2. Quality Time

Quality time can look like giving undivided attention to your partner and spending focused time doing meaningful things together. A weekend away, or simply an evening shared with uninterrupted conversation, can be important quality time for couples.

3. Gift Giving

Perhaps the love language that lends most to strengthening bonds outside of romantic relationships, some feel better able to show and receive affection in the form of presents. This doesn’t always mean material or flashy items, but gestures that show thoughtfulness and love.

4. Acts of Service

For many, acts of service are a way of showing love and appreciation. This can include doing helpful things, such as making a meal, running errands or spontaneous gestures designed to make the other person smile or make their life easier in some way.

5. Words of Affirmation

In some relationships, words of affirmation are how couples show their love for each other. Positive affirmation can manifest in compliments, encouragement and constant support and appreciation, either in off-hand comments or well-thought-out cards.

Experience Gifting Is A Great Alternative

Experience gifts are a relatively new concept that shows no sign of diminishing in popularity, as they’re especially perfect for the friend (or gift receiver) who places a higher value on quality time, though they can easily extend to the other love languages too. As more couples are tying the knot after a prolonged COVID-inflicted pause, experience gifting is a great idea for many.

You can buy experience ‘vouchers’ for all different kinds of activities to suit the tastes of every couple, from a romantic candle-lit dinner at a renowned restaurant (quality time – tick), to a massage and overnight stay at a luxury hotel (physical touch – tick), or a sky-diving experience for the adrenalin junkies (receiving gifts – tick).

Often, experiences can be easier to choose than material objects, and though they won’t last forever, the memory will stay. Just remember to pick an experience that the couple will enjoy, which may not be the same as something you’d pick for yourself!

Personalised Hampers To Shower The Couple

‘To be seen is to be loved’ goes the common phrase, and a personalised hamper, gift set or care package is a great way of demonstrating this to the couple, or the individual(s) who place gift-giving at the top of their love language pyramid.

Collating lots of little things is a budget-friendly way of gifting your friends or family, as the hamper could be as simple as a collection of all their favourite sweet treats, as thoughtful as a postcard collected for them in each city you’ve visited, or as grand as a luxurious champagne and delicacy tasting set. 

You can find many wedding hampers online, or get creative and make your own to match the unique preferences of the couple.

DIY Presents With A Lasting Impact

Sometimes thoughtful gifts that cost more time than money to make are those most fondly treasured. Whether it’s a poem, a secretly decorated hotel room for the morning of the wedding, or a surprise video message from a bride or groom’s favourite celebrity, going out of your way to make something special happen will always be appreciated.

Spending time creating a scrapbook of your memories together, or building a book filled with letters of support or advice for the newly-weds will be most appreciated by those who prioritise acts of service and words of affirmation. The former will be grateful for the time you’ve spent creating a beautiful collation and collage of your friendship, while the latter will pour over the words you’ve written down to solidify this moment in time.

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There are many different avenues to explore when it comes to wedding gifting. Increasingly, it is common for couples to provide a list with suggestions of what they would like stretching across a range of different price points, to take the headache out of coming up with something yourself. 

Don’t be afraid to ask if you’re really stuck for ideas: there might just be one present your fiancé-friend is dying to have as a wedding gift. You can also ask more tactfully to get an idea of their love language if you’re not already sure, and what sort of gifts they would most appreciate. 

Above all, remember that any wedding present will be received gratefully, and understood as a token of your support and celebration of their marriage. It’s a cliche, but it’s true: your presence at their wedding is the greatest gift of all!

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