Shopping for wedding gifts is always challenging, especially when you are looking for something unique to give. 

But wedding gifts don't have to be expensive – they have to be something straight from your heart that reminds your friend of all the good times you spent together. 

Weddings are an important chapter in your friends' lives, and you'd want to give something remarkable to commemorate this day. 

Most couples create a wishlist, so finding a gift should be simple enough. 

As a friend, go further than the wedding registry and look elsewhere for wedding gift ideas. That's where unique and thoughtful ideas for wedding gifts help. These ideas go beyond the wishlist for the bride and groom and make a memorable takeaway for them.  

A wedding gift is more than just a piece that would sit in your friend's new home. 

So, to help you narrow your search for the perfect wedding gift, we rounded up the best wedding gift ideas. 

In this post, we'll look at 51 personalized gifts that are the ideal souvenir for your friend's wedding.

1. Personalized wedding family portrait made into a paint-by-number canvas 

A personalized gift goes a long way; you have more creative freedom if you know the couple well. You may have already gotten something from the registry, but you may want to go further and honor your tight relationship.

In that case, one can always go right with a personalized painting for your dearest friends. The paint-by-paint number canvas is the perfect wedding gift you can give to your friends – and the best part is you don't have to be Picasso at painting to turn your vision into a reality.

You can create your own paint-by-number picture and enjoy art therapy as you prepare a remarkable and personalized gift for the couple. Just use a favorite photograph of the couple and convert it into a gorgeous painting using numbers.

A great option for this is the Paint by Numbers custom kit. You can customize this with the couple’s favorite photo and DIY paint-by-numbers yourself.

2. Paint your number gift card 

If you're going with the all-time classic gift card, you'd want to make it as memorable as possible. The Paint Your Numbers gift card is a winning wedding gift and perfect for you if you need help deciding on a gift.

So, if you need help deciding what photo to choose for the couple, give them paint your numbers gift card so they can select their photos and use them for custom paint-by-number kits.

3. Personalized first Christmas ornament

Holidays are a memorable time, so gifting a keepsake ornament that'll remind them of their first Christmas holiday is a tremendous idea. It's also something special to hang on their Christmas tree later on.

Research more about the couple, or you can ask their parents. An ornament crafted on a ceramic tile should last a long time. You can also customize the different options, have the names engraved on the ornament, and choose a design you'd like to give. 

Plus, it's a great wedding gift to give when you're on a budget and would want to make it memorable.

4. Mini charcuterie board

Giving a pretty kitchen utensil is a thoughtful wedding gift that your married friend-to-be will cherish and use daily. You can decorate it with a food-safe resin. 

Simple resin is purely decorative since the epoxies endanger food safety, so you'd want to choose an option that still looks pretty and useful for the wedding gift.

There are tons of online pages that you can find to turn this idea into a reality. There are different versions in the market that you can use for the board, but using a food-safe option is the best thing to do when making this wedding gift.

You'll need a mini cutting board, a food-safe resin, mixing cups, stir sticks, disposable gloves, and a silicone mat to work on this wedding gift idea.

5. Mr. and Mrs. doormat 

Something for the newlywed's house will be useful and make them remember you whenever they pass by your gift. A format that welcomes the newlywed couple to their new house is a beautiful gift to get them.

There are many options for doormats that come in the perfect 3D embellishment and withstand all kinds of weather, so you don't even have to worry about durability. 

You can customize the doormat to different font styles, sizes, and whatever you like when customizing the wedding gift.

6. Making an adventure challenge couples edition

Does the couple like to go on adventures or exciting dates? If yes, a great idea is to make an adventure challenge with a year's worth of creative, cute, and adventurous date ideas for the young couple to try out. This is one of the best wedding gifts the couple will receive.

Each adventure that you put in can be hidden. So it'll be a total mystery till you scratch it off and give the couple plenty of experiences to look forward to. 

Suppose you're planning to give a gift with a bigger budget. In that case, you can combine the adventure journal with a Polaroid camera to capture memories and paste them into the adventure journal.

7. Scented just married candles

While other home necessities may get too much to handle, one can only have a few candles. If you're shopping for a couple that already has everything they'll need, a small gesture will be most appreciated.

This small wedding gift is such a sentimental piece to give. You can find online options for a cute small candle with "just married" or "happy marriage" packaging and have the jar personalized.

8. Oval locket

If you're a best friend or close friend of the bride looking for something she'll cherish as a wedding gift, you can never go wrong with a classic oval locket.

You can easily find a classy picture sterling silver or gold-filled pendant and add two sentimental photos from any memorable moments or pre-wedding events into the locket. 

It'll be a special wedding gift your friend will surely cherish.

9. Anniversary journals

Anniversary journals are one of the best wedding gifts that serve as a keepsake the young couple will keep coming back to. You can find so many anniversary journals online with proper sections to commemorate each anniversary the couple celebrates.

Find a journal with prompts and designated spaces to fill up favorite memories from each anniversary – so your friends can look back and think about the times they celebrated with so much love and laughter.

This is surely a unique wedding gift they won't anticipate.

10. Ring video doorbell

If the couple already has a lot of valuable stuff in the house, it's also a good idea to help them upgrade their security. Gifting a ring video doorbell is a great wedding gift. 

Most video doorbells you'll find online come with a video camera that can be accessed directly through their smartphones.

That means the connected smartphone will alert the receiver when someone rings the bell or if motion is detected near the property. So the ring video doorbell is a unique and thoughtful wedding gift.

11. Personalized couple names sign

Your friend may like everything personalized – from the doormat to the mugs. So a sweet and personal present is to give a customized couple's name sign. You can find many vendors and online shops offering customer home décor.

Choose the plank in the material you want – whether it's wood, metal, or anything else – and get their first names printed and joined by a heart. 

It'll be a simple yet traditional wedding gift and probably one of the unforgettable wedding gifts they receive.

12. Coffee hand grinder

Coffee is an all-time classic drink for so many young adults. So if your friend is a coffee-lover, there's no better gift than a hand grinder to help grind fresh coffee beans and brew some amazing coffee.

Small, thoughtful gifts like these make a huge impact. A coffee hand grinder will also be very practical and budget-friendly, so your friends can enjoy fresh coffee without investing in an all-in-one coffee machine.

13. Cake serving sets

If you want to stay on the classic side of the wedding gift list, a cake serving set is the perfect gift. Especially if you’re a friend of the bride, this gift idea will be excellent. 

You can scout for cake serving sets and look for one your friend likes.

Look at vintage designs if your bride-to-be friend is more of an old-school one, or find modern, minimalistic options if she wants to go for clean and minimalistic designs. 

14. Personalized wedding bowls

Personalized gifts hold a special place, and personalized wedding bowls are probably the one timeless gift your friends didn't register for. You can get beautiful customized ones with their names and wedding date.

You can choose from many options like stoneware clay, ceramic bowls, and others, and engrave it with a cute, romantic quote along with their names.

15. Pet carrier

Your friends might be pet parents, so upgrading their travel gear can greatly help. A chic pet carrier can be the perfect addition to help your friends carry their little pets when traveling.

When finding online options, look for mesh panels that promote comfortable ventilation and have a washable inner to help with hygiene. 

It's a unique and thoughtful gift for couples, so they'll never have to leave their pet behind.

16. Mini fridge

Shopping for your friends who already have all the essentials is tricky. Most couples these days already have fully stocked homes. So a great gift can be a mini fridge.

Mini fridges are a practical and stylish addition that can help store some items in their bedroom or anywhere else. 

Whether they want to store a bar of chocolate or chill a can of soda, they can use the mini fridge and make it a practical addition to their living space.

17. Robotic vacuums

Couples that clean together stay together. A robotic vacuum is a great gift for couples. It's one of the top most wedding gifts people seek to give. 

With its fully automated cleaning system, this little machine is the perfect companion for anyone looking to keep a house clean.

The machine glides seamlessly over any surface – carpets, hardwood floors, tiles, and easily cleans them. 

It sucks up the dirt and even picks on pet hair and dander. Most cleaners connect to an app, so it even suggests extra cleaning during shedding or pollen seasons.

18. Personalized compact mirror

Carrying a mirror is essential for every girl out there, so why not make a personalized compact mirror for the bride? This is a great gift idea since your friend will always have this mini mirror in her makeup bag, and every time she uses it, she'll be reminded of you.

You can get this sentimental gift customized to represent your unique relationships and engrave it with your favorite quote on the back.

19. Instant camera

Polaroids or instant cameras are cute gifts that any couple will love. Especially if the couples are lovers of old-school things, an instant camera will surely be a great gift for them. 

This unique gift would stay beside your friends so they can take some special photos by themselves on their wedding day and enjoy them.

20. Monogrammed ice bucket

A monogrammed ice bucket is a great namesake gift for the happy couple. Surprise the groom and the bride with an ice bucket to keep their celebratory drinks cold.

You can find different styles with a gold or silver-plated finish and engrave it with the happy couple's initials. 

It will be a great gift for the duo who love hosting parties and get-togethers.

21. Wedding emergency kit

The maid of honor has a whole duty towards the bride. While trying to make everything perfect, finding a gift for your bride-to-be friend cannot be easy. But a wedding emergency kit can save the day!

Most emergency kits online come with personal care and styling essentials that are a must-have for your friend's wedding day. 

These can include stain remover, dental floss, safety pins, bandages, double-sided tape, and much more. 

Look for a small-sized, compact kit that can be carried like a clutch in an emergency.

22. Pushpin world travel map

We all have that one friend who loves to travel and get on amazing getaways. Gifting this couple something to add to their love of adventure will be very special to them. 

There are loads of awesome wedding gifts for travel-loving couples – one of them is a world travel map.

Give the globe-trotters a memorable gift to track their travels. You can find online options to personalize the size, colors, and other aspects of the map and gift something that will be truly useful.

23. Group video montage

Take some help from technology to record a cute message for the couple-to-be. Gather all the friends from the bride and groom's sides and create a super meaningful and emotional message that shows how much their friends love the couple.

Ask the friend to share videos congratulating the couple, share some funny stories of how they met, or offer well wishes and conceptualize all those videos into a montage. 

The concept is very simple but would make an excellent gift for the couple to look at and remember their wedding day.

24. Jars for spices

Organizing different spices and staple foods is a must, but you'll be surprised that only a few people register for them. And if your friends are one of those people, it provides you the perfect opportunity to give them a beautiful set of jars.

You can look for options online and think about the common spices – like thyme, oregano, basil, cinnamon, and more – and find the perfect set to gift.

25. Embroidered recipe book

If you want to go the extra mile, you can complete a recipe book and make it from scratch. Especially if the bride or the groom is into cooking, it'll be the perfect personalized gift to give them.

You can get a fabric for making the cover, a notebook, some embroidery floss, and a hot glue gun to bring the whole thing together.

It's a great gift if you're familiar with some old-school embroidery and want to give a customized gift.

26. Woven picnic baskets

A go-to picnic basket will be handy for weekend dates at the park, the beach, or anywhere else. Most picnic baskets online come with plenty of compartments to hold things like glasses, plates, cutlery, and other stuff. 

It'll be a great wedding gift for your friends who like outdoor picnics.

You can also add personalized napkins, wine glasses, a better corkscrew, and other utensils to make the gift even more personalized.

27. Portable charcoal grill

A portable grill is such a lovely wedding present for a couple who always hosts outdoor parties and family gatherings and just likes to have a lot of people around them. 

Look for a grill with bottom heat protection with a compact and lightweight design so it can be placed anywhere. 

A removable charcoal tray should also be on your list when looking for a grill so it can be easily cleaned.

28. Air purifier

Air purifiers help keep a living space neat and clean. Not to mention the attractive ambiance they create, making a perfect gift to give anyone. 

They also help capture everything, from dust to pollen to the smell of onions cutting in the kitchen.

The best part is that purifiers aren't noisy and subtly hum as they do their jobs. You can find one that comes in different modes, like sleep mode, low mode, high mode, etc.

29. Personalized wedding keepsake library

Surprise the couple-to-be with a gift they didn't know they wanted: a personalized wedding keepsake library. This gift is like the perfect treasure box for storing all their favorite moments for the big day: the written vows, a flow from the bridal bouquet, the garter, and others. 

A wedding keepsake library helps to keep everything organized too.

30. Textured Pots

Couples who love gardening, plants, and everything green will love this gift. A textured pot will be the perfect addition to their home. You find a textured one to compliment a corner in their home. 

Look for a textured, sophisticated pot that would look perfect in a corner of their new home.

31. Bamboo bath mat for bathrooms

Bathroom mats are an everyday necessity, so why not give something aesthetic and useful to the young couple? That's where you can choose to give an awesome wedding gift, like bamboo bathroom mats, and help the couple say goodbye to soon-to-be soggy mats.

Bamboo bathroom mats are the perfect mats to place. They mostly come with a floor-gripping rubber pad that keeps them in place, while the top design promotes quick dry and air circulation.

32. Personalized wedding gift boxes

Customization is a great idea when giving gifts, so a customized wedding ring holder is another unique gift. It'll come in handy to keep the rings safe when your friend takes them off. 

You can get the gift box made in various materials and laser engraved with the newlyweds' names.

33. 100 dates scratch off poster

For the couple that has everything, you'd want to give them something out of the box and something they'll surely use. You can find many options online for scratch-off and help your friends save time figuring out what to do on their next date. 

They can scratch off a new date whenever they need an idea and follow the plan.  

34. Cookware sets

Cookware sets are a necessity for a new couple. Mostly, these sets might be part of the registry, but one can always use more pots and pans. 

You'd want a cookware set with a standard frying pan, saucepan, sauté pan, and stockpot. 

These four items are the staple utensils sufficient to cook some dishes, fry food, sear meat, boil ingredients, and help around the kitchen when the new couple cooks.

35. A whole year of dates

If you're looking to give more ideas to the couple for their dates, consider giving a full year of ideas for 52 dates! They won't have to think about planning a date for a whole year. 

This gift is super thoughtful, surprising, and unique for the new couple to connect again and again for the first year of their marriage.

36. Wedding album

A classic gift that will stay forever with your friends – an album. This is a gift that any couple would appreciate, a place where they can document their memorable day and catalog all the memories they make when they start a new chapter in their life.

37. Massage guns

Fitness enthusiasts love massage guns. So if the bride or the groom is into fitness, they'll love a little massage gun. These guns are the antidote to muscle-related problems like knots, cramps, and tension.

They come in portable, small sizes so your friends can take them anywhere.

38. I wrote a book about us.

A customized book the bride or the groom can fill in with all their adventures is a great gift. The I Wrote a Book about Us, in particular, comes with prompts so the couple can tell each other why they're in love – making it a truly special gift.

39. Board games

Board games are a fun and interactive way to reconnect and enjoy. There are plenty of options that you can give to help the young couple enjoy a chill night and play the games with some fun activities and challenges.

40. Sunset lamps

A sunset lamp is aesthetically pleasing and a great addition to bring life to some corners of the couple's home. Sunset lamps come with different settings that help adjust the lamp's brightness level.

41. Matching couples bracelets

Matching couple bracelets are a sweet reminder of your friend's special someone when life might keep them apart for a while. It's like taking holding hands a step beyond. 

You can find many options in different shapes and styles to choose from and gift the bride and groom on their special day.

42. Customized star map

Customized star maps are a relatively new gift idea but one that is personal and perfect to give to your friends on their big day. 

You can connect with an online vendor, give them an important date related to the couple, like their first date or anniversary date and its corresponding location, and have it framed as what the sky looked like that night. 

That's a very thoughtful and unique gift.

43. Personalized bathrobes

Bathrobes are an everyday essential, so customizing them is a great idea. You can find so many options online made with 100% cotton and add a personalized touch with the couple's initials and favorite colors.

44. Mini projector

Binge-watching a Netflix show on a laptop is great, but you can make it go to another level with a mini projector. 

Most projectors can be connected to a device and cast a movie or show onto a huge wall, which would spice up the whole binge-watching or movie experience.

45. Light up rose

A light-up rose is a beautiful; decorative piece that your newlywed friend will love. Light up rose comes in a case with beautiful LED lighting, making it perfect for a date night in the house or any romantic holiday.

46. Wooden picture frame

You can get a wooden frame customized with the wedding date and attach a beautiful picture of the couple. Make it more personalized by engraving their names or a love mantra they live by. 

It'll make the perfect marriage gift for them and one of the most creative gifts they'll receive.

47. Heart-shaped pillow

A knitted, heart-shaped pillow is the perfect comforting companion your friend will love. It's a thoughtful keepsake to give your friend on their special day. 

Search for options online that are lightweight, comfy, and just beautiful to look at.

48. Pizza roulette cut and serve board

Pizza is the life of every party, and if the newlywed couple loves pizzas, the cut-and-serve roulette board will be the perfect gift to give. 

The board makes it easier to clean up, and each slice, when taken, reveals a task to complete. Like a standard roulette game, each portion will reveal a task to finish.

49. Personalized Christmas stockings

Feel free to tip into the festivities theme when thinking about Christmas ideas for married couples. Helping the couple personalize their décor is a great idea. 

You can find online stores offering personalized knitted stockings with their names embroidered on the socks.

50. Foot massager

Foot massagers are such a great gift for any working man or woman. After a long day at work, a foot massager can help your friend unwind with their partner.

Many online options have different functionalities to help stimulate blood flow, reduce inflammation, and relax the feet, ankles, and legs.

It's a type of splurge, so the new couple might not have it for themselves, but it's surely an appreciative gift.

51. Bouquet charm

The bride may be stressed about something blue on her big day, so why not solve the problem for her? Check off the couple's something blue with a stunning crystal bouquet charm.

There's a light blue crystal that dangles with a single glass pearl – making it a small but special keepsake to keep after the wedding.  

Takeaway: Get the best unique wedding gifts for your friends to cherish for a lifetime 

Any gift you give will surely play its part in making the new couple's day memorable. But coming up with a gift can be difficult enough.

These 51 ideas are amazing if you want to gift something usable, unique, or personalized.

A personalized gift like a paint-by-numbers custom photo or anything similar can be perfect. 

Get the Custom Paint by Numbers Kit to help the couple create a  memorable photo of their love life.