Standout Wedding Gifts

Hunting for thoughtful presents in unexpected places.

By Heather Summerville

I'm completely ambivalent when it comes to wedding gifts. Half of me wants to play it safe and stick to the registry. The other half wants to branch out and find something a bit more personal. Over the last few months, I've put both methods to the test and come up with some great gift ideas that I hope will impress even the pickiest brides-to-be on my constantly growing list.

My newly engaged friend is just starting to think about registering for gifts. She wanted to go with something less traditional, so I recommended she take a look at Jonathan Adler's site. I recently bought a set of his love/hate mugs for some college friends and they were a huge hit. Buying a present from here--even if it is on a registry--always feels completely thoughtful and unique.

I think group gifts are an excellent idea as well: You can get something really nice without going way over budget. A bunch of my girlfriends and I recently went in on a luggage set for a friend who was having a destination wedding. We found a beautiful leather carry-on from Hartmann's Regatta Collection and filled it with a few beachy
essentials.

My co-worker Emily Hsieh has impeccable taste, and I have her to thank for finding my new favorite site for cool, universally lovable gifts that are completely off the map. She discovered Huset-Shop.com, a site that specializes in contemporary Scandinavian design. I ordered the Bird On A Wire coat rack and a few of the Living Wallstickers for a couple that's preparing for a wedding and moving in together at the same time.

So even though I still go back and forth with registry versus picking it out yourself, the one rule I always stick to is making sure whatever I buy feels personal and useful. And, frankly, fun: Do you really want to be remembered (even if you're remembered fondly) every time the happy couple uses the dish-drying rack or the frying pan?

Heather Summerville is a senior editor at