The Best Wedding Gifts for Your Spouse-to-Be

Exchanging wedding day gifts with your bride or groom provides a prime opportunity to remind them that you are thinking of them as you suit up for the day. A small, heartfelt note is enough to melt their hearts, but spoiling your soon-to-be spouse is always fun (as is getting spoiled in return!).

If you’re trying to figure out the perfect wedding day gift for your bride or groom-to-be, we've got you covered. My first bit of advice? Don’t overthink it. You can find peace in that your betrothed is poised to receive, quite literally, the best gift possible on the big day: spending the rest of their life with you! Anything else is just a bonus.

Remember that you know them better than anyone else and use that intel to your advantage. What hobbies does your groom discuss with you for hours on end? What fine-jewelry retailer account did your bride send you via direct message on Instagram? How many occasions (in the last week alone) has your groom dropped the suggestion of heading to the animal shelter after tying the knot? What’s one little luxury that would take your home date nights or honeymoon travels to the next level? Let the answers to these questions marinate, then shop my curated gift guide with 38 failproof wedding day gifts in the links below.

For the Life of the Party

Celebrate your bride or groom-to-be and the love you share with a spirited token for the occasion. You can take a traditional approach with an engraved decanter and glasses set or go contemporary with a pastel stemware set that doubles as art when parked on your open-air kitchen shelves.

For the Classic Type

If you’re unsure what to gift your bride or groom, remember: the classics never disappoint. Spoil your sweetheart with timeless tokens they can wear on the big day and wear for the rest of their lives, like traditional silver cufflinks, a dainty diamond necklace, a pearl bracelet or a custom-engraved watch.

Another idea? Wedding day perfume. Before our wedding, my husband and I spent an afternoon at the mall and sampled tons of colognes and perfumes at different department stores. We gifted each other our favorite scents and waited to open the bottles until our wedding day. Each time we put on our fragrances, we time-travel back to our big day four years ago.

For the Homebody + Entertainer

Home is where the heart is — especially for the host-loving groom or homebody bride in your life. Appeal to their love of entertaining and unwinding at home with cozy keepsake gifts they’ll cherish for years.

The baker extraordinaire will swoon over the iconic Kitchenaid Artisan Series Tilt-Head Stand Mixer, and a home chef will adore the personalized cookbook, pro-worthy pan or an Italian copper braiser topped with two brass lovebirds. The retro-inspired Bluetooth record player is perfect for playing the soundtrack of your life, and sentimental dishes or plates will double as wall art or bedside trinket trays.

And for your binge-watching partner for eternity — a personalized blanket and monogrammed bedsheets will earn you that win.

For the Traveler

Treat your soon-to-be to some quality travel gear to prepare for your upcoming honeymoon. Sleek monogrammed luggage with your shared surname initial (if that’s part of your plans) is a great way to set the tone for the new adventures ahead. A luxe leather duffle or classic weekender bag is perfect for the wedding weekend and beyond – and little extras like travel silk pillowcases, a leatherbound journal or a travel watch case are prize-worthy presents, too.

For the Sports + Game Lover

If your playful bride or groom loves nothing more than dominating game nights, going head-to-head with you at the tennis court or golfing on the weekends (same), I have some ideas for you. Spoil them with the gift that keeps on giving with gear that speaks to their competitive spirit.

Nostalgic board games reimagined with luxurious materials are phenomenal and will become a keepsake you’ll look forward to pulling out for years to come. A chic monogrammed tennis tote or golf bag is guaranteed to earn you some love; lawn games, wall darts and a sports-inspired coffee table book will do the trick, too.