Saturday, May 22, 2010

How to Give the Perfect Gift to Your Party or Wedding Guests

Trying to find and give the perfect gift for your wedding or party guests can feel like trying to be comfortable when you're having excruciating back pain. There are so many moves you could make and things to consider.

What type of gift would everyone probably like? How much money should you spend? A gift that's perfect for one person might be all wrong for the next person, a gag gift could come off as "hokey", and you don't want to give them a silly or non-useful gift, or food that they don't like, and send the wrong message.

Use discernment

If you decide to have a large party or large wedding reception, you don't have to give each person a gift. You just spent a small fortune, which is gift enough. If you decide to host a smaller gathering and want to give everyone a present, then do so. But keep this in mind: if you're hosting an annual event (such as a holiday) and the main reason for getting everyone together is to celebrate the annual occasion, and you give a gift to your guests, attendees might expect a gift every year and feel pressure to reciprocate - unless you specify that this was a one-time deal. If you're planning to invite just a few people, a small gift for each person may be appropriate.

Don't make it personal

Irregardless of who you're thinking of buying a gift for, don't give predictable tchotchkes that will remind your guests of a theme park souvenir; i.e., a coffee mug or picture frame. People hate to admit it, but they often throw gifts like these out. Pass on giving gift certificates for beauty treatments (unless it's an all-girl or Mommy-based party) or perfume. These types of gifts are too intimate.

Tailor-made

Of course you don't want to give a gift that could be taken as being a bit too overly familiar, yet you do want to exhibit that you put some thought into the gift.
Cater-Hater Tip: When you're only buying gifts for a few people, if you know that a couple of them are collectors of a particular thing, it might be a good idea to go in that direction. However, if you have a guest or two that you don't know that much about, choose something that just about anybody could use at work, like a beautiful ink pen or an organizer from a museum gift shop. If you're completely stuck and don't know what to buy, try a coffee-table book of photographs. And, there's a good chance you'll catch something wonderful on sale at a Borders Bookstore.