Over ten years ago when we were getting married, we were fairly clueless about the etiquette surrounding weddings and, to be honest, we weren’t all that bothered about it. We wanted to give our guests a great day out. We, The Bavarian and I, wanted to have a day we could enjoy too. Above all we wanted simplicity. The order the speeches were made in, the value of gifts, the seating plan – all of that was way down the list of things we were concerned with.

One thing we did want to do properly though was get nice gifts for our best man and our bridesmaid. We avoided the traditional cuff links for him, jewellery for her in favour of more meaningful gifts. Our best man is a whiskey drinker so we gave him a vintage whiskey decanter. My sister, our bridesmaid, was teaching at the time and fell in love with a leather satchel when we were shopping one day, so that was our gift to her.

Later this year that same sister is getting married and I am to be one of her bridesmaids. Again, I would like to get her and her husband a gift that really suits them. As with so many couples these days, they already have a house and children. Coming up with a gift idea isn’t all that easy and I don’t want to just give them money in an envelope.

I’ve been browsing the internet and catalogues for ideas – either for a proper wedding gift or for something small but personal as a reminder of their wedding day and to accompany a voucher or money gift.

Ordering online often makes me feel guilty for not buying local or artisanal products, but there are options out there for getting round that. The independant book shop in our village, for example, lets you order any book you like on their own website. You can have it delivered there or to your own home, just like with the big guys, but you are still supporting a local company.

When Uncommon Goods asked me to take a look at their gift selection, I first looked into who they are. I was impressed – an online retailer who has been around since the early days and supports small manufacturers, artists and their own staff. Not something you come across every day. Uncommon indeed. I took a closer look at their range to see if I could find inspiration for my sister’s wedding present. Here are some of my favourites.

Isn’t this an adorable alternative to the traditional guest book? I think a poster set like this  would go a long way to making their day extra special as well as creating a bit of activity while people are milling around between the drinks reception and the meal. Plus, framed and hung in their home, it would be a subtle reminder of the day and those who celebrated with them.

As a couple their mutual interests are food, music and photography, so something along those lines as a feature for their home was an idea that occured to me. A pair of personalised mix tape pillows for their bed caught my eye. There’s even a B side – how cool is that?

If a mix tape doesn’t say love, then what does?

Of course while I was looking, I *may* have put my eye on an item or two that a bridesmaid might like. I mean, with all the flying I do, this would come in pretty handy. OK, so the tray table wouldn’t look quite as elegant as this marble backdrop, but hey, I’m not fussy.

[Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post but all words, opinions and selection of featured gifts are my own. Photos courtesy of Uncommon Goods LLC]