Wedding presents.

I still have a dinner service (half service six of each), pyrex dishes, Welsh tapestry blankets and a Merino blanket from our wedding 1962, together with silver canteen of cutlery and a tea
and coffee set of Denby Ware

In 1976 when I married ( the first time) I was incredibly lucky. My godfather lived in New York and his mother who lived in the uk midlands died. He offered us the entire contents of the house on the condition that we collected everything asap. Everything in the house had been given to his parents on their wedding in the 1930s and had been really well cared for. Much of the furniture, carpets and accessories were art deco and beautiful. We were given everything from the furniture, beautiful crockery, carpets, single tub washing machine ( with mangle) lamps and ornaments. Until we had retrieved all of this we had only cardboard boxes as tables and bare floors. It was amazing.
Bits and pieces have got lost over the years but I still have a few pieces. I lost touch over the years but when I spoke to my godfather a couple of years ago on the phone and just before he died I was able to remind him of his gift and tell him that his father’s ladder back chair and a few other items were in daily use after all these years. I will never forget his kindness.

The last couple of weddings I have been too, the couple have asked for, financial contributions to their honeymoon

My ironing board, a gift from an aunt which I only got rid of recently. It lasted well but looked very shabby. My sister bought me a Tower slow cooker. I used it for many years but as you couldn't remove the pot to clean, I ended up ditching it a few years ago. Such a shame as it had so much more life left in it.
I loved my country style tea and dinner set. I used the plates everyday but as the children came along various pieces ended up broken, but at least I can say I used it unlike the China cups and sauces that only came out for christenings and Christmas.
All I have left now is a brown coffee set with tiny cups and saucers. It's never been used as totally impractical. The stickers are still on the bottom of the cups. It lives in the kitchen dresser with one of those brown hens which for sentimental reasons I cannot part with.

I got second a second hand twin tub which I loved second hand lebus wardrobe a set of cutlery place mats table cloth pictures carving set which is still in use my dear MIL had a bottom drawer with dish cloths dusters cups and saucers dessert bowls bit of stainless steel all job from charity shops

All sounds very familiar! Married in 74 and we were given a Kenwood chef. I regret dumping it a year or so ago and buying a new Kenwood - no where near as sturdy! Pressure cooker which I used for years , a china dinner service from my parents in law - I thought that was very sophisticated, my Mum had an assortment of crockery!! Pyrex
dishes , an assortment of towels, drinking glasses, casserole dishes you name it we had it. No lists handed out we were just thankful for what we received. My dinner service is still in one piece and has been used - occasionally. Think now I will invite family round and put it to good use. Happy memories!

I don't think, I have been to a Wedding in recent years where there is a wedding list.
Most young couple, now have an Bank account you pay what you want into. They tend to use the total amount for a Honeymoon or use it towards something substantial for their new home.

I remember my Dad's reaction and comments when he was presented with a wedding present list from his niece. It was the first time he had seen one and considered it rude to expect people to buy from a list. It does make sense though, providing there is a range of prices to suit all pockets.

We married in 1969. A low key wedding at the Registry (Register?) Office. The people I worked with bought us a Pyrex dinner/tea service. I think the design was Chelsea. The pattern was blue. We still have the gravy boat. As I recall, people bought us towels, sheets, saucepans and other bits n bobs. Exciting times.

Wooden salad bowl with servers
Towels and tea towels
Spiked metal meat dish (still in use 40+ years later)
Carving knife and fork
Kitchen scales
Pyrex roaster (still in use)
Kenwood hand food mixer (lasted about 35 years then blew up)

The rest of our needs were met by the very cheap Wilkinsons stores.

We never made a list in 1967, we were very appreciative of what we had been kindly bought. I still have partial sets of fish knives and forks, dessert spoons and soup spoons also wedding presents.

We had lots of towels some of which are still in use. A plastic measuring jug given to me by a work colleague gets used every single day. Our fish knives and forks get even more use these days as I now eat a lot of fish.

We were very lucky and had a Hoover from my husband grandmother, the type with a brown fabric bag at the side, a twin tub from my in-laws and a 3 piece suite and bed from my parents, all lasted us a years. They only other I can recall is a glass dish in the shape of an Apple from a work colleague, which I still have 46 years later.

Most of my Wedgewood china, still used regularly; one plate from the Midwinter Spanish Garden set; the Ercol pine dresser and some chairs, a Le Creuset casserole, an awful lot of cutlery and cut glass, some stainless steel dishes, which I didn't want, and still don't like, but they lasted well. All very early 70s.

I chose things from the Argos catalogue, wrote them on a separate page in a little ring binder, with the Order No, and that was sent round to everyone in the months leading up to the wedding for guests to tear out the page of the item they were buying us.

Worked perfectly well as everyone seemed to live locally then, or I read out over the phone and they called back with what they wanted to buy us due to the budget they could afford.

My husband’s work asked what we would like for a wedding present and I said a good steam iron. The wife of one of his bosses vetoed that and they got us a very posh canteen of cutlery, wooden box and all. I kept it for “best “ and used the Boots set a friend of ours gave us for every day. Now I have downsized and there’s just me I am finally using it. We were also very lucky that my godfather had an electrical shop and gave us a 12” black and white tv.

1972 - still got 2 of my green tefal non-stick saucepans. Non-stick was the miracle of the 70's I think!

Also still have my Moulinex blender/liquidiser which makes one hell of a noise but still does a better job than anything since! Actually I've still got quite a few of my wedding presents still in working use - got rid of the husband though - he turned out to be of neither working use or any use at all really.

I think so many couples co-habit before (or if) they get married now that they've got most household stuff.

I'm not a fan of the money for the honeymoon as presents but that seems to be acceptable these days.

When we married 45 years ago.
My mum got a duplicate book. I could then write what we wanted or needed.
Guests took out the top copy and wrote their name on the second page.
This was passed around the relatives and our friends.
Nothing was duplicated and we got the items we wanted.

All except 'Auntie Peggy' who ignored the book but gave us a very large box. Delivered to mums house, some I can remember

Every cleaning item you can think of.
Plant pots.
Address/telephone book.
Pens and notebooks.
Pegs, washing line.
Toilet roll, tissues and kitchen roll.
Batteries and light bulbs.
Lots more but can't think of the rest.
As she said a home is not just having a kettle or toaster it's the little things that are needed.

We had a wedding list.
People coming from miles away and who didn't really know us had asked my mother (rpeatedly) for ideas and once done then said it was useful to choose. I admit I like a list now for others but didn't like it at the time.

We had all sorts gifted - kitchen stuff from a Chef friend of Mum and Dad's (such as a pastry brush, measuring cups, wooden spoons and Fiskars kitchen scissors, glass towels etc).
We had a very "swish" colander from my husband's mother's cleaner.

Plenty of small things on the list - along with more expensive things - Wedgwood china items (some people bought us a pair of bowls for example) - and a beautiful Rosenthal tea set and some very plain crystal glasses.

What I hate to give now is "money towards a holiday"! I don't know why.
I'd rather give (say) John Lewis vouchers and let them spend it later (in waitrose if necessary!!)..

A Kenwood Chef, rice cooker, Pyrex casserole dishes x 2 sets (both sets still in use, 1 lid broken) Pyrex mixing bowls. Pewter cruet. Canteen of cutlery. Dinner service.

I can’t think what else, this was 1970.

I think we were offered things, rather than requested them. The out-laws suggested a G-plan teak dining room suite. My DM, who worked at the electricity board, got us a Belling double oven cooker and using her discount my Gran added a tall fridge, with a little freezer compartment to the list.
I remember an Aunt coming up with an electric fire in a teak surround from a local company’Be Modern’.
We had already used DH’s company discount on various products (can’t say, as it could identify) but they also gave us a sizable voucher which we used for one of those wardrobe/dressing table units that were popular in the ‘70’s. I remember we only had one bedroom furnished for quite a while.
We’d lashed out on a Toothill sofa and chair from my Dad’s shop, using his discount and we rented a tv from Granada. B-in-Law had worked for various companies so we had Tower pans and Arthur Price cutlery!
We didn’t display the gifts but I’m sure we got a toaster, iron and kettle given, as well as the usual towels, cookery books etc. We were avid Green Shield Stamp savers and got quite a lot of household stuff from there.

We still had a lot of ours until recently - a dinner service and cutlery set, the remains of which were still in use. To this day I don't know what happens to knives and forks and how they disappear. They were all replaced when we had out kitchen refitted a few years ago.

An alarm clock which went out of service when we got mobile phones.

We still have 2 of the 3 stainless steel saucepans - can't remember what happened to the third.

We've still got a few things we got as wedding presents - 40 years ago! The main thing was a complete Royal Doulton dinner service, which was never out of the packing crate it arrived in, so funnily enough, just this week we sent it to the saleroom along with stuff from clearing out my inlaws' house. And does anyone remember the 'showing of presents', when you laid everything out for people to see, and they got a cuppa and sandwiches, cakes etc. Was that just a Scottish thing, or did it happen elsewhere too?

Ah that’s so nice Witzend! A lovely question to ask you.

I don’t think off hand we’ve got anything from our wedding day. Each other though still, which is beyond rubies.

A Kenwood Chef - in 1974. Still going strong, though it did once go on the blink, but was soon fixed.

The only other thing we still have is an ornate little Indian silver box, from a sister who asked whether we’d like something beautiful and useless.