10 Timeless Wedding Gifts You'll Love Forever

Wedding gifts are different from your average birthday or Christmas presents – and not just because you have to share them with your other half.

They’re an opportunity to upgrade on the homewares you’ve had since first moved out, a way to get a head start on the items you’ll need throughout your married life, and a chance for your guests to treat you to some gorgeous things you’ll treasure forever in your home.

But with homeware trends changing as fast as fashion ones, it can be difficult to know what items to add to your wedding registry that will stick. Should you keep it plain and simple, or do you go for something that’s more of a statement?

If you’re looking for timeless buys for your registry – the kind of gifts that will be as practical or as pretty in 20 years time, as they are now – we’ve put together just the list.

With the help of our fabulous partners at The Wedding Shop, these are the enduring additions every couple should consider for their registry…

1. The Good China

I know what you’re thinking. ‘Good China’ – the kind you reserve exclusively for when the Queen, or at the very least, your in-laws, come for dinner – has no place in a modern couple’s home. But I’m here to say it does!

It doesn’t need to have old fashioned patterns or tiny side plates (though I am a fan of those) but it is really lovely to have crockery that’s simply too fancy to chuck in the dishwasher every day.

I have vivid memories of Christmas dinners and long suppers when my parents brought out ‘the good plates’, so for me, they’re a must have on any gift registry.

You and your other half will treasure the memories of occasions that called for the special dining set.

2. Quality Pots & Pans

I’m not talking about the cheap kinds of pans that you toss in the bin because you over-cooked (aka completely burnt!) your porridge.

I’m talking about the kind of pans that, once you season them well and look after them properly, they’ll serve you well for years and years.

My personal favourite? The gorgeous copper pots and pans that look too beautiful to hide away in your cupboards.

One day I’ll have one of those nice kitchen islands I can hang them over!

3. A Casserole Dish

As I type, my crock pot is bubbling away on the stovetop cooking our tortilla soup (let me know if you’d like the recipe, it’s a tasty one!).

We use it for everything. Soups, chilis, stews, curries, it goes on the hob, it goes into the oven, and it’s nice enough to go on the table too!

And because it’s made of cast iron or quality stoneware, it will move with us from home to home, and continue to be a staple in our kitchen forever.

4. A Picnic Hamper

So this one is less of an essential, more of an indulgence, but that doesn’t make it any less timeless.

I remember a lovely big picnic hamper an aunt of mine had, and it came out every single summer. Having something so purposeful and proper for an outing as whimsical as a picnic, is just plain fun – as if you needed an excuse to go off adventuring for the day or to simply eat dinner in your local park.

A jaunty hamper, will always be chic and refined, and with any luck, you’ll be dining out on it (quite literally) until long after your golden wedding anniversary.

5. A Sturdy Mixer

So this won’t be for everyone, but if you fancy yourself as an avid baker, and you love to mix up big batches of scones or multiple tiers of chocolate cake, then a good stand mixer will serve you (and the recipients of your baked goods) well.

While stand mixers can tend to get left in cupboards if they seem like too much effort to take out, add a particularly chic one to your gift registry, and make room for it on your kitchen counter instead.

It will get so much more use, and become a stalwart in your kitchen for years to come.

6. Silverware Accessories

Silverware might not be as trendy as cool Scandi minimalism or copper and marble homewares, but if you’re looking for beautiful accessories that will always be in style, then simple and silver is the way to go.

Think candlesticks, napkin rings, or photo frames, that are classic, elegant, and will look in place in every room and every era, whether shag pile carpets and orange wallpaper make a comeback, or all things organic and rustic stick around for a while yet.

7. Classic Barware

Classic barware is another of those things that will never go out of fashion.

It might tie in with your lifestyle now – shaking up rum cocktails on a Saturday night – and it’ll still have a place years down the line, when you’re pouring some after-dinner tipples.

Whether it’s cocktail shakers, corkscrews, or crystal decanters, if you’re looking for something timeless for your wedding registry, go for barware that’s classic in style and not too trendy.

Think Don Draper in Mad Men and you won’t go far wrong.

8. A Throw Blanket

I always appreciate a blanket as a gift, it’s thoughtful, beautiful, and practical.

And no matter how many I have, I’ll keep them forever and always find a place for them in my home – which makes them the perfect enduring wedding gift.

Opt for neutral tones or solid hues, rather than multi-colours, in classic tweed or tartan patterns for throws that will sit well with any decor.

Best of all, every time you snuggle on the couch with your beau and your blanket, you’ll think of your big day.

9. Scales & Measuring Cups

So, as with a few of our choices on our timeless wedding registry, this might not seem like the most exciting of gifts. But the joy is in the longevity.

You know those items in your granny’s kitchen that she’s had for 50 years, and even though they’re used all the time, they still serve their purpose just as well as the day she got them?

Well kitchen scales, measuring cups, rolling pins or a pestle and mortar, are those kinds of gifts. You’ll appreciate them now, but they’ll mean the world to you when they’re still going strong in 40 years time.

10. Special Occasion Glasses

So I’m one of those people who can’t really be trusted with ‘the good glasses’ – I just have to look at a piece of crystal and it will break, so I was a little dubious about adding these to our picks of ‘timeless’ wedding gifts.

But you know what, getting married means you’re a grown-up, and grown-ups deserve to have nice things.

You don’t want to pop some bubbly or nice wine when you’ve guests, and be scrambling around for every last mug and tumbler in the house to offer them some.

Your wedding registry is a chance to invest in some elegant glassware to use for special occasions – just maybe don’t hand one to your eternally clumsy pal (aka, me!).