Things the happy couple will LOVE without leaving you bankrupt
This post is all about the cheapest wedding gift ideas.
Let’s face the facts: Just because someone you know and love is getting married doesn’t mean you have all the money in the world to spend. But the good news is that there are great affordable options out there! Here’s a round up of some of the cheapest wedding gift ideas that the happy couple will still love.
I know firsthand that it can be hard to splurge on your friends and family members when they’re getting married. Especially if it’s peak wedding season and you’ve got multiple weddings to attend.
But you still want to show them you love them, right?
As someone who just got married myself in my early 20’s, I can tell you from experience that some of our FAVORITE wedding gifts ended up being the cheaper ones. You do NOT need to spend beyond your means to make your friends feel loved!
This blog post will give you some of the best wedding gift ideas under $50.
This post is all about the cheapest wedding gift ideas.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll earn a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Our full disclosure policy is pretty boring, but you can read it here.
CHEAPEST WEDDING GIFT IDEAS:
Tea towels are honestly one thing you can never have enough of because everyone always needs a good kitchen towel set or two. Plus, if they're cute or match the taste of the couple, it'll be the best cheap wedding gift they get!
My husband and I got a set of wooden cooking utensils from one of my college-aged friends for our wedding. It was the perfect inexpensive gift because it's something we use ALL. THE. TIME for cooking but I know my friend was able to stay in their budget as a student with these!
I love the idea of getting a special gift with a personal touch on your wedding day. This monogram cheese board is surprisingly affordable even though it looks like such an expensive gift!
This is such a thoughtful gift. I've purchased it for multiple friends when they got engaged, although it makes a perfect wedding gift, too.
This is the custom wine bottle label I've purchased several times. I indicate what I want it to say (usually I write "HERE'S TO FOREVER" and the couples' names) and then upload one of their engagement photos (I always just download this off their Instagram or Facebook accounts haha). Then, it arrives in the mail and I just buy a bottle of wine that fits my price range and replace the label!
The label comes with instructions on how to replace any wine bottle label.
Oil diffusers are one of the best cheap wedding gifts if you want to buy them something nice without spending a lot of money.
They'll use it a lot and it is a great standalone gift!
Every newly married couple needs some good cooking utensils, and silicone cooking utensils are some of the best and most durable ones out there.
The great thing is that you can get a decently big set of them without having to splurge!
Placemats always come in handy for the couple who likes hosting family or friends for dinners here and there. If you don't know what to get someone for their wedding, a set of neutral place mats is always a great option.
We got personalized coffee mugs for our wedding and I thought it was such a thoughtful present. We still use our mugs to this day!!
If you're looking for small wedding gifts that are simple to put together, get an inexpensive frame and a photo of the happy couple and print out a poem that you think suits them. This is such a thoughtful gesture and a great way to commemorate the couple's new life!
You could get this blanket with their last name on it and it would be such a cute gift!! Honestly, you can never have too many blankets!
Married couples don't just need cooking appliances and photo albums. They also need home decor!!
Find a print or painting from a local artist you think they'd like and gift it to them! Or, you can buy one off Etsy like this.
A pretty drink pitcher like this is perfect for a couple who loves hosting. Imagine this in the summers with iced tea or lemonade, or in the fall with apple cider!!
You can search Etsy for a vintage drink pitcher, there's always great stuff there!
Everyone needs some good throw pillows!
The great thing about buying throw pillow inserts & covers is that it's a unique gift. Nobody else will buy the same throw pillows as you (probably) so whenever the couple sees them on their couch, they'll think of you!
If the couple you're shopping for are coffee lovers, a pour-over coffee maker is the way to go!
This is one of my favorite kitchen gadgets that I swear by that we got as a wedding gift.
They're a great standalone gift because it's something that probably nobody else will think of, but it'll come in super handy!
We got a stovetop espresso maker for our wedding, and at first I wasn't sure about it, but it's what I use 90% of the time for making coffee now.
It's seriously one of the easiest things to use and clean. So, if the couple you're shopping for loves their coffee, this is a great unique option!
Again with the coffee themed gifts!! But seriously, when it comes to budget wedding gifts, coffee-themed gifts are great because most adults are coffee drinkers and there's a lot of coffee-related items you can buy for cheap.... Like this french press!!
Food storage is a part of every single person's life and there's simply no way around it.
That's why a ceramic canister set is honestly one of my favorite cheap wedding gift ideas. It's something that literally anyone and everyone could make use of, while being something really high-quality and durable that they'll have for a long time.
Not only are these kettles cute, they're also affordable and the perfect tool for both coffee & tea. What's not to love?!
When it comes to looking for wedding gifts on a budget, you really can't go wrong with a classic salad bowl!
This is the one we got for our wedding and I'm still obsessed with it!!
I'm convinced that EVERYONE needs a waffle maker. The ability to make waffles whenever you want is... truly life changing.
I know most people use their phone as an alarm clock these days, but it's so nice to have something that always displays the time and that can be a backup alarm clock in case you ever need it.
I put this alarm clock on our wedding registry and I seriously have no complaints. It's my favorite alarm clock I've ever owned because it also shows the temperature and humidity of the room, and it's really nice being able to use it as an alarm so that I don't have to rely on having my phone around so much.
No one can refuse a good cutting board! A wood cutting board is perfect if you're looking for cheap wedding gifts that look expensive.
This is another item that my husband and I were given for our wedding, and we LOVE it.
It makes it so much easier to sort your laundry, especially when you're dealing with two people's laundry and not just your own.
You really can't go wrong with the practical gifts when it comes to weddings!
This wood fruit bowl is cute and decorative while being something practical and useful for the new couple!
This is one of those things that's a bit more unique and fancy. It's not a NEED, but it sure is nice to have... And since it's so affordable, it makes the perfect inexpensive wedding gift for the couple you know!
Small snack bowls are seriously useful for so many reasons.
Dips, sauces, or even just little snacks... There are so many uses for these, which is how I know the couple you're shopping for will truly appreciate them!
Any couple who likes to enjoy a drink here and there will surely make use of a good decanter!
These wine glasses are so classy and elegant. The couple you're shopping for might already have wine glasses, but I'm almost 100% sure they don't have any as gorgeous as these!!
If the soon-to-be-married couple you're shopping for are fans of cooking or baking at all, these spring form non-stick cake tins are a must for them to have! Cake tins like this are most definitely one of the winners of the cheapest wedding gift contest haha.
If the soon-to-be-married couple you're shopping for are fans of cooking or baking at all, these spring form non-stick cake tins are a must for them to have! Cake tins like this are most definitely one of the winners of the cheapest wedding gift contest haha.
We probably got at least 3 throw blankets around the time of our wedding, but I can honestly say I'm glad we did because you never run out of the need for blankets.
Every time we have friends over it's great because it's not like we just have one throw blanket lying around... there's enough for everyone (and enough to switch up the decor when we want to)!
Pot holders are similar to tea towels in the sense that you can never have too many.
They're bound to be misplaced, or get dirty, and having extras on hand is always helpful. Especially if this couple will ever be hosting dinners where they might have several dishes to put out at once (*ahem*... thanksgiving?!)
Silk pillow cases are a GAME. CHANGER.
So comfy to sleep on and so much better for your hair and your skin. I know this sounds like the kind of thing that a lot of guys might not care about, but trust me... Once they both start sleeping on silk pillow cases, they'll never go back!
I love this because it LOOKS like a big-ticket item, but it's so affordable! And this is such a personal gift that the couple will cherish forever.
38. Your favorite board games
Every family needs to have board games on hand. Buy them your favorites and it will make such a nice gift!
Everyone needs a few good mixing bowls of different sizes.
These ones are great because they also have a pour spout, which makes cooking and baking even easier and less messy!
A hand mixer is another one of those kitchen gadgets that makes for one of the best cheap wedding gifts for the big day!
41. Bottle of Wine
When all else fails, you can never go wrong with heading out to your local store and getting them a good bottle of wine. You can get something really great for even $20-$50!
42. Gather 3-5 friends to pitch in for a big gift
Another option if you don’t like the idea of getting a “smaller” or more inexpensive gift, is to ask around and find 3-5 friends to pitch in for a bigger gift that you know the couple wants.
This is one of those things that's not necessarily a *need* but sure makes for a classy and unique gift!
Some couples love the tacky matching stuff and others don't.
I'm personally not the hugest fan of matching "Mr" and "Mrs" stuff, but bathrobes ARE where I would make an exception because come on, who wouldn't want a great bathrobe?!
Plus, these ones are not tacky at all. They're actually super cute!
If you're looking for a cheap bridal shower gift, get this!! I got one for my bridal shower and everyone was seriously so jealous.
Having a picnic set on hand is great because it makes for the perfect inexpensive date or adventure day, and it's something you'll have for a long long time!
47. Gift cards
Some of our favorite gift cards we got for our wedding was to restaurants and airbnb, but you can get any gift card you think the couple would love!
An inexpensive charcuterie board set is a great option of what to get a couple for their wedding if you want something a little more fun & classic!
Coasters are not only a practical gift, but they also make for great decor when they're not being used!!
One thing is for sure about a dip bowl... Not only is it the cheapest wedding gift for couples who want to host people at their house, but it's also something that will 100% get used!
This is a classic staple that would be perfect to throw in a gift basket or pair with another kitchen-related gift!
Before I got married, I really underestimated how much I would want and need jewelry dishes...
They're great to have laying around the bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom so that if you ever want to take your ring(s) off for the sake of washing dishes, sleeping, etc., you have somewhere easily accessible that you can put them.
Nothing better than a nice, old school photo album for your wedding photos!!
54. Date night in basket
I got a date night in a basket as a bridal shower gift and my husband and I loved using it. You can easily run out to a local store and grab things like a card game, puzzle, snacks, chocolate, and bottle of wine and you’ve just planned a whole date night in for the lucky couple!!
This is great because you can make it the cheapest wedding gift easily by deciding what you can actually afford to put in it.
55. Cash
And if you still don’t feel passionate about any of these gift ideas, I can tell you from experience that no couple will complain about getting some good ol’ cash, even if it’s just a $20 😉
56. Custom recipe book
This idea is a little DIY but it’ll be one they NEVER forget… Get a bunch of the wedding guests to send you their favorite recipes and then compile all the recipe ideas and print them into a custom cookbook for the couple.
This is such a unique wedding gift because it’s so personalized!
My mom actually bought us this for my engagement party gift when I was getting married and I think it's such a good idea for any couple. It makes for the perfect go-to date idea!!
This is a great gift idea that will help the couple continue to spend quality time together. There are a bunch of date ideas in little capsules in a bottle and they have to pick one at random and then do the date!
This wedding present will be a great addition to their Christmas decor in their first year married. We had someone get us an ornament like this and it hangs on our tree every year!
Champagne flutes is a perfect gift idea for newlywed couples!
You can never go wrong with a candle for any special occasion!!
Every couple wants to remember their special day, so a wedding date ornament is such a thoughtful wedding gift!
63. Marriage advice scrapbook
This one is another DIY gift, but it would be perfect for any close friend or family member to create. Go around asking married couples on the guest list what their secret is to a happy marriage. Compile all the responses into a scrapbook and give it to the couple so they forever have advice from their loved ones!
This is one of my favorite gifts for couples who don't mind something a little cheesy. These caps are definitely a bit cheesy but so cute!!
I don't think I know anybody who DOESN'T want a cast iron pan right now.
If you're on the hunt for a cheap wedding gift the happy couple will definitely make use of, this is a great option!
Which of these cheap wedding gifts will you be buying for the newlyweds you know?
This post was all about the cheapest wedding gift ideas.
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