| Flowers and Gifts

The moment that wedding invitations hits your mailbox, the real wedding jitters begin: what is the perfect wedding gift?
No, don't concern yourself with what to wear -- that same suit and safe cocktail dress work well enough -- who you may or may not be sitting with or just how long the drive is from the ceremony to the reception.
Your main anxiety rests solely on exactly what to buy the soon-to-be-wed couple.
One of the safest bets is to follow the registry provided by the couple like a treasure map en route to riches -- in this case, a "Thank You" card from the couple who truly appreciate the gift given. But registries typically read like a child's Christmas list -- often long enough to create more problems than actually solve ones.
The easiest and less traumatic game plan probably isn't quite as difficult once you consider the couple, their age and perhaps their post-wedding agenda.

Plenty of renowned and competent web sites cater to gift-givers that go off the grid John Connor style with ideas that don't necessarily focus on wedding gifts as much as they do gifts that help make the honeymoon even better. Some savvy wedding goers opt to ditch the picture frames and cookware in favor of adding more fun and excitement to the couple's honeymoon. Web sites such as honeyfund.com allow wedding guests to put money toward attractions, restaurants, tours, etc. thus lessening the financial burden on the couple -- especially since they just paid for a wedding.
Not that there is anything wrong with cookware or pictures frames, mind you.
In fact, buying pots, pans, dishes, glasses and flatware could be met with a standing ovation from a couple, especially ones that are "just starting out" and don't have more than a few hand-me-downs such as mom's old toaster and a coffee maker from college. The same could be said for that smelly couch that has seen better days.
Although the aforementioned cookware doesn't exactly reek of amazement or wouldn't be defined as "splash" gifts, the newlywed couple probably will thank you in a few months when they realize the benefit of not eating on paper plates or sitting on the floor while doing so. And while you're at it, throw in a simple, practical cookbook for couples that work and don't mind throwing a quick, delicious meal together in minutes.
Naturally, it should be noted that there's a big difference practical gifts such as bedding and coffee mugs as opposed to something super lame and yawn-inducing like a label maker or one of those address stampers. Those belong in a "Welcome to the Office" basket and nowhere near a wedding reception.
And if you still can't find just the right gift, don't worry: cash still always is king.

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