Weddings have always been a time of gifts. In traditional cultures, brides came with dowries and trousseaux – gifts to contribute to their upkeep in their new family. In others, gifts were to the bride’s family to compensate for the loss of a daughter.
Thankfully, these days, marriages are a bit less transactional and gifts abound. Couples give each other presents in addition to their rings, they gift to their bridesmaids, ushers and best men. They, in turn, give to each other and everybody wants to give something truly thoughtful and special to the happy couple. But what is the perfect gift? Something that will contribute to the whole experience and endure in people’s memories long after the happy day.
More and more people are turning to the Wedding Hamper as a uniquely versatile and thoughtful gift. Unlike the restraints of defaulting to something from a wedding list, a Wedding Hamper allows you to select exactly the items you want. It enables you to demonstrate your own individuality and your genuine knowledge of the recipient(s), you can incorporate truly bespoke and hand-crafted elements, you can include humorous and heartfelt elements and, best of all, you can work to any budget you choose. What’s not to love?
We’ll take a look at how to put together a perfect Wedding Hamper that will go straight the heart of the recipient and stay with them long after the main event. Whether you’re a bride a groom, a parent, a bridesmaid, a groomsman an usher or a guest, we’ll inspire you with the sheer variety of options to create a truly personal gift.
Some themes for your Wedding Hamper
Having a theme for your hamper is a great way to make it hang together and not feel like a random selection of individual items. This reinforces the sense of thoughtfulness in how you have put it together and how much you care about the recipient.
🛁 Self-Care & Pampering Hampers
These are particularly appropriate for brides, newlywed couples, bridesmaids but you will, no doubt, be familiar with plenty of bridegrooms who wouldn’t be averse to a bit of self-grooming of their own.
Items you might include could be:
- Luxury bath salts or bath bombs
- Silk eye masks
- Scented soy or beeswax candles
- Essential oil roller blends
- Skincare miniatures (e.g. serums, masks, creams
- Beard oils and shaving accessories (where appropriate)
- Organic herbal tea blends
- A witty handwritten note or calming affirmation card
You can make the whole package feel even more personalised with a monogrammed robe, towel or flannel.
🍫 Gourmet Food & Drink Hamper
These will always go down well, especially with foodies and couples who love a bit of indulgence. You can time the delivery of your hamper so it can be enjoyed on the lead-up to the big day, on the day itself or as they return home to start married life. These can be as big or small as you like, but they should feel well thought-out and considered.
Items you might like to include are:
- Artisan chocolates or truffles
- Small-batch wine, prosecco, or non-alcoholic alternatives
- Cheese board essentials: crackers, oat cakes chutney, honey
- Coffee beans and a grinder or gourmet and herbal teas
- Personalised champagne flutes or designer cheese knives will add a memorable and luxurious touch to the wedding hamper
🏡 Home & kitchen essentials hampers
Not all brides and grooms are spring chickens, but those that are, and those setting up home afresh, will love a hamper packed with lovingly chosen items for their new home.
The list of potential items is vast but you might like to include:
- Monogrammed tea towels or napkins, to add a unique touch of class to their kitchen
- Inspiring recipe cards or cookbooks
- Those handy kitchen gadgets like a milk frother or garlic press
- Designer or personalised mugs or coasters
- Small indoor plants such as succulents or perhaps a herb planter and seeds
✈️ Honeymoon Travel Hamper
Honeymoon preparations can take a back seat in the wake of wedding planning, so doing a bit of forward thinking for your happy couple might help things go more smoothly.
Fun things to include might be:
- Matching passport covers and luggage tags
- Travel-size toiletries and sunscreen
- Compact travel pillows, sleep masks or ear buds
- Guides to their destination and inspiring reads
- Currency pouch or money belt
- Travel journal, go pro or waterproof camera to record the adventure
❤️ Date Night-In Hamper
Not every couple will jet straight off on honeymoon. For them, a hamper to create the perfect date night-in will make their time at home extra special.
Items you could include to set the mood for a romantic night-in might be:
- Movie night popcorn + gourmet snacks
- DIY pizza or pasta kits
- Perhaps a massage kit - complete with guide and scented oils
- Board or card games like backgammon can be a lot of fun
- Scented candles and wine will help set a romantic mood
- A Spotify playlist QR code to provide the mood music
Some unique & niche Wedding Hamper Ideas
The joy of hampers is that you can forge your own path, especially if you are creating a DIY hamper. Customising your wedding hamper will just add to its personality and uniqueness and make it feel really intended for to people you are giving it to.
🌿 Eco-Friendly Wedding Hamper
If your newlyweds care as much about the planet as they do about one another, put together a hamper that reflects that.
You can let your imagination run riot with what is going to appeal to everyone from fervent eco warriors to armchair environmentalists. Think about:
- Reusable beeswax wraps
- Organic cotton or bamboo towels
- A subscription to a biodiversity or rewilding charity
- Vegan snacks
- Locally-made artisan products and delicacies
- Remember to carry the theme through to your hamper’s presentation, with reusable or recycled packaging materials
💰 Luxury vs Budget Hamper Ideas
You don’t need to splash out to make a big splash. Ingenuity and creativity are a great replacement for hard cash and if you have a creative streak, you can make it truly individual with your own poetry or artwork.
- If you are working to a budget under £30 you could still stretch to some handmade soaps, a couple’s photo frame and a box of delicious chocolates
- A more mid-range budget of £30–£100 will enable you to think about choosing some custom keepsakes. Complement these with premium snacks and perhaps some quality wines
- A wedding is a special occasion so it’s only natural to want to push the boat out. With luxury wedding hampers, the sky’s the limit. Kicking off from £100, your wedding hamper should be dressed to impress and could include spa vouchers, crystal glassware (with something extravagant to go in it) and luxury designer items.
- Spa vouchers, crystal glassware, designer items
🌍 Cultural or Religiously Inclusive Hampers
There are many diverse traditions in the world surrounding weddings. In many of the countries surrounding the Mediterranean money is pinned to the newlyweds during special dances. In Luxembourg, it is not unusual for a goat to be included among the wedding gifts. It is worth doing a little cultural research to make sure that your wedding Hamper strikes the right chord with recipients.
- If you’re including treats, make sure they will be acceptable to your recipients be they halal, kosher or vegan
- You may want to include culturally significant items such as traditional sweets or fabrics
- Your Wedding Hamper should respect wedding customs and sensitivities. That will rule out alcohol in certain cultures
🌸 Seasonal Hamper Ideas
The season when a wedding takes place will have a huge impact on how people plan it and celebrate. Spring and Summer have been the traditional favourite choices for weddings but cosy Autumn, Winter and even Christmas weddings have been gaining in popularity. Just make sure that your hamper reflects the season that the wedding is taking place and when its contents will be enjoyed.
- Spring is a time when floral-scented products will resonate, and pastel-themed items will be most appropriate
- Summer is the season to consider the great outdoors, with picnic accessories, lemonade kits, sunglasses and sun creams
- Autumnal Wedding Hampers should draw inspiration from the warm colours of turning leaves. Think pumpkins, spiced candles and cosy socks
- Winter Wedding hampers should have a warm and comforting vibe. Mulled wine kits, chestnuts, hot chocolate and blankets will all hit the right note.
To DIY or not to DIY your wedding hamper? That is the question.
It’s not an easy question to answer. Both have great advantages and only you can figure out what will work best for you and the person or people you are giving it to.
DIY Hampers
There is a lot to be said in favour of DIY Wedding Hampers. They allow you to really personalise the gift – customising it to match their interests and personal preferences. This helps them come across as more thoughtful and considerate and, ultimately, more memorable. A DIY Wedding Hamper will also allow you to go to town creating a bespoke container for your and choosing decoration and packaging that is truly unique that will stand out from the crowd. You can be really sustainable creating your own wedding hamper using recycled and reused materials for your packaging and sourcing ethical and fair-trade ingredients.
Its is a great approach if you are giving to someone you know well. The main downside is how long it will take you to assemble. Specific ingredients may be hard to source or take time to make and you don’t want it to feel scruffy or improvised so you need to be confident of your own creative skills.
Pre-Made Wedding Hampers
Getting an off the shelf Wedding Hamper won’t necessarily be the cheapest option, but it will take up a lot less of your time. There is a great selection out there so you can choose at leisure and order in seconds. Ready Made Wedding Hampers are packed by professionals, and it shows. They use premium materials and know exactly how to lay the items out to show them off and impress the recipient. If you shop around, you can make sure they are created sustainably using recycled, reusable elements.
A professionally curated hamper may feel a bit impersonal between close friends but if you don’t know the recipients that well or giving on behalf of a corporate body, you’re more likely to get it right with a professional Wedding Hamper.
Tips for assembling and presenting the Perfect Hamper
Their wedding is invariably the most important day of most people’s lives. And you really want to recognise and appreciate that in the way you present your hamper. Getting that look and feel right will elevate it to a different level of gift than something randomly chosen from a wedding list. Baxters have shared their expertise in preparing showstopping hampers to help you make yours really stand out.
📦 Presentation matters
- You want this to be something they will treasure so choose a beautiful container, whether that is a basket, box, crate, or stylish tote bag
- The packing should feel natural and luxurious. Silk fabric and eco packaging are both reusable and biodegradable while shredded paper is a good recyclable alternative if you’re on a budget
- A ribbon always sets a hamper off beautifully and a wax-sealed envelope, or handcrafted tag will add that special, bespoke touch
- A small “open me first” note is a chance to explain the thoughts and feelings that have gone into your hamper and add a heartfelt personal message.
✍️ Personal Touches
- A custom or hand-made card and perhaps even a poem will help make you hamper feel even more personal
- Adding the couple’s initials or wedding date will give keepsake items and extra level of significance
- Including shared photos or memories will also resonate deeply if you are close to the couple.
The Art of a Thoughtful Hamper
In many ways, Wedding Hampers are the ultimate wedding gift. At a time when people are being deluged with gifts, a hamper has the potential to give real standout and be remembered long into the future.
You can pitch your hamper precisely to the people to whom you are giving it and include elements that will create memorable experiences as they embark on married life. They can be practical, amusing, romantic or even all three. We’ve barely scratched the surface of what you can achieve if you put your mind to a great Wedding Hamper. The key is not letting anything hamper your creativity – remember, the only limit is your imagination.
If your time before the wedding is already spoken for, take a look at the range of options Baxters have created, with weddings firmly in mind.
