Best affordable wedding gifts in the UK: Food, travel and personalised gifts from £10 to £100

While it’s always exciting to be invited to someone’s nuptials, they can be expensive affairs – and not just for the bride and groom. This year, it’s thought there will be 200,000 more weddings in the UK than before the pandemic as couples who had their initial dates moved forward finally get their chance to walk down the aisle.

This means you likely have a backlog of weddings to attend, and costs can quickly add up. There are ways to cut back of course: try renting some of your outfits, especially if it’s a multi-day affair. Early booking is crucial if you want to hire a car or Air BnB close to the venue. Another area you could look at is the wedding gift.

A study by SpareRoom found that 15 per cent of the 1000 renters it surveyed had to move out of their homes because they were spending rent money on going to friends’ weddings. Astonishing, isn’t it? SpareRoom’s research found that finding the perfect wedding guest outfit was the biggest outlay, followed by the wedding gift – but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Yes, you should always take a gift, but you needn't lose the roof over your head or declare bankruptcy to do so. There are plenty of W-day worthy gift options at prices that won’t make you wince.

If they haven’t already set up a gift registry or specifically requested ‘no boxed gifts’ (in which case a wedding card with cash or gift vouchers will suffice), a world of Internet shopping awaits.

How to pick the perfect gift?

First, consider their tastes - nothing too loud if they're into the Nordic minimal look, while couples who love pattern and colour probably shouldn't be given anything with too many clean lines and neat edges.

If they’ve been living together for a while, steer clear of basic homewares as they’ll likely have the essentials in place already. Then determine what you’re comfortable spending – around £40 for distant friends, family and colleagues is acceptable while you could spend more on those you’re closer to.

Foolproof ideas include hampers, soft furnishings, and things they can enjoy on a long-awaited honeymoon, such as wireless speakers, Polaroid-style cameras and electronic tablets.

If that isn’t inspiration enough, we’ve drawn up a list of the best wedding gifts under £100 that will delight any couple.

See our favourites below

Fortnum & Mason The Champagne & Chocolate Gift Box

Best for: the foolproof failsafe

When it comes to celebration food, there’s little more pleasing than the pop of a champagne cork and the melt of premium chocolate on your tongue.

Less bulky than a hamper but equally as impressive, F&M’s comes with a selection of Marc de Champagne Truffles and a 75cl bottle of Brut Reserve Champagne.

Buy now £72.00, Fortnum & Mason

Arena Flowers subscription

Best for: pretty petals on the regular

Whether they own or rent, there’s one thing that brightens up a space instantly - fresh flowers. What better gift then, than a bunch of fresh blooms on a monthly basis? Arena Flowers provides ethical bouquets on the regular, with each box containing one or two types of seasonal stems and plenty of lush greenery for them to arrange a stunning bouquet. Three month subscriptions are available with drops made monthly, fortnightly or weekly, depending on the size of your generosity.

Buy now £25.00, Arena Flowers

H&M Home Metal Salad Servers

Best for: luxe for less

These floral salad servers are completely impractical for daily use, but perfectly fancy for dinner parties - making them ideal for couples who love hosting friends and family at home. Crafted from 100 per cent aluminium and covered with a universally flattering gold hue, these artful pieces look far more expensive than their price tag would suggest. Go to town on a gift box, wrapping paper and ribbon, and they’ll never suspect how wallet-friendly your present really was. It’ll be our little secret.

Buy now, H&M Home

Oliver Bonas Star Inlay Knives & Cheese Board Set

Inlaid with a border of brass stars and moons, Oliver Bonas’s acacia wood cheese board set makes a beautiful gift or a splurge-worthy self-treat. The statement design comes with a trio of blades to help you slice and crumble your cheeses with style.

Buy now £59.50, Oliver Bonas

Dartington Crystal Mr and Mrs Flutes

Best for: marking magic milestones

Newlywed life is bursting with ‘firsts’ as the pair start their lives together. Help them toast the good times ahead with a pair of 190ml Dartington Crystal champagne flutes, Mr or Mrs scripted on the glass in gold. Each is sold separately, which means you can pair them for same-sex couples too.

Buy now £16.00, John Lewis

Secret Escapes Gift Voucher

Best for: the globetrotters

Available from £50 onwards, Secret Escapes Gift Vouchers make a superb gift for couples who are plotting their next trip away, as soon as we get the green-light. They can be used to book romantic trips to everywhere from the Maldives to Malvern and also for spa treatment and sports experiences. Present them with a voucher on your own or club together with friends to get them a heftier treat. You can also pair a voucher with the above luggage tags for a travel themed gift set.

Buy now, Secret Escapes

Oliver Bonas Modena Diamond Grey Photo Frame

Best for: keeping Big Day memories alive

While real-life photo albums are fast going in the way of the VHS and floppy disks (RIP), a wedding album is a different kettle of fish altogether. There’s no doubt that they’ll want to display those cherished photos from their Big Day on their mantelpiece or shelves – so what better gift than a photo frame?

Made from resin with a chic grey marble effect, Oliver Bonas’ standing 8 x 6-inch photo frame is made with a diamond design inlaid with golden brass for a glint of metallics.

Buy now £24.00, Oliver Bonas

Boska Oak Cheese Curler

Best for: Mr & Mrs Masterchef

Delight your just married friends with this completely unnecessary yet highly desirable cheese curler. Set on a oak wood base with a sharp blade to create curdy ruffles, this elegant foodie gadget will help them floor guests at their next dinner party.

Buy now £36.40, Amara

Nanu Hot & Not Duvet

Best for: matrimonial bliss

Sure, it’s not the sexiest of gifts and it will probably be quite difficult to wrap, but thanks to its sheer genius and practicality, we’re willing to bet it will be the best thing in the happy couple’s wedding gift haul.

Nanu’s Hot & Not duvet brings peace to bedroom quarrels by offering a covering that’s warmer on one side than the other – never again will they have to compromise on their ideal sleep temperature. Available in double and king size, the seamless split-weight duvet comes in togs ranging from extra cool (4.5tog) right up to super toasty (15tog).

For a useful gift that’s guaranteed to surprise - after all, how many other guests are likely to gift a dual temperature duvet? - this will be tough to beat. Just have it delivered to their marital home to save you from dragging it to their reception venue. It’s not something that can be done with any degree of elegance.

Buy now, Nanu

The Portland Co Personalised Wedding Song Papercut

Best for: wedding day nostalgia

As a unique piece of art, this piece is pretty special. Turn the couple’s first dance song into one they’ll remember forever by having it transformed into an intricate papercut art work. The piece can be personalised with the couple’s name as well as their wedding date on the 135gsm paper in sizes A4 or A3. There is a framed option available but if you choose to frame it yourself, the piece will come carefully wrapped in board backed envelope.

Buy now £59.00, NOTHS

Anthropologie Thea Wall Mounted Wine Rack

Best for: displaying their superb wine tastes

Chances are, your newlywed friends are already living together and if that is the case, they have all the home essentials already – the last thing they need is another toaster or teapot. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t treat them to something extra special, like this sleek hexagonal wine rack from Anthropologie. The wall-mounted design can hold six full-sized bottles of wine and thanks to the metallic gold hue, will work with most décor styles.

Buy now £78.00, Anthropologie