Our Co-Founder’s Favourite Wedding Presents

When we got engaged I was lucky enough to be working at Vogue House, for BRIDES magazine, surrounded by a wealth of wedding experts. Therefore, I knew all about The Wedding Present Company who has earnt its sparkling reputation for almost 30 years, and had been dying for it to be my turn to go into their London showroom as a bride-to-be and start curating our wedding list. As the UK’s leading luxury wedding gift list, we knew they were the perfect choice for us.

I had also been following The Wedding Present Company’s social channels, getting a feel for who they stock and discovering new interior brands. The most helpful content was always via their blog where they feature a lot of real life content. So the idea to shoot our team’s gift edits was born, made easier by the fact that so many members of the TWE team have registered their wedding gift lists with them. We started by shooting our Travel Editor’s Favorite Wedding Presents at her London home and next it was – very excitingly – my turn.

Here you will see a selection of my favourite wedding gifts, shot (mainly) al fresco in, at our garden flat in Richmond.

The experience

We knew that registering our wedding list with The Wedding Present Company would be a special experience as they are renowned for providing a bespoke, boutique service unlike any other. It started with a private appointment at the showroom on Lots Road, Chelsea, a true Aladdin’s cave of wedding gifts nestled amongst the famous antique shops. There’s free-flowing English Sparkling Wine, Nyetimber, and you’ll be guided by your own wedding list advisor (think of them like your very own interiors-obsessed personal shopper) who will help you curate your gift list based on your personal style, tastes and needs. A real experience to behold, you can interact with presents – playing around with different styling options and scan as you go to add to your list.

We loved that they stock all the big names such as Le Creuset, Pooky and The White Company but also smaller artisan brands like Skye McAlpine Tavola and Rebecca Udall who we hadn’t come across before. If you’ve fallen in love with something from a brand they don’t work with (which we’d be surprised about because they work with over 450 of the very best brands!) the team will happily add this to your list as a custom product (see the racing green matchbox featured). They have great features such as “group gifting” for larger ticket items which I come onto later. You can also add different funds, such as an art or honeymoon fund. There’s flexibility to swap gifts along the way and you can book a slot for everything to be delivered in, in multiple drops or they will even store your gifts for free for 3 months. It’s like your birthday and Christmas day all at once!

Favourite wedding gifts

When asked what our favourite wedding gifts were, I always start by pointing out that it’s the items that we would have never bought ourselves. Classic items which sit proudly in our dresser or on our shelves, which we’ll treasure forever and come out at special occasions. This includes our Champagne coupes and cocktail shaker from Soho Home. I love our silver wine coaster, gold Nkuku candle holders and green Klimchi Hobnail Jug which sit proudly on the table at every dinner party we host.

As a couple we have always loved al fresco dining, hosting long lazy summer lunches which go into the night and our style is very in line with this. My role is always the table setup and Tom’s is the BBQ. A great present for the group gift function and one of our most extravagant wedding gifts was the Big Green Egg which has elevated our summer dining. You can use it as an oven, for pizzas, the options are endless and it is guaranteed to impress both visually and with the deliciously smokey dishes you’ll serve.

Brands we discovered

One of the most exciting elements of registering with The Wedding Present Company was discovering independent brands. To name a few, our racing green ice bucket was from Kalinko, our tray and placemats are from Le Jaana, our statement oil dispenser is from Vaiselle. Rebecca Udall produces the most beautiful floral tablecloths and placemats (seen in tablescape one) and another discovery was Villa Bologna who produce the most beautiful hand painted Glugjugs.

Most useful gifts

We have used our gold Nkuku candlesticks endlessly, with different coloured candles elevating every dinner party. Plus, their mango wood salad bowl is perfect for fruit or salads. Our Le Creuset cast iron pans we use nearly every day for casseroles, pasta dishes, they are so versatile and hardwearing plus look the part if placed in the centre of a table. I love the Skye McAlpine Tavola dinner & side plates, with edge detailing. Our Matilda Goad bedside lights are another favourite and our most used gift has to be the Big Green Egg, which you can use all year round.