07/08/2024
10 Gift Ideas for Congratulating Newlywed Employees
Have one of your coworkers or employees just gotten married? Celebrating life milestones at work is important for building a supportive workplace environment. And of all the life milestones you could celebrate, weddings are one of the best opportunities to show support to colleagues in your workplace.
If you’re unsure where to begin or what kind of gift to give, keep reading. We’ll cover options for several kinds of wedding gifts, including personal, experiential and practical options. With a little planning, you can find the perfect way to celebrate newlywed employees.
Why Companies Should Celebrate Employees’ Milestones
One way to invest in your employees is by celebrating life milestones with them. Because people spend so much time at work, it’s important that they feel known, appreciated and valued by their colleagues and their company at large.
According to a 2022 Gallup poll, only 32% of Americans were engaged at their jobs. A full 18% admitted being disengaged at work. Disengaged employees tend to be unhappy employees, and unhappy employees are less productive — limiting both revenue and the impact a company can have on others.
By contrast, engaged employees enjoy their jobs more and live happier lives. They tend to have innovative ideas and stick with their companies for longer, reducing turnover. Increasing workplace engagement is a win-win-win situation for companies, employees and their customers.
Celebrating life milestones is a highly personal way to show appreciation and support for employees’ lives outside of work. When companies take the time to recognize employees as people with individual hopes, dreams and emotions, employees often respond with higher engagement.
Talking about life milestones can also foster closeness between colleagues as people get to know each other. When you foster a sense of community at your workplace, you’re also fostering productivity, positive attitudes and a sense of fulfillment at work.
Here are several other key benefits of celebrating life milestones for your colleagues:
- Boosts employee morale
- Creates team bonding
- Strengthens company loyalty
- Offers team inspiration
When people are happy, they’re more interested in their work and they become more creative. Investing in your employees with personal celebrations can go a long way toward creating a positive company culture and future success.
How to Congratulate an Employee on their Marriage
There are many valuable ways you can congratulate employees for getting married, and not all of them include physical gifts. The best just-married gift ideas depend on several factors, including:
- Your company culture
- The employee’s personality
- Your budget and timeline
While some people are more private, others may enjoy public congratulations. Some employees may love a gift, while others would prefer a party or just a note of acknowledgment and support. Here are a few different kinds of congratulations to consider:
Personal Acknowledgement
Many employees prefer personal recognition for life events like a wedding. Here are a few common ways you can celebrate a colleague’s wedding in a personal way:
- Send them a best wishes email
- Collect cards from management and colleagues
- Collaborate on a personal gift
- Organize a small celebration
- Plan a surprise party
Personalized wedding wishes mean a lot when you have close relationships within your company. They offer an opportunity to have fun, invest in team bonding and set a high standard for the workplace community moving forward.
Public Recognition
While some employees may prefer personal wedding congratulations wishes, others might prefer a more public acknowledgment. Here are a few examples of how to publicly offer wedding congratulations messages to an employee on their marriage:
- Put a note in the company newsletter or email
- Announce the wedding during a company meeting
- Post a social media announcement with their consent
It’s often a good idea to mix personal and public recognition for employees. That way, your employee or colleague will feel personally supported and you can keep the entire company informed on life changes.
Ideas for Congratulating Newlywed Employees
If you need newlywed gift ideas for coworkers, there are several different types of gifts you can consider. While some people may have a gift registry full of physical objects they’d like, other people may prefer to be gifted experiences or sentimental items.
Personalized Gifts
Weddings are an optimal time for sentimental or personal gifts. However, this type of gift is best received from someone who knows the newly married couple personally. That way, it can evoke a sense of camaraderie and reference shared memories.
Another type of personalized gift that works for everyone is monogramming. You can monogram almost anything, from wine glasses to towels, cheese knives and welcome mats. Often, monogramming is used to make practical items feel more personal.
To help you sort through your options, here are some examples of personalized gifts:
- Framed photos
- Personalized jewelry
- Significant art
- Handwritten wedding card
- Monogrammed anything
Personalized gifts are a fantastic way to show a colleague that you know and appreciate them. However, some people aren’t sentimental or have a minimalist lifestyle. Keep reading for more newlywed gift ideas!
Experiential Gifts
If your colleague doesn’t need or like physical gifts, consider gifting them an experience instead. You can do this through specific gift cards, event tickets or a cash donation for their next adventure. Some couples ask their guests to contribute to a honeymoon fund instead of bringing a gift to the wedding.
For this gift to be successful, you need to know your colleague’s preferences. While some people would love to go bungee jumping on their honeymoon, others might be afraid of heights. You can always gift a more general experience if you’re unsure.
Here’s a quick list of experiences to consider gifting your colleagues for their wedding:
- Spa and massage day
- Horseback riding
- Rock-climbing adventure
- Dinner on a riverboat
- Dancing lessons
Experiential gifts help people make memories and try new things they might never have experienced. If you decide to give an experiential gift, research to ensure there are no hidden fees and the event has good reviews. While a bad experience might be funny later, it’s best to plan for success!
Practical Gifts
Many couples set up a wedding registry with practical items they’d like. While registry items may vary by stage of life, they’re a great place to start if you’re not sure what to gift your colleague or employee. For one thing, they’ll give you a good idea of what that person likes.
If the newlywed couple is older, they may already have the household equipment they need. In that case, they may put decor items, special dinnerware or bonding activities like board games on their registry.
What one person considers practical, another might see as unnecessary. Start with your colleague’s wedding registry to determine what they’re looking for in a practical gift. You can also ask them if there’s something specific they’re hoping to receive.
10 Best Gifts for Newlywed Employees
Instead of purchasing just one item, you can also combine several to create a gift basket or themed present for newlywed colleagues. This is a great way for multiple people to chip in and gift something special. Keep reading for 10 items you can use to create memorable wedding gifts.
Travel Items
If your colleague is planning a fun trip for their honeymoon, they might appreciate getting new suitcases to take along with them. Your team can splurge on a nice set of luggage or combine the suitcases with a variety of other travel-related items like travel pillows, packing cubes, sleeping masks, passport holders and snacks.
This gift can be themed, monogrammed or personalized to your colleague’s favorite color scheme. The possibilities are endless and these are items they’ll hopefully use again and again. You can even include a gift card or experience for the location where they’re honeymooning.
Kitchen Equipment
If your colleague needs to outfit their kitchen, these kinds of gifts are a perfect way to support them. Check their registry to see what they need and build your gift around one item. For example, you could get them a dutch oven, oven mitts and aprons, several recipes and even the ingredients to make a meal.
For colleagues who love coffee or tea, you might consider getting them some cute promotional mugs or branded drinkware sets.
Congratulations Video
For employees who don’t need any practical items, consider creating a congratulations video with their colleagues. Take 10-20 seconds per person and edit all the videos together with fun music. Send it to your colleague just before their big day or on their first day back at work.
You can get creative with this video if you like — consider adding a storyline, funny activities like passing a ball from person to person, dance moves and more. Your colleague will appreciate the effort and feel personally supported by the whole team.
Event Tickets
If your colleague loves a sports team, consider getting them tickets and promotional sports apparel for their next event. You can find branded baseball caps, beanies, scarves, hoodies, t-shirts and more for your colleague’s favorite team.
This idea can easily be adapted to concert tickets, botanical gardens, zoo visits and more. To make these gifts more well-rounded, add clothing items, snacks, gas money and anything else that can make their experience enjoyable and memorable.
Camera Equipment
While many people use their phones to record memories, some still enjoy having a physical camera. You can gift your newlywed colleague polaroids, a personalized camera strap or a tripod so they can preserve memories with more ease and enjoyment.
Consider getting them a subscription to a photo storage service, editing software or even a USB storage drive so they can back up their photos. You could even give a cash donation to help cover their wedding photography expenses or to cover a photo book once they get the pictures back.
Romantic Dinner Basket
If you think they’d prefer a romantic gift option, create a basket with items for a candlelit dinner. For a wine and cheese-themed basket, include a special cheese board and a few branded wine tumblers so they can take their meal on the go. Another essential accessory for a romantic picnic includes a cooler bag to store refrigerated foods and drinks.
Adventure Trip
For colleagues who love adventure, consider booking a trip they’ll always remember. You could sign them up for bungee jumping, whitewater rafting, rock climbing or skydiving. Combine their booking with the gear they need to enjoy the experience, like bandanas and scarves.
This gift is best given after talking to the newly married couple to see what they’d enjoy. You could also contact a family member or close friend to find the perfect adventure activity. Depending on their personality, your colleague might even enjoy getting an adventure experience as a surprise gift.
Garden Materials
If your colleague is an avid gardener, consider gifting them a collection of pots, seeds, gardening gloves, a trowel and more. You could even collaborate to buy them a lawn mower if they include it on their registry.
Outdoor maintenance is often forgotten, but it takes time and finances to keep a lawn clean and organized. Your colleague will appreciate the support and can update the team with photos once their yard has been revamped.
Workout Equipment
It’s always inspiring to get new workout clothes and equipment. If your colleague loves running, swimming or another workout activity, you can put together a gift basket with workout-inspired gear. A pair of promotional headphones will ensure they have their favorite tunes wherever they go, while a portable power bank can keep their gear charged for longer outings.
Gift Cards
While it’s not as personal, gift cards are a fantastic way to support a newlywed couple. You can purchase them for grocery stores, gas stations, home goods businesses and more. Consider pairing each gift card with a handwritten note of warm congratulations.
If your colleague expresses distaste for gift cards, you could switch to cash instead. To avoid making anyone feel awkward, pool all the cash together and give personalized cards separately. That way, people can contribute the amount they’re comfortable with.
Celebrate Employee Nuptials With ePromos Gifts
When you take the time to acknowledge and celebrate personal milestones, employees feel valued. They’re happier, more productive and tend to stay longer with a company that feels like community. Celebrating employee nuptials is the right thing to do from a personal and business perspective.
Use these ideas to find the perfect wedding gift for your employees or colleagues. At ePromos, we have a wide range of options for corporate gifting. Find a wide range of items that can be branded with your company logo and ordered in bulk. See our buying guides for more information!