Best Engagement Gift Ideas – Updated for 2018

Getting engaged is one of the most exciting times in a person’s life! It represents the decision a couple has made to spend the rest of their lives together. Often couples will decide to throw an engagement party for friends and family in order to get together and celebrate the exciting news. Usually these celebrations do not warrant large, expensive gifts as many people will be purchasing both a bridal shower and wedding gift in the near future. However, many people close to the couple want to get the couple a small engagement gift to congratulate them. Listed below are several options that would make great engagement gifts for the individual that is looking for more than just a card, while also keeping it affordable.

1. Manicure Gift Card

Get your friend a gift card to the local nail salon to help her show off that new engagement ring! She is sure
to appreciate this gift card due to the fact that over the next few months everyone she runs in to will be dying to check out her rock. Even if the new bride-to-be has already gotten a manicure, she will either save the gift card for the next wedding event or freshen up her manicure after a few weeks. Either way, this is an affordable gift that the bride is sure to use and be very appreciative of- you really can’t go wrong with this gift!

2. Ring Holder/Ring Dish

In general, most women have a jewelry box or dish to store their rings in when they are not wearing them. However, most single women do not have a ring dish located in the bathroom or kitchen for when they are washing their hands, showering or doing the dishes. This is mainly because most women don’t have a diamond ring that is of great value to them until they are engaged. Many different ring holders can be found in various department stores as well as online at either Etsy or Amazon. They range in price, but the porcelain ring dish below can be found on Amazon for $12.99. This is a very cute, practical gift that the couple will appreciate in their every day lives.

3. Bottle of Wine and Wedding Magazines

Another more casual idea for an engagement gift is a nice bottle of wine along with some bridal magazines. The newly engaged couple will have fun drinking their wine while looking over and discussing the different wedding articles. Common wedding magazines include: Bridal Guide Magazine, Brides Magazine, and Martha Stewart Weddings. 

4. Kiss and Make-up Hourglass

This is a fun, light-hearted gift from Crate&Barrel that can be purchased for $30. It is inevitable that the newly engaged couple will still get into an argument or two despite being in newlywed bliss. That is why this is the perfect playful gift, that is designed to help a couple out in an sort of argument. The hourglass is designed to allow one hour of time to pass (give or take ten minutes depending on the grains of sand), giving the couple approximately a one hour break from each other before it is time for the two of them to “kiss and make-up.”

5. Champagne Glasses

Champagne glasses work really well as an engagement present because they are practical, affordable and adorable. They can be used for either the groom’s dinner, the wedding reception or just as fun glasses to use at home. There are various places that you can purchase his & hers wine glasses, but the ones below are super cute and can be found at Crate & Barrel for $10 each. Help the toast to a life full of happiness with a pair of champagne glasses they are sure to cherish. CHEERS!

6. Minted Gift Card

Minted is the number one website used to create custom, beautiful wedding invitations. This gift is geared more towards the friend that has participated in numerous wedding conversations and knows that the bride and groom are planning on using the popular webpage to design the invitations. Help the bride and groom out by getting them a gift card to design the wedding invitations of their dreams! Gift cards can be purchased online at Minted’s home page.

7. The Knot Ultimate Wedding Organizer

The Knot, is currently the most popular wedding website, which provides all of the latest trends and ideas to help create your dream wedding. This wedding organizer is an essential when it comes to planning your own wedding, filled with timelines, tips, and pages full of wisdom from various professionals. It also serves a dual purpose as a wonderful keepsake after the big day has come and passed. The binder can be purchased on Amazon for $20.

8. The 5 Love Languages & Things I Wish I’d Known Before Getting Married

Gary Chapman is both a well known author and marriage counselor. He has written several books regarding important key concepts that help keep a marriage healthy and create a love that will last. The 5 Love Languages, is a #1 New York Times Bestseller and helps the reader to identify their own personal love language as well as their partners in order to have a healthy and equally satisfying relationship. Things I Wish I’d Known Before Getting Married, is another spectacular read for a newly engaged couple. The book is full of tips and wisdom to help build a mutually beneficial marriage. More than a just a good read, this book is designed to help create personal and love-sustaining conversations that will help build a marriage to stand the test of time.

9. Personalized Mrs. Wedding Hanger

A personalized wedding hanger has become the standard for every wedding thanks to websites like Pinterest and Etsy. It is an elegant way to display the bride’s wedding gown during photos before she slips it on for her special day. Often the bride will give the bridal party matching hangers for their bridesmaid dresses. A personalized wedding hanger ranges in price from $10-$15 and is most commonly purchased online at Etsy. This is a perfect gift for a bride so she has one less thing to worry about purchasing before the big day. Help her feel like she is making progress in the wedding planning by providing her with a gift that she will never forget! (Literally, it will be in the wedding photos!)

10. Framed Old Photo of the Couple

This is a perfect gift if you have been friends with the couple for a long time. Look back through old photos and try to find one of the couple either when they first started dating or early on in their relationship. Find a fun, cute frame for the photograph and include a card that helps describe when and where the photo was taken. This gift will help bring back all the memories the newly engaged couple has had and remind them of when their love began. If you are unable to find a photo of the two of them during the beginning of their relationship, just a cute photo of them will also do. Help them celebrate their future by reminding them where they started!