Dotcomgiftshop Weddings Blog
Weird wedding gifts
A gift list is an excellent method of ensuring that money spent on wedding gifts to the happy couple is not wasted on inappropriate or unwanted items.
But somehow the weird, the wacky and the downright dangerous still manage to slip through the net from time to time.
Here we bring you a selection of some of the most unusual wedding presents that we’ve come across.
Gaga accordian
You have to wonder whether Lady Gaga really hit the right note when she decided to mark the occasion of Kate’s wedding to Kills guitarist Jamie Hince by giving her of all things an accordion.
Kate is said to have graciously accepted the gift saying that she was touched that Lady Gaga had sent her such a thoughtful present.
Royaller-Coaster
Of all the weird wedding gifts that no-doubt flooded in for Prince William and Kate Middleton, a custom-made rollercoaster carriage must be right up there with the best of them.
Alton Towers produced the one-off THI3TEEN carriage dubbed the ‘Royaller-Coaster’, which will be kept ready especially for the couple should they choose to pay a visit to the theme park.
Here kitty kitty
As if not to be outdone, a pair of Bengal tigers at the zoo of Rio de Janeiro were named William and Kate to commemorate the royal wedding.
It's hoped that the two cats will mate to help populate this highly endangered species.
Remarkable assault
It was a quite literally a shotgun wedding when a woman from Glasgow gave her husband a Kalashnikov assault rifle as a wedding present.
When Police found the item at their home, the unfortunate groom found himself in very hot water indeed - facing a potential five years in jail. Now that’s shooting yourself in the foot.
Wheelie nice gift
Joy turned to disaster when American Rachael Friedman was pushed into a swimming pool during her hen party. She was paralysed and the bride and groom’s lives were changed for ever.
But the couple’s strength and resolve in the face of adversity so inspired car manufacturer Toyota that they teamed up with Braun and for a wedding present they donated a Toyota Sienna and BraunAbility Rampvan to help the newly weds to get out and about.
If you're looking for more conventional gift ideas, make sure you check out the DotComGiftShop wedding department for a huge range of excellent products.
10 wacky wedding themes
For couples entering into marriage, memories of their wedding will be cherished for a lifetime, but some people go to extreme lengths to ensure that they never forget their special day.
Here we bring you a selection of some of the wackiest ways of tying the knot that we’ve ever seen.
Avatar wedding
James Cameron’s 2009 film Avatar won great acclaim for it’s incredible use of special effects, but the masterpiece of cinema has now sparked an unfathomable trend in China for weddings themed on the film. One wonders what these brides are thinking - all we can say is that thankfully, love is blind.
Star Wars wedding
The movie ‘Star Wars’ is of course a timeless classic that has spawned a loyal and some might say, slightly obsessive cult following. As a wedding theme we think it looks pretty good fun - but what character would the mother in law play? You’d have to get it right otherwise it might be a case of ‘The Empire Strikes Back’!
Star Trek wedding
However fanatical Star Wars fans might be, they're often put in the shade by Trekkies and that's no different when it comes to theme weddings. So why not join Captain Jean-Luc Picard on board the Starship Enterprise for an afternoon of intergalactic wining and dining as you blast off into the unknown galaxy of marriage?
Superhero wedding
Here's a question: How do you guarantee Batman, Captain America, Bananaman and Super Woman all turn up to your wedding? Give up? The answer is, you become them. When you think about it, this is actually the perfect wedding. The Joker can give the speech, Wolverine can cut the cake and Robin can do, well, whatever it is Robin does.
Pirate wedding
Don’t say ‘I do’, just say ‘Aaaarrr’ Pirates are back in fashion thanks to a certain Captain Jack Sparrow played by Johnny Deep in the hugely successful Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise. And as this photo shows, a swashbuckling pirate wedding can be aesthetically - very pleasing although if you’re not careful you might end up marrying a parrot by mistake.
Medieval Wedding
A fool proof way to make sure you marry a prince charming is to get your intended to dress up like one. A medieval wedding offers the opportunity to wear sumptuous robes, eat chicken drumsticks with your fingers and throw the bones to the floor. More mead anyone?
Cowboy (shotgun) wedding
You say love, I say shotgun. A time honoured way of ensuring that when the little one turns up, the happy couple are safely married. Such attitudes are less prevalent these days but as a bit of fun if might work and even if he won’t admit it, the cowboy in your life will love dressing up like Billy the Kid.
Elvis wedding
Wise men say "only fools rush in"...But then Las Vegas is the perfect location for a quickie marriage and if you ‘Can’t help falling in love,’ then who better to help you tie the knot that The King himself. Let’s just hope that you don’t end up, ‘Caught in a trap’!
Underwater wedding
One way to get around the problem of rain on your wedding day is to go the whole hog and get married under water. There are several other advantages too like not having bother with your hair or make up and of course a wetsuit saves the expense of a wedding dress. But all the same one wonders how they say their vows...
Hot air balloon wedding
Some people report that tying the knot is a great natural high. Well here’s a way to make sure of it - and given the limited size of the basket it probably saves on hiring the church or hall for a large congregation too. Lets just hope that the vows are more than a load of hot air!
If you're planning a more (cough) traditional affair then make sure you pay a visit to our excellent wedding gifts and decorations department, where you'll find all kinds of gorgeous finishing touches.
Vintage style wedding ideas
We love a good vintage-style wedding here at Dotcomgiftshop, not least because you always find gorgeous items on display at the reception.
And quite often, those pretty little touches come from our very own range. Here are some of our products that are just perfect for a vintage-inspired wedding.
Vintage cake stands
If you're looking for a fancy display for your wedding cake, our collection of cake stands should be right up your street. Our Three-Tier Regency Cakestand is perfect for cupcakes and afternoon tea style reception.
Our single and two-tier white cake stands are particularly popular too and not just for housing the cake. One of our customers recently used them to display flowers as part of their table decorations and kindly sent us this picture.
Vintage T-light holders
You really can't go wrong with t-lights at wedding, particularly when they're sitting in gorgeous holders. They look tasteful and elegant during the day and then illuminate your reception in the evening. What more could you ask?
Our collection of vintage tabletop T-light holders is second to none and we've got a huge range to choose from, including this stunning vintage design glass T-light holder with antique sliver finish.
Vintage picture frames
Picture frames are a great idea for adding a personal touch to a wedding reception. You can use them to put special messages in for your guests to read, as a sign for the guestbook or even just to put a picture of the happy couple in. They also make excellent wedding gifts, allowing the newlyweds to show of their pictures in style.
Our antique-style wooden picture frame is immediately at home in any vintage-inspired reception.
Vintage glassware
Old glass bottles and jars are becoming increasingly popular at weddings and for good reason too. They look great with flowers or as standalone items, particularly in light spaces with the sun reflecting off the glass.
Our Glass Apothecary Perfume Bottle is a really lovely item but their are many more gems in our Vintage Glassware department.
Vintage furniture
There are hundreds of novel ways you can inject a vintage theme into your wedding and just dipping into our superb Vintage Chic department is a great way to find inspiration.
For instance, what about hanging this delicious Brocante Shelf up at your reception, which is perfect for housing all those cards that your guests bring along.
Have you used any Dotcomgiftshop products at your wedding? We'd love to hear from you if you have. Please do get in touch at dotcomgiftshopblog@gmail.com or sending your pictures on Facebook!
Wedding Blogs We Love
There's nothing DotComGiftShop love more than a wedding. A joyous event to be shared with family that's full of pretty things, what could be better?
There are many wedding blogs that help brides to be find inspiration for their big day. Here are some of our favourites.
100 Layer Cake
100 Layer Cake feature couples that do something a little bit different for their wedding, in order to provide inspiration and ideas to other people planning their big day.
Whether it's a quirky wedding dress, an interesting invitation design or some other clever touch, 100 Layer Cake is on hand to capture everything and share it with their readers.
It's a beautifully designed blog, that's clearly separated out into distinct categories, making it incredibly straightforward to find aritcles on every conceivable aspect of wedding planning.
So whether you're looking for inspiration or just enjoy looking at other people's amazing wedding days, then 100 Layer Cake comes highly recommended.
Once Wed
Once Wed began life as the only free listing service for wedding dresses, when site founder Emily Newman wanted to sell her dress but found there was no website dedicated to helping women do just that.
However, over time the blog has become so much more, offering brides everything from real wedding and inspiration galleries to modern DIY wedding projects.
The blog has received critical praise in major publications such as, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Wall Street Journal & NBC.com.
So if you want to sell your wedding dress, pick up some useful ideas or simply enjoy reading this fantastic blog, Once Wed gets the DotComGiftShop seal of approval.
Polka Dot Bride
Polka Dot Bride discovers the unique, the stylish, the fresh and the quirky ideas for Australian (and international) weddings.
In fact, the author of the blog is obsessed with weddings and openly admits, 'My collection of bridal magazines is one I am slightly red faced about, but throwing them out would be too painful'.
The elegant design combined with the simple white and pink colour scheme of the Polka Dot Bride immediately catch your eye, as does the array of information on offer.
This is another fantastic all round wedding blog, but perhaps the thing that makes it stand out the most, is the author's lifelong passion of all things wedding related.
Brenda's Wedding Blog
Brenda is passionate about weddings, so it's no surprise to find that Brenda's Wedding Blog is jam-packed with useful ideas and inspirational touches.
The blog strives to 'present stylish weddings and inspiring visuals on a daily basis' to readers and it's clear to see they do a fantastic job of achieving this.
The array of information on offer is quite astounding and Brenda is able to present everything beautifully and share her obvious expertise.
If you're planning a wedding, you simply must pay a visit to Brenda's Wedding Blog, as you're bound to pick up some useful ideas to use on your own big day.
The Wedding Planner Blog
The Wedding Planner Blog is updated by professional wedding planners from UK based company, Weddings by Zoe Lingard.
What makes this blog special, is it's simplicity. The minimalistic design ensures that visitors can easily concentrate on the stunning images and wealth of information on offer.
The jewel in the crown though are the design concept boards, which feature groups of images that allow you to visualise an entire wedding and provide fantastic inspiration.
But you can also find lots of clever tips and ideas from professionals that will help you plan a wedding that's just a little bit extra special.
