The Absolute Worst Things to Get a Couple For Their Wedding

Updated on March 18, 2017 at 5:40 PM

Before you go ahead and select something from the couple's wedding registry, you might want to do them a favor and ignore their list. Moen, a faucet and fixture company, conducted a survey with Harris Poll to dive into the best and worst gifts to give to newlyweds. They found that although 85 percent of brides want you to buy something from their registry, many later regret asking for the following:

Impractical items that take up space and would be rarely used, like an ice cream maker, panini press, or espresso machine.
Aspirational items that better fit the lifestyle they want to have but don't, like stemware and crystal.
Traditional items that are expensive but won't be used, like fancy china.

The Worst Gifts to Give

Thirty-four percent of the survey's bride's returned six to 10 wedding gifts. Here are some examples of terrible gifts real couples actually received:

"An I.O.U."
"A VIP card to a strip club, so my husband and I can spend time together."
"A book about having a better marriage before we even got started."
"Ball and chain underwear."
"A cake holder that was regifted. It had a card in it for the person that gave it to us. And to top it all off it was from a good friend."
"A Chia Pet."
"A machete."
"A casserole shaped like a duck."

The best route to take is to think of a gift that would best reflect the couple. If they're wine-lovers, consider a monthly wine subscription, for example. If they're outdoorsy, select some camping gear. Think either useful and practical or unconventional but ideal for the couple. And you can never go wrong with gifting money. In fact, some of the best wedding presents couples received included cash, cookware, and a vacation.

See Moen's infographic to get the full breakdown.