Parental Presents

After months of planning, thank your folks for their help with something they’ll treasure

By Melissa Tussing
CTW Features

Image courtesy personalizationmall.com

Getting along with your in-laws is important. After all, you’re going to be seeing them for years to come whenever holiday season rolls around.

So what do you get them to thank them for helping you pull off one of the biggest days of your life? Better yet, what do you get your own parents?

This is one of the biggest days in parents’ lives, too, and seeing the end to your months of planning might be thanks enough. But there also are plenty of ways to thank the ’rents for even the most DIY-bride. Here are some ideas:

Write – don’t type – them a letter

It may seem old-fashioned, but in a world of e-mails and text messaging, putting your thoughts in writing make them that much more special. So bust out the fancy stationery. It’s something your folks can look over years from now to remember your special day. You also can write a letter to your mother- or father-in-law to thank them for raising someone worthy to be called your spouse.

Make a video

You don’t to have expensive video equipment to put together a video that your parents will want to watch again and again. Take some video of your wedding planning or you and your sweetie with a camcorder. For the more video-inclined, you can take footage and make a video with software like iMovie, Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro. Some libraries offer multimedia centers where you can edit video. Or, if shot from your phone, send the video directly to them.

Get them some wedding swag

If your parents have a good sense of humor, check out some gifts online at sites like shopforweddings.com. The site sells “Father of the Bride/Groom” socks for $7.95 or a golf ball set for $9.35 for a set of three. Other gifts include embroidered handkerchiefs ($21.95), “Father of the Bride/Groom” baseball cap ($12.95) and a Mother of the Bride survival kit ($27.95).

Engraved photo frame

You’re going to be the subject of a camera from your early-morning preparations until you ride away in your getaway car. Having the frame engraved allows you to add a special message from the couple, says Amy Nuttman, owner of Blush Bridal Consultation Group in Portland, Ore. A frame from PersonalaizationMall.com engraved with an entire poem for mom or dad runs for $34.95.

Presents in a hatbox

Want something pretty, personal and unique? Check out Nonnie Waller’s, a company that packages a pound cake and a nosegay of fresh flowers in a hatbox starting from $55. “It’s really pretty and a nice surprise,” said Michelle Buckley, owner of Mint Julep Social Events in Los Angeles, Calif. You can order them online at nonniewallers.com.

Plan a weekend getaway

“After planning the wedding, everyone has a lot of stress,” says Linda Bridges, customer service manager at Serendipity Bridal in Austin, Texas. If you can afford to give your parents a break, book them a weekend away at a local bed and breakfast. Or give them gift certificates for the space.

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