General Chat

We married in 1963 and had the usual practical presents. The two I’ve had the most use out of are the ironing board and a set of 3 red plastic mixing bowls of different sizes. Both presents are still in constant use.

The wedding present that most intrigues me belonged to my parents and is now mine. It is a delicate Japanese coffee set, comprising 6 espresso size cups and saucers, a coffee pot, a cream/milk jug and a sugar pot. The porcelain is almost translucent.

My mother was from a working class family who didn’t have two ha’pennies to rub together, father’s family was only slightly better off and I doubt if either family ever had coffee. So who on earth gave them the coffee set?
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When we got married, in the 1980's, we'd been living together for years, and at the time, were living in a small village in Essex, where I was an ag lab, boyfriend was an agricultural engineer. Our house was an unfurnished tied cottage - which we'd furnished.
We had a very small wedding in a registry office - no wedding dress or bridesmaids - just a couple of witnesses.
Well, the village and farm, unbeknownst to us, had a 'whip round' - and we were given money! Apparently, it was a village tradition.
Much better than items we didn't need.
Relations bought gifts - but asked us what we needed/wanted first. :-D

I forgot to say that we got 3 stainless steel carving trays!

One was traded back (with permission from the giver), one was regularly used, and one came out occasionally.

I'm not even sure where either of those 2 are now ........ OH carves a roast at the weekend, but has used a plate for years!

When we married in 1960 we got the usual tea towels,
sugar bowls and salt and pepper set.
We also got three irons, this should have been an omen.
They broke down very quickly and when replaced they didn't
last long in our house, they still don't. :-D

Yes, we were given a fondue set, when we married early 70s.
It's bright orange.
I have vague memories of it being used, when we had friends round, but you could count the number of times on one hand.

We were due to go overseas, so most presents were bedding, towels and tablecloths, which could be easily packed.

We were given an ornamental bright blue enamel kettle, decorated with white daisies. The handle folds to one side, so I think it was only ever meant for looking at. It's still here somewhere. I must have a look for it.....It hasn't seen the light of day for quite a few years.

We were moving overseas right after our wedding in 1967. A university friend of OH's, then living in Germany, bought us a beautiful Kenwood Mixer with stand and bowl. Unfortunately it was the English 240 volt :-(

We had it in the cupboard for about 2 years, then friends here on a 2 year visa had twins when only one was expected. We lent them the mixer and the husband bought the parts to make a transformer so it would work here. They gave us the mixer back, plus the transformer, when they left, and we used it like that for about 2 more years before we finally gave up and bought a new one.

The transformer had a wood base, and took up a huge amount of counter space.

We got 3 stainless steel toast racks. One the givers told m-i-l to please take it back and change it while we were on our 3 day honeymoon. She exchanged it for a stainless steel teapot, which I hardly ever used and finally gave it to a friend about 30 years later! I didn't like the taste of the tea from it, but friend had been looking to replace the one given to them on her wedding in 1965!

It must have been the era of stainless steel because we got lots of it ....... the toast racks, trays, coffee spoons (remember those tiny ones?), fish knives and forks, etc.

The funniest was the packaged sheet set given to us y my aunt and uncle (who were also my godparents). When we opened the package, it turned out to be one flat sheet with 2 pillow cases ........ but the sheet was really skewy. Something had gone wrong in the manufacture of it and we could never fold it straight. It's still up in the linen cupboard because it came n useful some times .......... when we ran out of all over sheets!

I think they bought it from the discount stall in the town market :-D

Our eldest married about 10 years ago. As they were being posted overseas, they specifically asked not to be given electrical equipment & definitely not a toaster. Just to wind her up, her 2 siblings each bought a £5 one. :-D :-D

I think they ended up using the toasters themselves when they left home. Waste not want not and all that.

Yes, we did and we’ve used it :-D
Not sure if it’s still in the top cupboard or if we gave away. I’ll have to get the step ladder out & have a look now you’ve mentioned it.

My elder sister got 3 !!!!! Toast racks when she married in 1955

She kept one and the other two found their way as wedding presents elsewhere

They never used the one they kept either :-(

I had been married nearly 3 years by the time I got back to UK so had money to buy a washing machine as I had a 6 week baby at the time :-D

My parents got us a big chest freezer and inlaws a tumble drier.

Could be DetEcTive I was thinking perhaps patchwork?

Did you have a fondue set? I seem to remember that was on someone's list in the 70s :-)

By the time we got married in 1975, wedding lists were more the norm.
Although some of the ‘outliers’ went off list, everything has been used. It might only have been when we’ve been entertaining & feel like being pretentious ;-)

Could a Crazy Cushion have been like a knitted sampler? That seems to be the modern equivalent.

Shirley They're very nice but fragile, I have a couple of cups and saucers that haven't been used since I was a child, but the rest have been broken in various house moves.

I have a very delicate tea set consisting of six cups six saucers and six tea plates bought as a wedding present for us in 1957

It's never been used as it was always viewed as Sunday best and too good for everyday use in case some of it got broken

Don't think daughter would keep it as a family heirloom though

Think it would be paying a visit to EBay !!!!

I've been researching her tree for a friend, and the newspapers have been particularly useful for info, including a very long list of wedding gifts given to the bride and groom in the 1890s.

I was interested in the gifts given that probably wouldn't be used or asked for now incl' a 100 piece cutlery set, 3 x jam dish and spoon, 2 x crumb brush and tray, 2 x 2 Worcester vases, embroidered religious texts, 3 x cream jug and sugar basin, 2 newspaper racks, and several sets of jugs. :-)

If married what gifts did you get that you never used? ( or duplicates?) or didn't get that you really needed.

And can anyone tell me what a "Crazy cushion" might have been? :-)