Seeking Help with a Wedding Gift

If you'd like to get a gift card, you can get one that is good for the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, which operates the Post Exchange (department store) whereever they are stationed. You can get a card at www.aafes.com. Look on the right hand side of the home page.

Do you know several of the people that are here in the States and will be at the reception? If so, maybe you could photograph some of them and give them an album of friends and family back here so they have a memory book while they're off in other countries. I know you don't have much time since it's this weekend, but it might be more appreciated and travel-ready than a traditional gift!

How about a romantic evening out? Get them a gift card to a nice restuarant and movie, theater, or concert tickets. If you are going in with a few friends get them a honeymoon package from a local hotel. A gift like this doesn't need to be packed and can't be broken. If that doesn't work try a nice camera or a digital photo frame. I am thinking small but nice and easy to pack. I know the Army will pack and ship their household items from one duty station to the next but sometimes they don't get their stuff on time. My son-in-law came home from the Army about a month before the wedding and my daughter planned a welcome home party for him, only to learn that it would take over 3 weeks to get his furniture. Luckily we had great weather and everyone brought lawn chairs and we had enough places to sit. So with that in mind they could be in Korea for 3-4 weeks with no furniture and only a few clothes you could get a gift that will ease that transition.

For a unique way to give money....I pick up 25 or 50 (whatever the amount I want to give) gold dollar coins at the bank and I put them in a little silk or velvet cloth bag that I get at Michaels (The craft store). People like to open up gifts and this makes a memoriable statement for a fun loving couple. Presentation is everything! M. in Wisconsin

TC,
I always appreciate a really nice photo album.The smaller albums with "memo" space is great, because you can go back and make notes about the photo or event.

I love taking photos and if you have a camera, maybe take some snapshots of their reception here. Then print them at the one hour place and slide them in. It is a great way to document great memories. I like taking candid shots or even asking couples or family members to pose for a quick shot. You can get it to them the next day or so before they leave. It is personal, easy to ship and gives them some photos of a significant event.
Good luck!
J.

Mastercard giftcard

a few ideas, if it's not too late:
1)a digital album. not a photo album the good ones are heavy. the digital album will allow them to remember their family as they travel around the world.
2)a calling card.
3)a necklace with both their pics on it (it's light and cute and holds memories)
4)if all else fails - money

Wait until they arrive and are settled in in Korea. Then, send a gift to their new address. Or, they may be planning to leave their wedding gifts with their parents until they are transferred back to the states. In which case, you won't be limited to what can be easily shipped.

One that i have given is a gift certificate to a menu planning service. I know I would've loved it as a wedding gift, cause I hate planning what we are goign to eat for the week, and had very little sperience cooking as a newlywed. Check out www.savingdinner.com - there are lots of different types of menus to choose from, and with a gift certificate, they could pick their own, and print it themselves whenthey get to their new home.

Really any ONLINE gift certificate would probably work well, cause they don't have to be in the states to get to the "store" and thye can have it shipped anywhere!

My suggestion would be a gift card of some sort or money. Neither are too big, too heavy or too breakable.

Hi T C! How 'bout a subscription to a magazine? If you know their interests, get a mag on that topic. Or one on travel. National Geographic and Smithsonian both have great pictures and a wide variety of topics. List their German address, and the mags will be forwarded along with all their other mail when they move. Or, if they're going to be home in the States for a while, maybe tickets to a show or some such. Good luck! L.

I would go with a gift card. That would be the easiest to take with them. Look online to be sure you are getting it for somewhere near them.
S.

For wedding gifts, I have given several gift certificates that encourage a "date" and the receivers have always expressed how much they loved the idea. A friend of mine is a pianist, so I gave her and her husband a GC to the symphony. In the same spirit, she gave me (we love to read) a GC to Barnes and Noble for our wedding one year later. Another friend and her husband love dining out so I gave a GC to an upscale restaurant. You can do GCs for lots of places overseas like theaters, Bookstores, Ticket Master (for concert lovers - I believe they work for overseas as I purchased a concert ticket for a show in Germany once), whatever they may be interested in. Just google Korea and a big coroporate company and find what is listed. South Korea has many of our big chains. For example, there are all kinds of hotels overseas that have excellent restaurants and purchasing a gift card through their corporate headquarters would work - from Hiltons to Hotel Sofitel, Best Western Seoul, Ritz Carlton - all are in South Korea. You could also give a gift certificate through Korean Airlines. I know that in a lot of western cultures money as a wedding gift can seem crass if it's not from family, a gift certificate seems to be a nice alternative. Another idea would be a nice coffe table type book as there is a book rate through the US postal service that is a lower cost.

I second the money idea... I know it is not personal but he can exchange them money and get something they need when they are in Korea.

While I was in Bulgaria for a few years I appreciated the cash gifts a lot more then anything else because I could exchange the cash and get something in Bulgaria that I wanted or needed.

If you want get the cash in Euro and they can use it in Germany or in Won (which is the Korean currency). That way it will show that you are thinking of where they will spend it and save them time in exchanging it. Plus when you exchange money most places take a percentage fee so they end up getting less of the gift money. Just an idea!

P.S. I would not go with a gift card... I have always had a hard time redeeming them overseas. Also even if you use them online sometimes the order would never go through yet the gift card is drained of its cash, so you could never use it.

I'd say Money or a Gift Card

Give money with a nice card. They will appreciate not having to lug a big gift back. Also, I would not wait for them to get to Korea and send a gift because that can get VERY VERY expensive. I know because I had friends who got married and now live in Amsterdam and shipping on some of these items is as much as the gift itself!

money... :) it's light weight and easy to pack...

Something we got for our wedding was sheets not just any sheets but the cotton sheets that are so soft that it feels like heaven when you lay on them. Not something I would normally buy for us because they are expensive but wow they were one of our favorite gifts. And they would be easy to ship.

Money and pictures are great gift ideas. They travel well!

If you are feeling especially generous (or know someone that can pitch in) you could get them a digital camera. I have family members in the military and they have gotten a lot of use out of their cameras. They post the pictures online or email them to friends and family members to show everyone what they are experiencing.

Best of luck!