Right off the bat, let me tell you that I am a wedding registry person through and through. This is in part because I received some odd non-registry gifts for my wedding (for instance, a large dream catcher) that I had a hard time appreciating, and I want to give couples items that they are eager to use in their new home together. But it is also because I am an insatiably curious person who loves to take my time perusing the wish lists of others, seeing what strikes their fancy, and getting a sense of both their taste in style and their hopes for life together. Will they be hosting a game night, going on outdoorsy camping trips, or throwing a party so big it needs a punch bowl? Is their idea of luxury high thread-count sheets, or an espresso maker to craft at-home lattes? Are they elegant china people, or more the earthen-pottery type?
For the sake of both the couple and me, when I purchase a wedding gift, it’s almost always off a registry.
That said, I feel comfortable getting a little more creative with shower gifts. If I’m attending a shower, I’m also attending the wedding, and so I know that I’ll be giving at least one item that the couple specifically requested. And usually, if I’m attending the shower, it’s because I’m good friends or relatives with the bride, and I know her taste well enough to pick out something I have a good feeling she will like. On top of this, bridal showers feel intimate to me; they are a chance to give something sentimental, unique, and thoughtfully chosen.
If you are like me and are willing to brave the off-registry world when choosing a shower gift, here are a few ideas of items that would make great bridal shower gifts for a Catholic couple.
Rosaries for the Bride and Groom
I can remember being given rosaries at both my First Holy Eucharist and my Confirmation, and I think it makes sense to keep the sacramental rosary collection growing. Getting matching rosaries for a bride and groom would be a lovely way to do this.
Rosary Dishes
These rosary dishes can double as ring holders for the couple. I like the idea of choosing a few of them for the newlyweds to place throughout their home – maybe one in the bathroom for jewelry taken off before a shower, one on a bedside table for bedtime prayer, and one in the kitchen for rings to be held while washing dishes.
A Print of the Patron Saints of Marriage
Saints Louis and Zelie Martin are the patron saints of marriage (and the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux!). Both had aspirations of religious life, but God had other plans for them, and they lived holy lives through their vocation of marriage. The couple endured hardship when four of their nine children died at a young age and then when Zelie battled terminal breast cancer in her final years of life as a young mother. But throughout it they remained faithful to God and to one another. Help the soon-to-be-married couple turn their hearts and minds towards the guidance of these saints with this beautiful print.
Catholic Monthly Devotions
Catholicism is a religion rich with spiritual practices and devotions…and sometimes it can be hard to keep straight when various feast days, months of, and solemnities fall. This Catholic Monthly Devotions prints set is both beautiful and educational, as it guides the viewer through each month’s particular devotion, including its meaning and history. I’d include with this gift a challenge to the couple to try engaging in all the devotions and prayers for their first year of marriage. It’s hard to imagine that this wouldn’t bless them!
Theology of Home Book
“Finding the eternal in the everyday” is the subtitle to this beautiful book, and what a great tool to help a new couple embark on life in a shared home together?! Written by three wives and mothers, Theology of Home is full of words of wisdom from the saints and other literary figures, stunning photographs of homes from around the country, and in depth commentary on the theological and spiritual underpinnings of our love for Home.
A Beautiful Journal
My mom gave my husband and me a hardback journal early in our marriage to use as a guest book to record all the visitors we brought into our home (multiple homes, really!) throughout the course of our marriage. I love looking back on all the friends, cousins, siblings, and pets (!) who have stayed at our home over the years, and I think encouraging this tradition with the gift of a journal is a lovely idea.
A Heart Bread Basket
This bread basket is spot-on for a gift to a soon-to-be married couple. It’s heart shape gives a nod to their love, and its white color makes it versatile and usable for both casual and more formal meals.
Holy Family Memory Box
This memory box, depicting a bas-relief carving of The Holy Family, would be the perfect place for a bride to store her wedding related memorabilia, from cards written by loved ones, to the program for their ceremony, to letters the couple exchanged on their sacrament day, to a menu from their reception meal. Or, do the bride a favor and fill it with stamps and blank thank you cards; she’ll be needing a lot of those after her shower!
