Gifts for couples that belong to both of them
A good gift for a couple is used by both people, ideally in the same place. Think of the doormat they both step over on the way in, the mugs that come out together at breakfast, the shirts they wear on the same trip. Shared space is the test. After nineteen years of selling gifts, the mistake we see most often is the present that quietly belongs to one partner: a book for him or a scarf for her, with both names on the card. A week later it has drifted to one side of the shelf, and the other half of the couple could not tell you where it went.
Gifts for a couple moving in together
When a couple moves in together, the front door is the first thing that is truly theirs. A personalised doormat with both names, or with a monogram and the year they got the keys, marks exactly that step. It gets walked over every single day. A gift for moving in together does not have to be large, as long as it earns a permanent spot in the new place, and two mugs with their initials do that just as well. If you are going to the housewarming and want something for the home as a whole, the housewarming gifts cover that side.
Engagement gifts for couples start with the date
An engagement gift is about the date. Put the day of the proposal on a mug or a shirt next to their names, and the gift tells the story without needing a card. A photo of the two of them makes it stronger still. The mug with black and white photos and repeating text holds three pictures in a row, with one line of text running all the way around, and the T-shirt in the same style carries the same idea. For newlyweds, a wedding anniversary or a civil partnership, the ideas continue under wedding gifts.
Gift ideas for couples, by the kind of couple they are
Start with what the couple does together, not with what they already own. A couple who has everything is rarely missing an object. What they lack is a reminder of something they did together. Once you know that, pick the item that suits the place where they would want to see it: by the door, at the table or on the shirts they wear.
- Just got their own place: a doormat with their names or a monogram
- Coffee together every morning: two mugs, each with its own name or initial
- Always travelling: a shirt or mug with their best trip photos in black and white
- Festivals and holidays as a pair: matching shirts for couples that belong together without being identical
- The dog is part of the family: the doormat with peeking pets, or a mug with a photo of their dog or cat
Matching shirts for couples need two sizes
Matching couple shirts need two sizes, and that is where most of these orders go wrong. People know their own size and guess the other one. Ask someone who knows without giving the surprise away, or check the label of a shirt that already hangs in their wardrobe. Look at the fits each shirt comes in as well, because a unisex cut runs roomier than a fitted women's cut. Two of the same shirt already earn a multi-buy saving, since every size and design of one product counts towards it.
Christmas and birthday presents for a couple
At Christmas a couple usually gets one present between the two of them, and everything on this page fits that moment. A birthday is different. There is only one person celebrating, and a gift for the couple then reads as something that was not really meant for them. Give the birthday person something of their own, and save the couple gift for a day that belongs to both: Valentine's Day, their anniversary or the year they move in together. Ideas for the first of those are under Valentine's and love gifts.
How much to spend on a gift for a couple
A gift for a couple can cost a little more than a gift for one person, because it is for two. For 25 euros you can get a mug with their names or a single shirt. Between 30 and 50 euros you are looking at a doormat or a pair of matching shirts. If you are splitting the cost with friends, the photo doormat or the one with their pets is worth chipping in for. Above 50 euros it usually makes more sense to give two gifts that belong together than one bigger thing.
Questions about gifts for couples
What do you get a couple who has everything?
Something with their own names, a date or a photo on it, because that is the one thing they cannot already own. A doormat with both names or a mug with a picture from their first trip together fits that description. Because it gets used as well as looked at, it does not end up in a cupboard.
Should I add a date, or just their names?
Two names are enough for a gift that gets used every day. A date only adds something when that day means as much to both of them: the day they met, the proposal, or the keys to their first home. When in doubt, leave the date off. More ideas with a name are under name gifts.
How long does a personalised couple gift take?
Allow a few working days more than for a standard item, because a personalised gift is only made once your order is in. The expected delivery date is shown on every product page. So do not order on the day itself, and certainly not in December, when deliveries take longer than usual.
What makes a bad gift for a couple?
A gift that only suits one of the two. Clothing in a single size, a hobby item for the partner you know best, or a joke only one of them gets: each of these ends up with one person. A couple gift belongs in the space they share, such as the front door, the kitchen or the sofa.