Cool & Unique Engagement Gifts That The Couple Will Actually Use and Love

This is a problem I never imagined having just a few years ago. But just like that, my mid-twenties have brought a string of my friends are ENGAGED. A naive, little me just thought that meant a lot of party invitations were coming my way. What I didn't think about was how many presents I was going to need to buy.

On average, there are about 8 wedding-related events for every wedding: the engagement party, the bridal/couple's shower, the bachelor/bachelorette party, the bridesmaid/groomsman luncheon, the welcome party, the rehearsal dinner, wedding party/reception, and the farewell brunch.

Now not all of these require gifts and the biggest event of them all will have a registry, which makes things pretty easy. But, you will likely have to cough up some gifts for the engagement party, the bridal/couple's shower, and the bachelor/bachelorette party.

Finding Cool & Unique Engagement Gifts For When Pinterest and Etsy Fail You

And usually, this wouldn't be a problem for me. I, in fact, consider gift-giving to be one of my main love languages. So, I truly enjoy finding the perfect gift for my loved ones. The problem was that all of the gifts I was finding online seemed to be the same cheesy gift.

A cutting board with the couple's name on it, a faceless illustration of the couple with the date they met written underneath it, and countless gold-toned Mr. and Mrs. wine glasses, planners, and notepads.

Now, with the sheer number of these products that exist on the internet, I am sure there is a large market for these type of gifts. Just one 5-minute scroll through either Etsy or Pinterest will reveal hundreds of products with a very similar same vibe. If those gifts are your thing, great. Your gift search will be pretty easy.

5 Cool & Unique Engagement Gifts

But if you're looking for a cool and unique engagement gift that the couple will actually use for years to come, things might be a little trickier. Because let's be honest, how long is that couple going to keep a framed illustration of themselves on their wall? Or drink out of his and hers glasses? Maybe the couple you know will, but I don't think the ones I do would.

Soo I did a lot of sleuthing and I ended up finding a bunch of meaningful engagement/wedding gifts with character. And without further ado, here they are.

1. A Dried Bouquet With a Cool Vase

A bouquet is always a great choice for a gift. Since I live abroad, it's really easy for me to send bouquets to my loved ones from far away. Plus, flowers are one of the only gifts proven to bring true joy to their recipients.

The problem is that a bouquet is not something the lovebirds can treasure forever. That's why I loved the dried bouquet line from Urban Stems. The dried bouquets will not only make beautiful home decor pieces, but many of the bouquets come with unique vases that can be used for years to come.

The bouquets come in a range of prices, which means they can fit in a variety of budgets. From left to right, these bouquets are The Delancey at $105, The Mykonos at $55, and The Kaden at $55.

2. "Year of Firsts" Engagement Wine Gift Box

This engagement gift is one of my favorites out of the bunch because it's crafted only for couples who have just got engaged. Created by Argaux, these wines are not only hand-selected by their team of Sommeliers, but also tagged with various engagement milestones.

With tags like Booked the Venue, Said Yes to the Dress, Set the Date, One Month Countdown, Congratulations, and Let’s Celebrate, these bottles of wine are designed to be opened to celebrate whichever of these tags is on the bottle.

This gift really keeps the party going because they'll be able to celebrate and enjoy your gift for the entirety of their engagement. You can purchase either a six-pack ($200) or a three-pack ($100). And you may choose from a selection of all red, all white, or mixed bottles to be included.

3. Personalized Couple's Stationery

What the Etsy gift sellers do have right is that they know a little personalization can go a long way. But that's just one of the reasons why I love this personalized couple's stationery. Not only does Crane Stationery make some truly stunning options, but this is a gift the newly engaged couple will definitely use.

As a newly engaged or newly married couple, they will likely have to send out a lot of thank you notes for all of the gifts their receiving. Yeah gifting someone a gift that will likely be used to thank you for your gift is pretty ~meta~, but I still think makes a great gift as it's heartfelt, personalized, and something they'll actually use.

There are quite a few places you can purchase personalized couple's stationary (including Etsy!) but I was really impressed with Crane's quality and character.

4. Monogrammed Napkins

Okay, monogrammed gifts definitely aren't for everybody, but I think these monogrammed napkins are both a classy and practical engagement gift. A great choice for the couple who loves a good dinner party, but really anyone can benefit from a nice collection of reusable napkins.

Not only are they environmentally friendly, but they definitely add a touch of luxury to any meal. Plus, it's likely your couple doesn't have reusable napkins of their own—and certainly, none that are personalized with both of their initials.

You can find these in a few different places online including Food52 and Etsy. They're a little bit on the pricey side averaging at about $14 per napkin, but if you're looking for something a little more budget-friendly, just a few will do! You can also check out other monogrammed gifts like pillows.

5. Custom Frames for Wedding and Engagement photos, Invitations, and More

While I'm not in love with the idea of hanging an illustration of yourself on your wall, a tasteful framed wedding/engagement photo will always be a welcome gift.

With Framebridge, you can upload the picture directly to their website and they'll ship the image framed in one of their custom frames. If you think your couple would rather frame something like their wedding invitations, you can also send them a Framebridge gift card that they can use exactly how they'd like.

Starting at $39 and going up into the hundreds, there is an option in here for everyone.

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Overall, I hope you enjoyed this list of engagement gifts. At the end of the day, it really is the thought that counts so I'm sure the couple will love any gift you choose for them! Just think: unique, functional, and personalized.