MISSISSIPPI STATE – A good wedding gift is appropriately generous, completely thoughtful and exactly right for the recipient, but finding that perfect gift can seem almost impossible.

No one wants to be the one who gave the gift that raised eyebrows or left the new couple wondering if they have been insulted. Purchasing items on the couple’s gift registry can help them set up housekeeping and results in fewer returns and duplicate items. However, some who wish them well want to make their gifts truly special.

Susan Cosgrove, Mississippi State University Extension Service family resource management specialist in Newton County, said it helps to know as much about the couple as possible when purchasing a gift not on the registry.

“Will the couple be living in a house or an apartment, in the city or in the country?” Cosgrove said. “The answer to these questions can determine a lot about what type of gifts are most appropriate.”

Cosgrove said that even if a person chooses to find a gift not on the wedding registry, examining the registry can yield a lot of details about the new couple’s interests and tastes.

Tawnya Crockett, MSU Extension family resource management specialist in Forrest County, said items that are handmade are always thoughtful.

“If you have talents of sewing or cooking, making a gift is a good idea,” Crockett said. “You can do something as extensive as making a homemade quilt, or you can do something simpler like baking your fabulous cookies or making a goodie basket for the couple to take on their honeymoon.”

Gift-givers who are not crafty or confident of their cooking abilities can put some thought into buying a collection of items to make up a gift basket.

“You can buy a variety of inexpensive kitchen gadgets, such as measuring spoons and other utensils, and place them in a large mixing bowl or useful basket. Decorated with a ribbon, this makes an attractive and useful gift,” Crockett said.

Similar gift baskets can be made for items related to other rooms in the house or hobbies or activities the new couple enjoys. The appropriate container can make a beautiful and thoughtful gift out of collections of bath items, gardening tools, and sports or fitness items that are selected with the couple in mind.

If these ideas still don’t sound like the perfect gift, consider making them a certificate for a home-cooked meal, redeemable once the new couple returns from their honeymoon. A gift certificate promising help completing a project at the couple’s new home, like painting a room or building a deck, or offering babysitting services saves money and creates opportunities to spend time with the friends and help the new couple in a unique way.