Overview

• If a friend or loved one of yours has just gotten married or will be tying the knot soon, you can be especially creative with your gift by giving the couple an after-wedding survival kit. The items in the kit should prepare the bride and groom for their new life together, and they'll be sure to use their supplies well after the ceremony.
  
  

Home-Repair Kits

• Many couples may be moving into a new home after the wedding, so you can fill your kit with small tools that will help to keep the house intact. You can include items such as a screwdriver, a tape measure or a set of nails in the kit, and you can even include a DVD with instructions for how to remodel the kitchen or bathroom, or with steps for replacing the carpet or tile in the home. Because the kit is designed to help couples "survive" after the wedding, it's also a good idea to provide a fun list of things for the wife to do when her husband insists on "fixing" things in the home, such as distracting him with food or a family trip. The list can also include the addresses and phone numbers of local hardware stores and repair shops, and you can complete the kit with some gift certificates to the couple's favorite home-improvement store.
  
  

Family-Survival Kits

• If the couple already has children or plans to start a family right away, put together a wedding-survival kit that will make it easier for the bride and groom to maintain the romance of their marriage while fulfilling the obligations of parenting. Some parenting magazines can provide vital tips for mothers and fathers who need help feeding their children healthy foods, potty training their toddlers or helping their elementary-school children with homework. The kit can include candles, bath salts and easy gourmet recipe cards that can be used for an in-house date night. Providing a free night at a first-class hotel for the couple or a certificate for a night of free babysitting can finish off the kit and bring a smile to the couple's face.
  
  

Conflict-Resolution Kits

• Your after-wedding survival kit can be also be filled with some of the things the bride and groom will need to keep their home happy after the excitement of the wedding ceremony has worn off. A couple of books or magazine articles with details on how to diffuse or avoid an argument are ideal, and you can provide personalized gift certificates for him and her in the kit--for example, certificates for a free round of golf for him when things get a little stressful around the house. A pass to the local spa for her will definitely come in handy in such situations, too. If you know the couple very well, putting together a slide show of pictures of the bride and groom when they were younger or dating will help bring back fond memories for the couple and will add a nice touch to the kit. When the bride and groom watch the DVD, they will be reminded of the reason(s) why they fell in love, and they'll remember the thoughtfulness that went into putting together the kit.