Mother-in-law Wedding Gift Ideas

With all that you have going on around the time of your wedding, it can be hard to find time to give much thought to creative gifts for your parents. Most of us know what our own moms would enjoy, need, or even find funny — but choosing a wedding gift for your mother-in-law can be extra tricky. That’s why we’ve done the work for you by coming up with some unique, creative, and budget-friendly mother-in-law gift ideas that are sure to make her feel special, appreciated, and loved.

Wedding Survival Kit / Gift Basket

With several events leading up to the wedding day, a thoughtful gift for your mother-in-law is to give her several gifts to open over time. This can all be presented in a box, gift bag, basket or keepsake container, with notes on each gift. For example…

• Salon/spa gift card note: Open for a pre-wedding beauty day!
• Jewelry gift note: Open for some wedding day bling!
• A note for an elegant handkerchief gift: Open before the ceremony.
• Slippers gift: Open at the reception…when your dancing feet need a break.
• Bottle of pain reliever gift note: Open the morning after!
• Framed photo of the couple gift: Open when you miss our smiling faces.

Coffee or Tea Subscription

A gift that keeps delivering throughout the year also extends the celebration. Present your mother-in-law with a gift subscription for monthly deliveries of something she loves, with a clever note that incorporates the item. For example, coffee or tea would be cute with a personalized coffee mug and the note, “For the WARM welcome you’ve given me into your family, here’s something to keep you cozy all year.”

Wine Subscription... And "Open When" Combo

If your mother-in-law loves wine, raise a toast to her again and again with a monthly subscription and some hand-written notes to open each month. Simply pick up a packet of 12 note cards and write a short toast on each one. For example:

• Here’s to raising an incredible son/daughter!
• Here’s to your birthday!
• Here’s to a wonderful mother-in-law on Mother’s Day!
• Here’s to our first holiday season as a family!

Present them (sealed and labeled by month) with a certificate of the subscription, and let the celebration continue.

Silver-plated Sentiments

The bangle charm bracelet trend isn’t going anywhere soon, and that’s good news for you! For under $50, you can give your mother-in-law a bracelet/charm with a meaningful message (like these below) that will surely melt her heart:

• From the bride: Thank you for raising the man of my dreams.
• From the groom: I’ll take good care of her.

Then and Now Photo Frame

Once the wedding photos are available, choose a picture of the bride or groom (whoever is the mother-in-law’s child) as well as a baby/childhood picture of them. Put them both together in a double frame. Use the sentiment idea above to include a handwritten note:

• Thank you for raising an incredible man.
• Thank you for raising the woman of my dreams. I’ll take good care of her.

Embroidered Hankerchief

On that big, beautiful day of your ceremony, your mother-in-law is going to need something to wipe those proud, happy tears. A pretty, personalized handkerchief is not only a beautiful keepsake, but it’s practical, too. For the embroidered message, you can keep it simple with her initials, add a symbol or design, or choose something more lengthy and meaningful. It’s amazing what embroiders can do!

Personalized Wedding Album

There are always more amazing photos from a wedding than you can fit in your album. But they don’t have to go to waste. While you might only want a few shots of your in-laws and their friends and family, your mother-in-law would love to see (and keep) many more. Most photographers offer smaller albums for family members. Or you could put a beautiful (less expensive) album together yourself.

Mother-child Locket

Choose a picture of your mother-in-law and her child at the wedding and ask your partner to dig up an early one of the two of them together. Resize them if necessary on a photo copier and put them in a beautiful locket for a truly heartfelt gift.

Pre-wedding Mani / Pedi

A wonderful way to strengthen the relationship and create personal memories with your mother-in-law is to spend some quality time together. Odds are, the bride will have a mani/pedi on her to-do list, so why not treat your mother-in-law to one, too? Not only is this a great way to make use of your limited time before the event, but you’ll also make your mother-in-law feel like part of the pre-wedding prep.

And speaking of quality time, including your mother-in-law on any of the pre-planning trips (cake testing, flower shop, etc.) may mean more to her than you realize. Ask her to come along, then go to lunch, take some selfies, and make a day of it. The memory itself will be a gift.

Lottery Ticket Bouquet

If you have a light, fun relationship with your new “mom,” then you can have fun with the gift as well. Let her know how LUCKY you feel to have hit the JACKPOT by marrying the great person she raised, and that you hope at least one of these tickets will REPAY her for all she’s done.

Last Minute Gifts

With all that’s going on before the wedding, maybe you didn’t have time to go gift shopping, but you don’t want to settle for “just” a gift card. There’s an easy, clever fix for this! You can make it look like gift cards were the choice all along by presenting them in a creative way. Simply affix a few to a sheet of card stock or small posterboard and incorporate the cards into the message. Here’s one idea:

Thank you…

• …for being a beautiful part of our journey. (gas card)
• …for everything you did to raise an incredible person. (grocery & clothing store cards)
• …for all of your great advice and wisdom. (book store card)
• …and for the warm (coffee card) welcome into your family.

I feel truly lucky and blessed!

Make It Braggable

This suggestion is less about a specific gift and more about a way to present it. For most moms, their child’s wedding day is a milestone moment they’re so excited about — and proud of — that they want to share it with everyone they know. Several of your mother-in-law’s friends might attend the shower, and many others will be kept posted on social media. In light of her love and excitement, give her a moment to shine! Present her gift at the shower or rehearsal dinner, along with some kind words, and have someone take pix and video. Then let her post away!

Mail a Coconut From Your Honeymoon (Or a Flip-flop Or a Beach Ball...)

Okay, so maybe mom won’t be on your mind much during your romantic getaway. But that would make it all the more special for her to open her mailbox after all the wedding excitement and receive a happy surprise from you. Since you can mail anything that holds a stamp, forego the standard postcard and opt for writing your message on a coconut or flip-flop or sombrero! Depending on where you go, you’re bound to find something local and unique.

Now you have some great ideas for your mother-in-law’s wedding gift, you can cross that off your to-do list. And, hey, give yourself a pat on the back for going the extra mile at such a busy time. If you’re giving this much thought to your mother-in-law’s present, then she is already getting an amazing gift — you.