Hatti and Dave thought about a traditional gift list but ended up deciding they didn’t need a load of new department store stuff. The one wedding present they really wanted was to enjoy time together as a married couple doing the things they love. So they set off in search of an alternative gift list that would allow people to buy them walks in the country, visits to castles and lots of tea and cake. Happily they found us.
Hatti and Dave loved the patchwork principle and immediately knew the one big present that’d they would ask their friends and family to fund:
A lifetime membership of the National Trust.
A truly unique and personal gift, Hatti and Dave would have country walks, castles, tea and cake to last a lifetime and would also be supporting a charity that they loved. “We knew lifetime memberships were expensive” says Hatti “so it seemed like an ideal gift to ask all our guests to contribute towards”.
“Everyone knows I’m totally obsessed with castles” says Hatti “so people loved seeing the childhood photos we chose for our patchwork – proof that have both loved the National Trust from a very early age.”Hatti and Dave say they loved using our alternative gift list. “It was so easy to set up, totally customisable and really fun to create a patchwork that was totally “us”. It meant friends and family could give money in a way that was really personal and “it saved us the embarrassment of asking for cash!”.
After their wedding the newly-weds spent their honeymoon in a cottage in the Brecon Beacons and on the last day they went to Basildon Park to buy their lifetime membership. “It was such an exciting moment for us! The staff were almost as excited as we were, which was fantastic. We had such big grins on our faces as we explored the property.”
Hatti and Dave have since used their National Trust membership to visit Mottisfont Abbey and Cliveden and are planning a trip to Sissinghurst Castle and Sutton Hoo. Hatti says it’s a gift they will treasure forever. And it’s extra special because “every time we use our membership we think of all the people who helped us buy it. We’ll will be thinking of them for the rest of our lives!”
Thanks for sharing your story Hatti and Dave. Please send us a postcard from your next trip.
If you’re feeling inspired you can create your own unique patchwork here. If you’re still looking for gift ideas for friends to fund check out our readymade patchworks.