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Edoardo and Alice on their wedding day at Bath Spa. Edoardo wears a dark blue suit, Alice a long ivory dress. They stand within the beautiful stone wall surrounds of Bath Spa as the steam rises off the water.
Patchwork CouplesWedding Planning

A double Roman Baths wedding and a charity gift registry

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Meet our latest Patchwork couple – Alice from Bath, and Edoardo from Rome. They had both been living in London for several years when they met in summer 2017 via Guardian Soulmates, (the original pre-tinder dating site!) As well as epitomising the “more love less stuff” philosophy behind Patchwork, this gorgeous couple had a wedding which you might say was “so nice they did it twice”! Read on to find out more about their TWO dreamy weddings and the very fitting venue they chose!

Patchwork couple Edoardo and Alice

How did you get engaged?

Edoardo: We had just been separated for about a month while Alice was abroad in Germany. We both missed each other a lot and when we were reunited, we had a conversation about getting married over a pint in the pub. It seemed the most natural thing to do! No big announcements or proposals – just a decision that we made together.

Close up shot of Edoardo and Alice on their wedding day at Bath Spa. Edoardo wears a dark blue suit, Alice a long ivory dress. They stand holding hands within the beautiful stone wall surrounds of Bath Spa.
Edoardo and Alice on their wedding day at Bath Spa. Edoardo wears a dark blue suit, Alice a long ivory dress and holds a bouquet of yellow flowers. They stand within the beautiful stone wall surrounds of Bath Spa.

What kind of wedding did you plan?

One morning Alice woke up with a flash of inspiration – so we looked up whether the Roman Baths in Bath hosted weddings. And they do! Perfect location for someone from Rome and someone from Bath to get married. We planned a nice evening celebration with friends and family which was due to take place in 2020. However, Covid messed up our plans quite a bit. We ended up having a small intimate sunrise marriage ceremony with family only in May 2021, and then we had a lovely evening ceremony at our one year anniversary in 2022. Both in the Roman Baths.

Edoardo and Alice dancing together on their wedding day at Bath Spa. Edoardo wears a red waistcoat and white shirt, Alice a long gold dress.

Did you have a first dance?

As our wedding had been postponed multiple times, we asked our brilliant swing band to play “Finally!” by CeCe Peniston.

Edoardo and Alice on their wedding day at Bath Spa. Edoardo wears a dark blue suit and red waistcoat, Alice a long gold dress and holds a bouquet of bright orange flowers
Edoardo and Alice on their wedding day at Bath Spa. Edoardo wears a dark blue suit and red waistcoat, Alice a long gold dress and holds a bouquet of bright orange flowers. They stand in the beautiful stone surroundings of the spa with their guests behind them.

What was your favourite part of the day(s)?

At both the events, we found entering the Roman Baths with the steam rising from the hot water was totally magical. At our sunrise wedding in 2021, we were overawed by the occasion and the small scale of it made us really savour the moment. During our evening party in 2022, 15 of our friends performed the “Humming Chorus” from the opera Madam Butterfly as we walked in, which was beautiful and very moving.

Dusk at Edoardo and Alice's wedding day at Bath Spa. Edoardo and Alice are standing against one of the beautiful stone walls of bath Spa which is lit by soft orange light. The Bath skyline is above.

Why did you choose Patchwork for your gift registry?

We were looking for a website that offered us freedom to design our wedding registry and include different gift options. We browsed a bit and tried a few, but Patchwork was really good as we could design the page entirely and had the freedom to add different items to our list.

A Patchwork "Give List" wedding registry displayed in an ipad

What did you invite guests to contribute towards and why?

By the time we got married, we had already been living together for a couple of years, so we really didn’t need or want any items. We instead chose three charities that are meaningful to us and gathered guests’ contributions to go towards them. We chose two local North London charities (a homeless shelter and a community farm) and a charity that supports migrants who get into trouble in the Mediterranean going into Italy.

Edoardo and Alice on their wedding day at Bath Spa. They are walking together, both smiling and Alice waves. Edoardo wears a dark blue suit and red waistcoat, Alice a long gold dress and holds a bouquet of bright orange flowers.

What was your favourite feature of Patchwork?

Patchwork allowed us to create individualised items at different price points for each of the charities we chose. Also, having had to postpone our wedding a few times because of Covid, we found it really good that Patchwork allowed us to keep our page open and running for quite a lot longer than we first anticipated! Also family and friends could leave a message on our Patchwork after their contribution, which has been lovely to see and go back to.

Edoardo and Alice on their wedding day at Bath Spa standing beside the spa itself with all of their guests around them. Edoardo wears a dark blue suit and red waistcoat, Alice a long gold dress and holds a bouquet of bright orange flowers

What did your friends and family think?

We had some lovely messages from our family and friends. They all really loved the idea of supporting our chosen charities. We had also got in touch with the charities beforehand and asked them to share with us what different levels of contribution would go towards – which we then were able to add to our Patchwork for each price point. Guests really liked to be able to select something specific and know where the money would go. It was great to know that our wedding also helped contribute towards some very important causes. That was always very important for us and we were glad to have made this decision.

Do you have any wedding planning tips for engaged couples?

Give as much information as you can to your guests, whether it’s on your website or elsewhere, because people will have a lot of questions. You can lose sight of that when you’re totally immersed in the planning!

Another thing we really loved is that for our evening celebration we had a lovely humanist celebrant to create our ceremony for us . We got to write our own personalised ceremony from scratch and that was very special. So we would definitely recommend it as an alternative to more traditional ceremonies (and our guests loved it!).

Thank you so much Alice and Edoardo for sharing not just one but TWO beautiful wedding days with us. What a perfect venue for this gorgeous couple too. If you’ve been inspired to set up a gift list with a charitable element check out our wedding give list template or our 100s of other alternative wedding gift ideas.

Here are some of the amazing wedding suppliers that made Edoardo and Alice’s Roman Baths wedding day even more special:

Photographer: Michael Newington Gray
Dress: Pearl Legay-Clarke (gold dress only – however she doesn’t do dressmaking anymore)
Celebrant: Amy Lee
Music: Down for the Count
Venue: The Roman Baths and Pump Room
Cake: The Pretty Cake Company
Flowers: Alice’s mum 🙂

p.s. you can listen to Edoardo and Alice’s first dance song on our Spotify playlist, made up of lots of our Patchwork Couples’ first dances.

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Black and white image of Patchwork couple Beth and Lukas on their wedding day. Beth is a white woman, with dark brown hair, Lukas a white man with short fair hair and glasses. They look towards each other and are smiling. There is a flight of stone steps and large wooden doors behind them.
Patchwork CouplesWedding Planning

A wedding in Germany and new home gift registry.

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Patchwork couple Beth and Lukas married in an intimate ceremony in Germany last September. Beth is originally from Liverpool and it was there that she met her German husband Lukas during his gap year. He was volunteering at the community café where Beth worked during her first year at uni. They’ve been together almost 5 years now and have lived together in Germany since Beth moved over during the pandemic in summer 2020. The move in to their new home gave them the perfect wedding registry idea: to invite friends and family to help them furnish it from scratch. Read on to find out more about their day and why Patchwork was the perfect gift solution for this lovely couple.

Close up shot of Patchwork couple Lukas and Beth. Lukas is a white man with short fair hair and glasses, Beth is a white woman with dark bobbed hair, she wears a long sleeved white dress with a faint design on. Lukas wears a dark suit. Beth is reaching up smiling and has her hand on Lukas' cheek

How did you get engaged?

Beth: Our engagement wasn’t really what Lukas had planned, because I became seriously ill not long after moving to Germany, which completely derailed our plans. We had been living with Lukas’ parents during my illness, so Lukas decided to propose to me one evening when we had the house to ourselves and planned to have a pyjama party with pizza and movies. It was very sweet and intimate, just the two of us, because we had been through a lot and this time together was really special.

Patchwork couple Lukas and Beth sit beside each other to sign their marriage certificate during their wedding ceremony in Germany. Lukas is a white man with short fair hair and glasses, Beth is a white woman with dark bobbed hair, she wears a long sleeved white dress with a faint design on. Lukas wears a dark suit.

That’s a lot to deal with. But so nice that you could focus on each other and start thinking about your special day. What kind of wedding did you plan?

Our wedding has been split into two, one in Lukas’ home town in Germany, and one in mine. We had a very intimate celebration with just our immediate family when we legally married at the registry office in Germany last September. We all gathered for the small ceremony at the town hall and proceeded with petals thrown and pictures outside the beautiful old building. This was then followed by a lovely meal at our local hotel restaurant. The second part of our wedding is coming this August 2022, where we have planned a church blessing at my family church in Liverpool, followed by a big party with lots of family and friends at Leaf – the café/restaurant where we had our first date!

Patchwork couple Lukas and Beth stand together and exchange wedding rings during their wedding ceremony in Germany. Lukas is a white man with short fair hair and glasses, Beth is a white woman with dark bobbed hair, she wears a long sleeved white dress with a faint design on. Lukas wears a dark suit.

That’s exciting! What was your favourite part of your German wedding day?

Our two families being able to come together and spend this special day with us!

Lukas, a white man with short blond hair carries a loaf of home baked bread that he has just taken out of the oven, he looks pleased.

Why did you choose Patchwork for your wedding registry?

Patchwork was the perfect option for us because we have big families and friends spread over two countries who all wanted to gift us something as we were beginning our married life in a new city. I found Patchwork through an intensive google search as I was looking for a gift list that was flexible and didn’t require our family and friends to ship everything from the UK. The best bit about using Patchwork was the flexibility it provides, it was so easy to use and I could add my own images of the exact items our guests could contribute towards!

A pine dining table in an apartment in Germany, with two grey chairs either side of it. The wall are white behind the table and the floorboards are varnished
Close up of 3 spice shelves mounted on wall in kitchen, with sage green bread bin on counter top

What did you invite guests to contribute towards?

We asked our guests to contribute towards our move to Berlin. Our move was really only made possible by these contributions because we moved into an empty flat and were starting from 0… no couch, no bed, no pots and pans! So we are very grateful both to our friends and family who provided us with the money to furnish and decorate our new flat.

Lukas and Beth's newly furnished living room in their flat in Germany, with furniture and homewares bought with gift money collected from their Patchwork Gift Registry. Image shows Lukas on their new grey sofa, playing xbox, with blue rug, white side table and other modern furnishings around him
A white freestanding shelving unit with a selection of books, storage boxes, photos, vases and other bits and pieces on display

What did your friends and family think?

Our friends and family loved it! Having this option of adding your own photos so they could see exactly what we were going to buy with the money they gifted, was really nice for them as it meant more than just simply sending money.

Lukas and Beth's newly furnished living room in their flat in Germany, with furniture and homewares bought with gift money collected from their Patchwork Gift Registry. Image shows a light grey sofa, a blue rug, and a round white side table

What have you done so far with the gift money you received?

We have furnished our entire flat! From the couch down to the spoons, the money we received covered the majority of items we needed to buy in order to start our married life in our new flat! We are really so so grateful to our family and friends and it means so much to us that they helped us to build the life we are able to have now.

And finally… What’s your top tip when it comes to planning / preparing for your wedding?

Don’t sweat the small stuff! You want it to be a day that you enjoy and make the most out of, so make sure you use your support system whether that be fiancé, parents, friends, and you can get everything done together.

That’s really really good advice thank you! We’re honoured to have played a small part in your celebrations – thank you so much for sharing these lovely words and photos with us and huge congratulations to you both.

If you’d like to set up your own – completely personal and unique – gift registry, check out some of our easy to customise templates and get started! We’ve got loads of wedding gift ideas and honeymoon fund templates so you can choose your favourite and start making it your own. Questions? Drop us a line at hello@patchworkit.com, we’re always here for a chat.

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Patchwork couple Lucy and Chris stand together on the balcony of a high building both hold drinks and the sun is setting over the city behind them
Patchwork Couples

A wedding registry for a new married life in Thailand

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Today we’re chatting to lovely Patchwork couple Lucy and Chris. They’re both teachers and met coaching cricket at their previous school in Essex in 2015. They’ve been together since then and recently decided to move half way across the world to Thailand to teach in the sun! Lucy says “We’ve always loved watching and playing sport together (and against each other!) and also share a love of board games, reading and exploring new places.” They created a Patchwork that perfectly reflected their interests and passions and their guests loved choosing which experiences to treat them to in their new married life in Thailand. Read on to hear about how they planned their wedding, complete with champagne on the beach and a big garden party!

View of an open sided white marquee in a field, with a large white house behind it.

How did you get engaged?

​We’ve really loved travelling together as a couple and pre-Covid Chris had planned to propose during a skiing holiday to Andorra in March 2020. After 3 cancelled holidays and a lockdown Christmas in December 2020, Chris proposed on Christmas Day by wrapping up the ring and putting it under the tree!

Patchwork couple Lucy and Chris sit together inside a vehicle decorated with white bunting. Lucy wears an ivory wedding dress and olds a bouquet of flowers. Chris wears a dark suit. Both are smiling.
In the foreground are long tables laid for wedding breakfast, and guests stand in the background chatting in the sun

What kind of wedding did you plan?

​The uncertainties around Covid continued through to planning the wedding so we opted for a relatively small church wedding at St Peter and St Paul’s Church in Aldeburgh (Lucy’s Dad was the vicar!) followed by a champagne reception on Aldeburgh beach. . Then the reception was at my parents house which was amazing. We had games and a big garden party with a beautiful marquee.

Patchwork couple Lucy and Chris walk hand in hand, smiling while guests lined up on either side of them throw confetti
Patchwork couple Lucy and Chris in a pizza kitchen helping to serve pizza at their wedding

Did you have a first dance?

​While we’re not big dancers we had to have a first dance and went with Elvis Presley ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’.

Patchwork couple Lucy and Chris in a huge group photo with all of their guests on a pebble beach. Many guests are raising glasses
Patchwork couple Lucy and Chris sit on a long table with a white cloth at their outdoor wedding reception

What was your favourite part of the day?

After the ceremony our guests all walked down to the beach for a glass of champagne. We followed them down in our vintage VW campervan and seeing all of our guests waiting to pop the champagne and toast us on the beach was awesome. We had a great group photo which was a fantastic moment with all of our friends and family together.

Patchwork couples Lucy and Chris dance at their wedding in front of their guests

What made Patchwork the best wedding registry option for you?

Lucy’s brother and sister-in-law used Patchwork for their honeymoon to Mauritius a few years ago. We bought them a rum tasting tour and just loved feeling part of their trip so it suited us perfectly to do something similar. Our Patchwork was actually a bit different as we moved to Bangkok for work immediately after the wedding. We asked our guests to contribute towards lots of exciting things we could do in Bangkok after moving to help us feel settled but also enjoy experiences with links to family and friends back home.

Chris (a white man with very short fair hair) stands in a board game shop, holding a board game and wearing a face covering

What was the best bit about using Patchwork?

​By far the most exciting part was getting notifications that someone had contributed! We loved seeing who had bought us what and it was great that people could get us an experience that matched our relationship with them, for example a trip to a board game cafe from one of Chris’s groomsmen who we regularly play board games with.

Patchwork couple Lucy (a white woman with dark blonde hair) and Chris (a white man with very short fair hair) sit opposite each other at a restaurant

What did your friends and family think?

​They loved it! So many people messaged us or spoke to us right after we launched the Patchwork to say what an awesome idea they thought it was, and it gave them a real insight into some of the cool things we would be able to do after moving to Thailand!

Patchwork couple Lucy (a white woman with dark blonde hair) and Chris (a white man with very short fair hair) stand together in front of a huge aquarium tank both wear face coverings

What have you done so far with the gift money you received?

We’ve been slowly working through the experiences people have bought for us. We enjoyed a Dinner Cruise on the Chao Phraya River for the Loy Krathong Festival and have visited some of Bangkok’s many skybars. We have also planned our trip to Kanchanaburi for the beginning of June because quite a few people have contributed to experiences there. It’s been a real highlight of each of our experiences to think about the specific people who have gifted them to us. We’ve taken photos on each occasion to send home as a thank you to the people who have been so generous. There have been times we’ve really missed family and friends from back home and being able to choose something from our Patchwork has helped us feel more connected from so far away.

A marquee lit up at night with a string of lightbulbs in the foreground

What’s your no.1 tip when planning / preparing for your wedding?

Keep it simple! Because we were worried about Covid we did a crazy amount in just over a week – Hen and Stag Do’s were immediately followed by a pre-wedding cricket match and then the day itself, followed by flying to Bangkok 4 days later! We feel so fortunate that we were able to squeeze all this in but it did feel like a total whirlwind. Also, we deliberated over whether to have a videographer in addition to the photographer and we are so glad we did!

Thank you so much Lucy and Chris for sharing these gorgeous words and photos of your wedding day and new life together in Thailand! We hope you enjoy many more days out with your Patchwork gift money thanks to the special people back home who made it happen!

If you’ve been inspired to create your own ‘Year of Dates’ gift registry you can start yours here! Or see our other brilliant and unique ideas for wedding gifts that friends and family will love to help you fund. Also, don’t forget that when you sign up to use Patchwork, we donate 50% of our own fee to charities fighting to protect our planet. So with Patchwork you really can feel good and do good too. Get in touch with us at hello@patchworkit.com to find out more!

Here are some of the wedding suppliers that made Lucy and Chris’ day even more amazing!

Photographer: Dominic Whiten

Videographer: Mike Reid

Flowers: The Southwold Flower Company

Pizza van: East Coast Pizza Company

Hair and make up: Georgia-Rae Make Up Artistry

Dress: Wed2B

Suits: Moss Bros

Vintage VW Campervan: Confetti Campervans

Marquee: Events Under Canvas

Speakers and Sound System: Synergy Audio

p.s. you can listen to Lucy and Chris’ first dance song on our Spotify playlist, made up of lots of our Patchwork Couples’ first dances.

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Patchwork couple Molly (a young white woman with fair hair wearing a white wedding dress) and Davy (a white man with short blond hair and a short beard wearing a suit and tie) stand facing each other to kiss and hold each other in front of their wedding guests.
Patchwork CouplesWedding Planning

Blenheim Palace wedding and newly-wed life in California.

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Molly and her now-husband Davy met on New Year’s Eve 2017, they were both on holiday with their respective families at the time. They first met about 20 minutes after midnight, on the dancefloor on the top deck of a cruise ship in the Caribbean. Davy shimmied over to say hi to Molly… and three years later tied the knot in a love-filled celebration at Blenheim Palace.

Davy is from wine country in Northern California, but lives in L.A., and Molly is from a little village in Oxfordshire. In 2019 they had a legal marriage ceremony in California, while they were planning their big white wedding for 2020. Due to Covid, that wedding was postponed to 2021, a few months after Molly’s Green Card was issued. Now they’re finally living together in L.A., happier than ever after four and a half years of being long distance! Read on to hear their very beautiful love story, and share in their stunning Anglo-American wedding and exciting new life in California.

Patchwork couple Molly (a young white woman with fair hair) and Davy (a white man with short blond hair and a short beard) appear in the image on a video call to each other

You had a tricky start to your relationship – what happened?

Molly: After that cruise we honestly didn’t think we’d see each other again. However, we stayed in touch and after a couple of months I decided to fly out to L.A. to pay him a visit. About 18 months and a couple of visits back and forth later, we made it ‘official’ on the cliff tops of Northern Ireland. We were on a grand tour around the UK that I had organised for us. Just afterwards, I moved over to L.A. for three months (the maximum I was allowed at the time). We pretty much knew from then that we were both in this for the long haul.

How did you get engaged?

In June 2019, Davy came to visit me in the UK and we had a trip planned to Italy a few days after he landed. The night before our holiday, we went out for dinner in Oxford with my family and Davy had organised for our good friend to secretly film his proposal. Davy went to the bathroom at one point and took ages. When he got back he tapped me on the shoulder, I spotted a ring box and freaked out. I had no idea it was coming and was completely floored. He got down on one knee and told me ‘Molly… I want you to be my wife’. I always tease him that he never technically ASKED me to marry him, but I said yes anyway! I’m very hard to surprise so I give him MAJOR credit for pulling that off!

Patchwork couple Molly (a young white woman with fair hair wearing a white wedding dress) and Davy (a white man with short blond hair and a short beard wearing a suit and tie) walk on an immaculate lawn, away from camera holding hands, towards Blenheim Palace.
Patchwork couple Molly (a young white woman with fair hair wearing a white wedding dress) and Davy (a white man with short blond hair and a short beard wearing a waistcoat and tie) stand in front of a vintage cream open top car with a large ornate wrought iron doorway in a stone building behind them.

What kind of wedding did you plan?

I always knew I wanted our wedding to take place in the UK. I worked at Blenheim Palace at the time so was able to secure the stunning Orangery as a reception venue. For the ceremony, we both wanted my local church, St. Mary’s.

Our overall plan for the wedding was to have a bright and beautiful day filled with love, that felt timeless. We originally planned our wedding for 2020 and with 2 months to go, we pushed it back a year to 2021. When I started planning back in 2019, I don’t think any of us knew just how much more the big day would mean to us by the time it happened. It was brighter, more beautiful and more filled with love than we could’ve imagined.

Most of the US contingent of the wedding guest list sadly couldn’t be there, as there was still a pretty strict quarantine requirement in place for international visitors. Davy’s parents, brothers and closest friend bent over backwards and braved quarantine, and were able to be there, which was so special to us all.

I am a sucker for detail so we tried to think of everything we could that would make the day feel extra-special. We had my BFF, a graphic designer, create all of our stationery and signage and the wonderful ladies at Blenheim Palace volunteered their time to do our flowers. The fabulous Searcy’s team designed a main course just for us (a super special pasta dish because we absolutely love pasta, and chicken & potatoes is boring). We also wanted to try and bring in some nods to the USA/California where we could. Our flowers included silk California Poppies (alongside the English Rose, to represent Davy and my roots), we had a vintage Cadillac convertible for our wedding car, and my Dad made Cornhole (a lawn game from the U.S!) with flag-themed bean bags to go alongside our hired lawn games.

Patchwork couple Molly (a young white woman with fair hair wearing a white wedding dress) and Davy (a white man with short blond hair and a short beard wearing a waistcoat and tie) stand facing each other and kissing, each holding a sparkler, it's night time and their wedding guests surround them, all holding sparklers.

Molly and Davy's Wedding Video from Davy McCall on Vimeo.

Did you have a first dance?

Despite restrictions at the time banning dancefloors, we did have a first dance, and it was one of the highlights of our day. Our guests all poured out into the courtyard at Blenheim Palace and each had a sparkler. They formed a circle around us and our song ‘Lost Stars’ by Adam Levine was blaring out of some speakers. It was amazing to see every one of our guests around us, cheering us on, just like they had throughout our relationship. Very emotional and amazing moment!

Patchwork couple Molly (a young white woman with fair hair wearing a white wedding dress) and Davy (a white man with short blond hair and a short beard wearing a suit and tie) stand facing each other with eyes closed, outside a stone arched doorway with flowers at each side
Patchwork couple Molly (a young white woman with fair hair wearing a simple white wedding dress) and Davy (a white man with short blond hair and a short beard wearing a suit and tie) stand close together both holding the same knife with which they are cutting their wedding cake which is a pink marbled three tier cake.

What was your favourite part of the day?

There were two that stand out, aside from the sparkler-lit first dance:

When I walked down the aisle, I had the church pianist surprise Davy by playing James Horner’s ‘For the Love of a Princess’ (he’s a huge Braveheart fan). Davy turned around when I was halfway down the aisle and was already in tears because of the song, but he said that seeing me sent him over the edge. I was so pleased that he loved the surprise! The rest of the ceremony was really special too. We had readings from Davy’s Mom and my Sister in Law, and Davy’s brothers and Dad performed a hymn. We also had my Mum light a candle and we had a minute of reflection and remembering those that couldn’t be there, for any reason. It was really special to sit and think about how far we’ve come!

The second favourite part was the speeches. We had five in total, interspersed throughout dinner. Since we couldn’t have a ‘disco’ we decided to make more of the dinner experience, and they were all stunning. The Father of the Bride speech was so wonderful, then Davy said a few words and got emotional (again), then two groomsmen spoke and finally the Best Man. The final three speeches blew us all away, they all had us laughing, crying and cheering!

Wedding guests at Blenheim Palace enjoying lawn games in the sun.

Why did you choose Patchwork for your wedding registry?

I met the lovely Liv at The Unwedding Show in Birmingham, back in 2019. The show was absolutely brilliant and really opened my mind to lots of amazing ideas. What drew us to Patchwork really was firstly how customisable it was. We could literally put anything we needed on there – and the fact that we had guests and loved ones wanting to contribute from both sides of the Atlantic.

We’d planned to move in together in L.A. after the wedding, so we would’ve had to ship and/or store any stuff we received. We wanted maximum choice for gifters, and minimal hassle, and it was the perfect solution!

The fact that our loved ones could buy us something, and the money to buy it would be waiting for us once we were moved in and ready to shop, was just brilliant.

image of a Patchwork wedding gift registry for a mixture of homewares travel and favours from friends!

What did you invite your guests to contribute towards?

We did things the old fashioned way and got married before getting a place together. So, unlike a lot of couples getting married now, we did actually need all the ‘typical’ wedding registry stuff (toaster, house plants, cutlery etc.) We made sure to add some fun stuff too like cooking classes, board games, favourite recipes and even some more practical stuff (cleaning supplies, a bicycle, a loo roll subscription) since we really were starting from scratch.

You made use of Patchwork’s ‘make’ and ‘do’ functions – tell us more!

We absolutely love that these functions exist! We knew that for many guests, attending our wedding would be a big expense in itself, and we didn’t want anyone to feel obligated or awkward about the gifting process (because it can feel that way sometimes)! There were so many ways that our loved ones could add value to our move without spending anything. For example, we asked for their favourite recipes, for time to help with a DIY project or help with packing/unpacking. For our friends and family in California, we asked for an invitation to spend time together.

Patchwork couple Molly (a young white woman with fair hair) and Davy (a white man with short blond hair and a short beard) both hold drink and smile towards camera

What was the best bit about using Patchwork?

So many things. The team have been so helpful and responsive from the start, and shown so much kindness in the craziness of 2020, extending our Patchwork by another year to align with our change of wedding plans.

Patchwork itself is so easy to use, and there is so much inspiration to get the juices flowing. I thoroughly enjoyed creating our board and new things would pop into our heads regularly to add to it. It felt like curating a Pinterest board whilst simultaneously online shopping – two of my favourite things!

I also absolutely love the marketing & communications that Patchwork creates. I’ve been following you on Instagram for 2 years and love seeing what you get up to. Your email newsletters are the best and I always look forward to getting them!

Patchwork couple Molly (a young white woman with fair hair wearing sunglasses and jeans and a light blue sweater) and Davy (a white man with short blond hair and a short beard wearing sunglasses and a dark tshirt and jeans) crouch down and point at camera with a red background behind with handwritten word "love" written many times.

What did your friends and family think of your wedding give list?

“What a fantastic/brilliant/great idea!” came up many times. Everybody saw how perfectly suited to our situation this give list was, and I had feedback from a few loved ones that they really enjoyed using it and seeing all of the options laid out like they were.

As more of my friends are buying houses, getting married, and having significant birthdays, I have been recommending Patchwork every chance I get!

Molly (a young white woman with fair hair) is carried on Davy's back. Davy is a white man with short blond hair and a short beard and wearing sunglasses. Molly is kissing him on the cheek. hey are standing in front of a green cornfield

How did it feel spending the gift money collected from family and friends?

It was so much fun and a real weight off our shoulders. We could buy what we really wanted and didn’t have to settle. We could also take our time choosing just the right thing, which I really appreciated. Our home is now fully furnished and looking fabulous, and that is thanks to our amazing friends and family. Cheesy as it sounds, we feel surrounded by their love and support every day because they built this home with us through their amazing gifts.

Any top tips or favourite places you’ve found in your new home in California?

We’re living in Culver City, California and absolutely love it here. Our favourite places here include Café Vida for brunch and Meet in Paris for dinner. We also love walking up Baldwin Hills with amazing views of L.A.!

Wow. Thank you so much Molly and Davy for this amazingly beautiful story of your love and marriage. We are honoured to have played a part in such a wonderful celebration and we wish you both many many years of happiness together!

Here are some of the highly recommended suppliers who made their day – in Molly’s words – “bloody brilliant!”

Ceremony venue: St Mary’s Church, Bloxham, Oxfordshire

Reception venue: Blenheim Palace

Caterer: Searcys

Planner: Vanilla Rose Weddings

Molly’s Dress: The White Boutique / Mikaella

Molly’s headpiece: Megan Therese

Davy’s Suit: The Wedding Barn, Upton

Car: The Private Collection

Flowers by: Blenheim Palace Head Gardener Hilary, and Florist to the Duke of Marlborough, Molly

Hair and makeup: Maxine Wilson

DJ: Dukebox Discos

Photographer: Emma-Jane Photography

Videographer: Matt at Fizzy Jelly Films

Lawn Games: Dolly Dimples Weddings & Events

Cake: Jess at Bishop’s Bakes

Stationery and signage design by Bride’s best friend Katie Tapper

p.s. you can listen to Molly & Davy’s first dance song on our Spotify playlist, made up of lots of our Patchwork Couples’ first dances.

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Graphic from VOW for Girls campaign with text reading "Stop the clock. Start a new future for girls." On red background with image of teenage black girl on left hand side
Patchwork Perspective

Support VOW for Girls to end child marriage

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Every 3 seconds, a child becomes a bride. Stop the clock. Start a new future for girls. Patchwork are proud to be supporting VOW for Girls, a growing global movement that partners with brands, individuals, and the wedding industry to end the international child marriage crisis. Read on to find out how you can help.

Graphic from VOW for Girls campaign with text reading "every three seconds a child becomes a bride." On green background

Every Three Seconds

This year, International Day Of the Girl on October 11th is more important than ever. Child marriage is still a crisis, with girls as young as 8 being married every 3 seconds. Join us for International Day of the Girl as we raise funds and awareness to ensure no child is ever a bride.

“Every girl should be able to choose love on her own terms. VOW for Girls was inspired by love and working together. We can create a world in which no child is ever a bride.” Mabel van Oranje. Board Chair and VOW Co-Founder.

Graphic from VOW for Girls campaign with text reading "Girls everywhere deserve to dream." On pink background with two images of girls to either side

Girls Everywhere Deserve to Dream

We dream of a future where girls everywhere have a chance to choose the life they want. Let’s end the child marriage crisis and give girls around the world the support they need to succeed. By funding education so girls can stay in school is just one way WOW for Girls is helping end the child marriage crisis. Whatever the amount, your gift makes a direct impact on the lives of girls across the globe. £35 can pay the enrolment fees for a girl to attend school for one year.

Graphic from VOW for Girls campaign with text reading "A girl who gets an education can live her life easily everywhere and can make her future bright." On pink background with image of girl on left hand side

Mina

For International Day of the Girl, VOW for Girls asked girls from countries where child marriage is prevalent, “What makes a girl successful?” Mina from Nepal told them, “Education is a must. “VOW for Girls works with girls like Mina in communities around the world through education initiatives and other efforts that help girls realise their dreams. Together we can stop the clock on child marriage.

A Patchwork "Give List" wedding registry displayed in an ipad

Your wedding day can make a big difference

1 in 5 girls in the world is married as a child. VOW was founded on the idea that celebrations of love can help make real change in the lives of girls around the world. If you’re planning a wedding you’ll probably have friends and family who want to gift you.

With Patchwork you can collect money for anything you’re dreaming of, including donations to good causes such as VOW. First, simply add a “fund” patch to your gift registry. Second, after all contributions have been collected, make your donation to VOW. This will help change girls’ lives in the most meaningful way. See our Wedding Give List template to set up your own unique wedding “give” list.

How to participate in the social media photo campaign

Between 4th – 11th October 2021 we’re asking you to join us and take part in the International Day of the Girl Campaign with VOW for Girls.

Step 1: Post a single Instagram post with a 2 photo carousel

  • Photo 1 – Post a photo of yourself as a child (or short video response to the prompt below)
  • Photo 2 – A “stop” hand selfie (see posing guide below)

Step 2: Respond to the prompt either in the caption or as a short video: What was your dream for your future when you were a child? Feel free to mention the age you are in the photo you are posting!

Step 3: Include this caption:

‘Every 3 seconds a child becomes a bride, but all girls deserve the chance to dream’. For #DayOfTheGirl, let’s stop the clock and start a new future for girls. I nominate [@instagramhandle] to #StopTheClock. For every like, comment, and share, you will unlock $1 from @justinalexander, @theknot, and a generous donor (up to $100K) to help start a new future for girls everywhere. #VOWForGirls #StopTheClock #EndChildMarriage’

(Make sure to use the hashtags #VOWForGirls, #DayOfTheGirl, and #StopTheClock and to tag @vowforgirls across social media channels.)

Justin Alexander, The Knot (a generous donor up to $100K), will unlock $1 for every like, comment and share. This makes your participation is even more meaningful. In addition, 100% of all funds raised go directly to underfunded but effective community-driven efforts to end child marriage.

Guide to posting selfies on VOW social media campaign

Thank you. Through your participation and advocacy, you’ll help us “Stop the Clock” on child marriage and ensure that every girl can choose love on her own terms and follow her dreams.

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Black and white image of Patchwork couple Liz and Jack standing close together with Liz's veil swirled above them, they are kissing
Gift IdeasPatchwork Couples

An Intimate Barn Wedding and a Year of Dates

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Patchwork Couple Liz & Jack have lived in Ealing for the last 4 years, but originally, are both from the Portsmouth area of the South Coast. They met when they both went home for New Year’s Eve in 2014. Liz says “I got so drunk that I didn’t make it to midnight! But luckily, I had made an impression on Jack and he asked me out on a date back in London. We also coincidentally both work in TV and everybody always assumes that’s how we met, but as fate would have it, it was just right place, right time.” Six and half years later and they have finally tied the knot, despite Covid trying to derail their plans. They join us on the blog to talk about their small but perfectly formed wedding day, a surprise first dance and their date night gift registry Patchwork!

Black and white image of bride (white woman with long blond hair) and groom (tall, slim white man with short fair hair) during wedding ceremony at Upwaltham Barns

How did you get engaged?

Liz: We eventually got engaged in Richmond Park on the 17th of Feb 2019. I say eventually, because it turned out Jack had made many plans to propose in the months previous, but various things happened which meant it didn’t feel like the right time. We have an ottoman bed, and I was sleeping 2 feet away from the ring for months! Completely unaware. It was a very special moment though when it did happen, it was a beautiful fresh winter day and we had sat down in a really private part of the woodlands, I couldn’t quite believe it was happening but at the same time, I could sort of feel it. Jack was very nervous!

Black and white image of bride (young white woman with long blond hair) stands smiling in her wedding dress with older female next to her and friend attending to her dress
Bride (young white woman with long blond hair) and groom (young white man in blue suit) stand surrounded by bridal party all dressed in blue and smiling at camera

Ah that’s lovely. And what kind of wedding did you plan?

Liz: We planned many, many versions of our wedding, and covid ruined most of them… But we actually managed to get a wedding that was pretty close to our original plan. It was a barn wedding in West Sussex, with the ceremony and reception all in the same place. We had planned to have 100 guests, we had 15. We couldn’t have our reception due to restrictions but we still had a lovely meal after the ceremony, speeches and a first dance.

Jack: When people ask about our wedding now, I always say I wouldn’t change it. It was perfect, even though it wasn’t what we had planned. I only had to make a speech in front of a handful of people, so it was a win for me.

Groom with two groomsmen enter barn through double doors. Men are white and all wear blue suits

So what’s the story behind your first dance?

Liz: So we did have a first dance – but (due to restrictions) only we were allowed to dance. It was outside in the courtyard and everyone had sparklers, so it was really special. We had originally planned to have an acoustic version of one of our favourite songs played by a band, but as we ended up not having the band, we couldn’t decide on a song for ages. Then, a week before the wedding, it came to me. But I didn’t tell Jack, so he had no clue what song was going to be played!

Jack: Back story – for our whole relationship Liz has made it explicitly clear that she hates Oasis, and our house has been an Oasis free zone for years. I’m not a mega fan or anything, but I didn’t mind them and quite liked playing songs on the guitar.

Liz: So, I thought, what better way of showing Jack how much I love him than to have our first dance to Wonderwall! And now, when I hear the song, I absolutely love it, it’s actually a really romantic song! But it’s still the only Oasis song allowed…

Bride (young white woman with long blond hair) and groom (young white man in blue suit) walk down steps after ceremony as guests throw confetti

Love that. So, what was your favourite part of the day overall?

Liz: I think we can both say our favourite part was when the ceremony was over and we walked out to our friends and family throwing confetti. It was a relief that we had managed to get married after all the stress of trying to plan during the pandemic, and now we could finally enjoy the day.

Bride (young white woman with long blond hair) and groom (young white man in blue suit) stand with bridesmaids on either side all the females hold a bouquet of flowers each

Why did you decide to choose Patchwork for your gift registry?

Liz: A friend had used Patchwork and I had always thought it was a great idea. We have enough things and felt like a traditional registry was just asking for things with no real reason. It also felt more polite that just asking for cash! This way, our friends and family could see what we liked doing as a couple and be a part of that, whether that be date nights, dinners, gigs, or trips away.

Patchwork honeymoon fund "A Year of Dates" in iPad

What did you want to ask guests to contribute towards and why?

Jack: We asked for contributions towards our honeymoon, which was at San Luis spa resort in South Tyrol, Italy. So we added things like spa treatments, dinner, drinks. Liz: The scenery at San Luis was breath-taking. We had our own private lodge with hot tub, steam room, all set around a lake. All the food was delicious, organic and seasonal. The staff were incredible – proper 5-star treatment. Being so high up in the mountains, everything just felt clean! It felt like the perfect retreat after the madness of organising the wedding and all the stresses we had come through. Jack: We then added to our Patchwork a variety of experiences and date nights we could enjoy doing in London. Again, things like dinner, drinks, trips to the cinema, gigs. All activities we enjoy doing as a couple.

Black and white image of Patchwork couple Liz and Jack standing close together with Liz's veil swirled above them, they look at each other, smiling

What was the best bit about using Patchwork?

Liz: It was easy to set up and once it was done, we didn’t really have to think about it. It also allowed friends and family to leave a note which was a really lovely touch. Jack: Everyone seemed to navigate it fine. We didn’t have any complaints and I think people found it easier than having to decide on a specific item.

Blond woman stands on narrow country lane in Italy on a bright sunny day with mountains in the distance

How have you spent the gift money you received via your Patchwork?

Liz: We spent a lot of the money on experiences on our Italian honeymoon, but we still have some left, as we couldn’t really have many date nights during the first 6 months of our marriage! But now things have opened up again, we’ve had an amazing lunch at the Shard (for our dinner with a view), been to a few festivals and have booked a weekend away to Chewton Glen.

Thanks so much Liz and Jack for sharing these gorgeous words and photos of your wedding day. If you’ve been inspired to set up a gift registry for a Year of Date Nights or a Honeymoon to Italy, why not get started? Or browse 100s of other gift registry ideas and choose your perfect gifts and experiences.

Finally here are some of the amazing wedding suppliers that made Liz and Jack’s day extra special:

Photographer: Danni Beach

Dress: Rosamund by Maggie Sottero, bought at Proposals of Chichester

Suits: DKNY, bought at Moss Bros

Makeup: Georgina Chambers

Venue & Catering: Upwaltham Barns

Florist: Rococo Florist

Honeymoon: San Luis Lodges, South Tyrol, Italy

p.s. you can listen to Liz and Jack’s first dance song on our Spotify playlist, made up of lots of our Patchwork Couples’ first dances.

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Kerry and Leah hold hands and are smiling as guests shower them with confetti
Patchwork Couples

Classic and colourful Farnham Castle wedding

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Kerry (they/them) and Leah(she/her) have been together for 4 years. They met at work, when Leah interviewed Kerry for a role at Royal Caribbean Cruises. Over time, lots of travelling across the world on crazy ship adventures and the best holidays, they fell in love with each other, and went from best friends to forever. Kerry says: “It’s been a journey! But we wouldn’t have it any other way and we’ve proved to all the haters that we are a gorgeous couple – even if I say so myself!” Their wedding at Farnham Castle in Surrey was a vibrant mix of classic and colourful and Kerry says it was “the absolute best, we literally had the greatest day ever”.

Kerry and Leah had hands and look at each other surrounded by greenery

How did you get engaged?

Kerry: One of the first things Leah bought me was a Silent Pool glass and their gin has been a huge part of our story, we’ve visited their distillery a lot!! So it seemed fitting that it was part of our engagement story. I planned it out that our friend had ‘won’ 4 tickets to the distillery tour, so off we went. Little did Leah know I had set the whole thing up.

We had our tour with their amazing staff, (the gin tasting definitely helped with my nerves!) At the end we all bought a drink and headed down to the pool to enjoy our well deserved gin. All of a sudden, a member of the Silent Pool team came down with a box for Leah. She opened it and out popped a balloon with a message asking her to marry me and she said “yes”. One knee in the gravel wearing a Jurassic Park Bum Bag on my waist, (she still said yes!) We celebrated with everyone at the distillery, more gin and a lovely meal out. We actually went back the day before we got married for a drink and they’d set us up a lovely area to celebrate in, which was cute!

Farnham Castle wedding venue with blue sky above and purple flowers in foreground
dinosaur makes an appearance at Kerry & Leah's Farnham castle wedding 2021

What kind of wedding did you plan?

We wanted a mix of classic and colourful so booked Farnham Castle. The team there blew us away with the welcome and service when we went to visit (not always easy to get as a non-straight couple) so we knew it had to be there. The building and gardens are just beautiful. From then we knew we wanted lots of colour and lots of fun, so we brought it in. Colourful balloon garlands, 6 massive pink, blue and green balloons and our personalised Mx and Mrs white ones. We had lovely bright flowers and amazing neon pink hoops!

We even walked down the aisle to the Jurassic Park theme tune and had a dinosaur or two make an appearance at the end of the night (was it me? Maybe 😊 I love them!) We added in some extra spice with some smoke bombs in our photos…we just wanted all the colour and the smiles.

Bride Leah stands with her four bridesmaids all in blue
Kerry stands with bridal party outside Farnham Castle

How did Covid affect your wedding day plans?

We spent the past year worrying about what would happen with restrictions, then about a week before our wedding they changed the rules and we had to go by Stage 3 restrictions. It was obviously a lot better than some people had, but we had to ask some of our guests not to come anymore which felt horrible. We had to advise guests to wear masks, sit down when eating or drinking and no dancing. The castle’s service was second to none and it felt very normal and we thank them for that. Luckily the weather was beautiful so we managed to be outside lots meaning no masks!

Overall, the last year or so taught us that however things turn out, to be grateful and be happy.

Kerry & Leah kiss on their colourful wedding day June 2021

Did you have a first dance?

We were allowed a first dance – and although it was slightly awkward as no-one was allowed to join us, we made the most of it. We danced to Symphony by Clean Bandit which is always our happy place song. The band we had played it acoustically and it was beautiful, everyone was waving in their chairs, clapping and showing us all the feels, it was very emotional.

Kerry & Leah walk down steps of Farnham castle as their friends and family throw confetti with colourful balloons either side
Kerry and Leah with celebrant Sarah Powell at their colourful Farnham castle wedding

What was your favourite part of the day?

For me, standing at the top of the aisle watching Leah walk towards me in her beautiful dress just looking absolutely stunning was the ultimate moment. She was walking towards me to be with me forever, that’s a big walk. We had an incredible celebrant called Sarah Powell which meant we got to do a really personalised ceremony. We wrote letters to each other that we sealed in a box as part of this to be opened in 5 years. Leah’s uncle read an excellent piece that he wrote and two of our best friends dressed as our Fairy Godmothers to share their story of us. It was amazing!

Overall though, the fact that we got to see 80 of our friends and family all in one place together at the most important day of our lives meant the absolute world and will always be such a special moment for us.

A mix of classic and colourful as Kerry & Leah jump for joy holding giant white balloons outside Farnham Castle

Why did you choose Patchwork for your wedding registry?

We met Patchwork at The Un-Wedding Show in London in 2019 and knew we had to use your platform, it gave us a chance to make sure we didn’t end up with 3 sets of the same cutlery from people. Which of course we would have loved, (we’re not ungrateful people haha). But we just loved the look of it and the vibe, it matched what we were after. The team are easy to contact and quick to come back to you, it’s like working on a project with your friends. Everyone I mention Patchwork to loves it and always asks me to show them it so you are doing great things!!

Patchwork wedding gift list Kitchen Fund in an iPad

What did you invite guests to contribute towards?

Originally we had a really cool honeymoon page set up, we were going on a cruise (we love a cruise – you should try it.) We included ideas for treats, trips and extras such as moonlit dinners and scooter hire. Everybody raved about how lovely it was. I played with the wording a lot to add a bit of quirkiness, and when Covid hit, we were able to flip it round so quickly. We had just moved from our lush flat in Reigate to a house with a garden, and as we didn’t know what was going to happen with travel we decided to go a bit old school and ask for some lovely bits for the house. It was lovely as people have been so generous it’s enabled us to get some really nice stuff and save some for future plans – little babies are on the agenda…

Kerry and Leah hold hands after wedding ceremony as guests shower them with confetti

What did your friends and family think?

It was so easy to use yet looked amazing, all of our guests said they’d never seen anything like it, it felt really different and not like we were just asking people to put cash in a bank, they felt they had specific things they had contributed towards and we are able to thank them for putting towards a nice barbecue, or that beautiful mirror.

Kerry & Leah seated at colourful wedding reception

What are the plans for the gift money you collected with Patchwork?

We have already purchased a beaut of a BBQ so we can get friends over to share the delights of charcoal roasted (and probably burnt!) food with us, along with some gorgeous furniture to sit on. We have some gift money towards a trip so we’re looking at what we can plan for later in the year. Maybe a cheeky long weekend in the sun somewhere…. excited for that! Then the rest we will be doing up our beautiful home with, we got gifts towards a lush mixer too as Leah is an avid baker.

Thank you Kerry & Leah for sharing such happy words and photos of your day and very kind words about Patchwork too! If you’ve been inspired to set up a Patchwork gift registry check out our wedding gift ideas or honeymoon fund templates and start making your own! See below for a list of the suppliers that made Kerry & Leah’s day extra amazing:

Venue and Catering: Farnham Castle, Farnham, Surrey

Celebrant: Sarah Powell

Photographer: Vicki White

Ballons: Bubblegum Balloons

Leah’s dress: Anna Bridal

Neon pink stand: Vowed And Amazed

Entertainment: Karizma Band and guitarist James Mclean

p.s listen to Kerry & Leah’s first dance song on our Spotify playlist, made up of lots of our Patchwork Couples’ first dances.

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group of friends making a toast over a shared lunch
Patchwork PerspectiveWedding Planning

What do couples really want as wedding gifts in 2021?

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Want to take a peek at what real life couples are including on their Patchwork wedding registry in 2021? With most couples living together before marriage, pots and pans and towels are usually already sorted. In more ‘normal’ times, money towards an exotic or adventurous honeymoon is most UK couples’ no.1 choice of wedding gift, but with travel still looking uncertain for many destinations well in to next year, couples are getting creative about what to add to their wedding registries and the experience of the last year is clear in the gift choices they are making.

three people making a toast with red wine glasses with black man out of focus behind

Wedding gifts of time together

After more than a year of not being able to see friends and family for celebrations and get togethers, couples are making sure they make up for lost time by adding ‘time with friends’ as an item on their wedding registries. 


So rather than asking for crockery sets or saucepans, couples are listing “invite us for dinner” as a gift option on their wedding registries. No money is exchanged, no gifts are wrapped, but instead the couple gets invited round for a home cooked meal and time spent with friends. The same goes for coffee dates and pub lunches… couples are adding “buy us a round at the pub” to their cash gift list. It’s a nice way of catching up with friends and family post-wedding and supporting their local businesses at the same time.


It’s been tough for those with relatives spread across the country or even the globe.. we’ve seen couples asking for money towards train fares or flights instead of traditional wedding gifts so that they can visit family and friends not seen for a year or more. 

old brass tap on stand by orange outside wall

Pay for the plumber

With engaged couples spending so much time at home together over the last year, they – like most of us – have had more than enough time to pay close attention to their walls, floors, and dodgy pipes. We’ve seen a huge increase in couples asking for cash towards home improvements – money to pay a plumber and an electrician featuring heavily. Whilst most couples can easily afford the smaller things like buying their own pots and pans and cutlery, it’s the bigger things like new kitchen units, or even a new boiler that they really want help with.

Other lockdown inspired items we’re seeing on Patchwork gift registries include contributions towards a puppy (are Jack Russells about to replace the Cockapoo?) We’ve also seen a rise in couples asking for cash contributions so they can expand their board game collection – (for pandemic-proofing date nights at home obviously.)

woman's hand planting seeds in pots in a garden

Green fingered wedding gifts

An appreciation for outdoor space has also meant a rise in couples asking for money towards garden furniture, plants and bulbs, and even contributions towards a hedgehog house. For those with a larger than average garden there’s always the option to add a tractor to your wedding gift registry. Or a flock of sheep. Yes this really happened.

Non-monetary wedding gifts include asking green-fingered friends to spend an afternoon gardening as their gift. Then couples get the added bonus of spending time with their nearest and dearest as well as receiving a present.

view across boats in harbour of Cornish fishing town

Date nights and local minimoons

Whilst travel is uncertain, couples still want adventure, even if that’s a bit closer to home for now.

Our “Year of Date Nights” wedding registry has been really popular, with couples adding experiences in their local area to be funded by friends and enjoyed over the first year of marriage. That might be trying out the posh new restaurant on the high street, visiting a local theatre or gallery, a hot-stone massage, a cookery course, or micro brewery tour. Couples get to treat themselves to new experiences and a bit of luxury in their first year as a couple; and also feel good about supporting local and independent businesses, who have struggled so much in the last 15 months.

We’ve seen a surge in couples inviting guests to chip in towards their minimoons to UK destinations, especially the Lake District, Scotland and Cornwall. Asking for money towards getting a campervan on the road (no airports or Covid tests to worry about) has also been popular with couples tying the knot this year. Expect a huge sales boom in walking boots and Kendal mint cake this summer.

Table set for breakfast on beach, overlooking turquoise ocean, The Maldives
Image courtesy of Turquoise Holidays

Honeymoon dreaming

For some couples though, the white sand and turquoise sea combination are still the ultimate honeymoon dream. A cash fund for a “beautiful island of somewhere” honeymoon is still one of our most popular options, with guests treating couples to cocktails by the pool, lunch on the beach, or a hotel upgrade for that “one day” dream honeymoon to no-one quite knows where yet…

However uncertain times are still, couples using Patchwork can feel secure that whatever happens and however plans have to change, their wedding gift money is safe and secure as it’s all sent direct to them to spend as and when they like. And with such organised and resourceful couples, we’re sure they’ll be ready to go as soon as restrictions allow… especially those super-organised couples who have thought of everything and even added quick covid tests to their registries.

Toilet rolls were so last year.

What would you add to your dream wedding gift list? With the Patchwork ‘dream machine’ you really can add anything and everything. Click here to get yours started.

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woman painting a piece of art on canvas up against the wall
Gift Ideas

Top 10 wedding gift list ideas 2021

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Want to set up a wedding gift registry but don’t want traditional gifts? Also not sure about post-Covid travel restrictions? Like most couples you’d probably rather ask for cash as a wedding gift and put it towards something you’d really love. Here’s the top ten wedding gift list ideas Patchwork couples are asking guests to chip in to via their cash gift lists this year. We promise you won’t find these on an Amazon wedding registry!

view of mountains from back window of camper van

1. A campervan

The great thing about being gifted a campervan on your wedding gift registry is it puts you in control of the when and where of your honeymoon travel! It is the ultimate wedding gift for flexible, spontaneous getaways. And is just what we all need right now. Just think, throwing your stuff in the van at a moment’s notice and heading off for a weekend of adventure – it is the dream.

A whole year of mini-moons perhaps? Whether you decide to staycation in your local area or head across Europe. The options to explore new places together are endless. And there’s nothing more exciting than heading off on the open road. Firstly, just pack some good music, then plenty of snacks and a of course a sense of adventure! And of course, your four legged friend can join you too.

First, you set up a campervan Patchwork gift registry. Next, show your friends and family the campervan of dreams that they can help fund piece by piece. Whether it’s a glow up of the interior, putting some petrol in the tank or chipping in towards some cosy bedding, everyone can choose how to help.

You can even add non-financial gifts. For example, invite people to give you tips on great places to visit or add some road trip songs to your playlist!

Best of all, Patchwork doesn’t hold your funds. This means you can put down a deposit on your dream campervan as you receive the cash gifts. Soon your guests will be waving you off on the road trip of your dreams. And you can send pics via your Patchwork account to say thanks for helping you on your way!

A Patchwork art fund wedding registry in an ipad

2. A piece of art

If this year has taught us anything it’s the importance of making our homes beautiful spaces to relax and unwind in. You possibly have all the toasters, towels and mugs you’ll ever need. However, a unique piece of art isn’t something you can treat yourselves to every day. Inviting guests to contribute towards an artwork that will take pride of place in your home is a special wedding gift that will remind you of your loved ones every time you look at it.

Whether it’s oil, acrylic or pastels, a timeless classic, or something contemporary – a piece of art is a very personal gift that will bring happy memories and give joy for many years to come. We usually think of art as something to hang on a wall inside but another option is to look at adding a garden sculpture to your wedding gift list. In addition, we’ve also seen a lot of couples commission work from local artists. This a lovely way to support creative businesses especially after the tough year so many people have had. So this really is a unique wedding gift that gives back in many ways.

Kitchen sink with shelf above with jars of spice and herbs

3. A home makeover project

Staying on the home theme, we’re seeing loads of Patchwork couples thinking about giving a room in their house a refresh and setting up a home project gift list. If travel isn’t an option for you and you already have all the household items you need, what about setting up a wedding gift registry to invite guests to chip in towards a mini makeover project instead?

A bathroom or kitchen makeover is always popular. There’s no limit to the things you can ask friends and family to fund. An hour of a plumber’s time? A contribution towards that fridge you’ve had your eye on? Or perhaps a tile or 10?

If you want to add some gifts that are non-financial – you can! Once restrictions allow, you can invite mates to come and help you. They can get a few coats of ‘Brave Ground’ on the walls (that’s the aptly named Dulux colour of the year 2021). The best bit about a kitchen or bathroom Patchwork gift registry is that you can invite your guests to come and enjoy it too (when we can finally do that exciting thing called “having friends round”!)

Patchwork wedding registry "A Year of Dates" in iPad

4. A year of dates

This is a brilliant idea and will ensure you’ll have a year of exciting adventures closer to home if a honeymoon isn’t possible just yet. One of our most popular Patchwork gift registry templates is our Year of Dates Gift List.

Friends and family can treat you to date nights and other fun experiences as a couple in and around your local area. Want to try out that new restaurant or bar? Visit new galleries and exhibitions? Or enjoy a bit of live music, a massage, or just shop for a picnic at your local deli? With a little help from your family and friends you can enjoy a year of fun experiences.

It will create brilliant memories of your first year of marriage and of course help out local shops and services too. Some of our favourite ideas to include are a wine tasting date, a comedy club night, a night away by the sea and of course lots and lots of cocktails and coffee dates!

Autumn woodland scene

5. National Trust lifetime membership

If you love nothing more than spending your weekends pottering about country houses and gardens, a National Trust Lifetime Membership is the perfect wedding gift.

Set up a Patchwork gift registry and invite friends and family to treat you to a lifetime of historic houses, beautiful gardens and woodland walks. And don’t forget the cream teas! It give you a lifetime of countryside adventures, castle visits and happy memories. And the money contributed via your Patchwork wedding gift list will also go towards helping the National Trust keep these places special forever, for everyone.

A garden renovation patchwork wedding registry in an iPad

6. A garden project

Right now seems like the perfect time to set up a Patchwork wedding registry for a garden project. There’s been a huge increase in couples wanting to spend time and money on their gardens. Largely thanks to lockdown and the comfort of watching Monty and the gang!

It’s the perfect gift for family and friends to chip in to especially as soon they’ll be able to enjoy it with you! So all that’s left to decide is what type of wedding garden project you’ll go for. If you’re passionate about sustainability you could get a vegetable patch going so you can eat home grown produce.

If entertaining is your thing, what about an outdoor seating area complete with fire pit, bespoke bar and solar lighting? Even if you don’t have a garden you could have a revamp of your terrace or balcony area. Invite friends to chip in to an allotment rental. You can ask for help to kit you out with all the tools that you’ll need to grow your own for years to come. Whatever outdoor space you have, make the most of it. A Patchwork wedding registry gift helps you collect money towards your dream retreat at home.

apricot cockapoo puppy being held in arms

7. A rescue dog

Has it always been a lifelong dream to give a dog a loving home? With Patchwork you can set up an online wedding list and invite your guests to help you fund a rescue pup. Even if you’re not buying a dog, there are a lot of expenses that come with owning a four legged friend. Your family and friends can help by visiting your Patchwork wedding registry and choosing whether they’d like to contribute towards a year’s worth of food or those inevitable vet’s bills. Or maybe they’d prefer to fund the ‘fun’ stuff? A new cosy bed, some squeaky toys, or a personalised collar perhaps.

You can even add a charitable donation to your Patchwork wedding gift list and continue to support the rescue centre your four legged friend came from. Whatever they choose to help you with, they’ll be super happy to know that in contributing to your wedding gift list they are helping a dog find a loving forever home. And they’d probably love to join you both and your pup on adventures in the years to come!

table set for lunch showing plates of food and drinks

8. A dining table made for friends

What better way to celebrate finally being able to have friends round than to host them around a beautiful handcrafted dining table? Set up a Patchwork wedding registry for a new dining table. Then share with your friends and family and look forward to having a dining table that you’ll cherish forever. There’s no greater joy than a beautiful and sustainably made piece of furniture. It will be at the heart of your home for a lifetime. And be the centre of shared memories, good food and joy-filled celebrations.

Not sure where you’ll buy your table? The best wedding registry is one that allows you to spend your gift money where and when you like. The Patchwork wedding registry has no ties to retailers and you can access to your funds straight away.

ginger cat lying on cosy looking neutral bed showing wedding registry staycation

9. Post wedding staycation treats

Treat yourselves to the ultimate staycation by setting up a Patchwork staycation wedding gift list. Fill your page with those treats that will turn time at home in to a completely luxurious experience. We’ve seen many couples rethink all their honeymoon plans and instead focus on the one certainty – time at home! With a little imagination and the generosity of family and friends you’ll wonder why you ever wanted to leave.

Some of the best suggestions we’ve seen this year for an online wedding gift list include: A yearly Netflix subscription for cosy nights in; take aways from your favourite restaurants; luxury bedlinen for that 5 star feeling; home spa treatments; magazine subscriptions; cocktail nights at home; a monthly flower delivery; a cheese subscription box.

What would you add to your Staycation wedding wish list?

sheep standing in field looking at camera

10. A flock of sheep

Well, we’ve not seen these on a John Lewis wedding gift list. Yes we really did have a couple who asked their family and friends to fund a flock of sheep on their Patchwork wedding gift registry! They had their eye on a very specific breed of pedigree sheep called Valais blacknose to join them on their smallholding in Scotland. They even had names picked out: Edith, Agnes and Frances. If sheep aren’t your thing you could ask for chickens, bees or a pony on your wedding list website instead.

Don’t forget, you can also combine your wedding gifts and experiences with a charity gift list. You can invite wedding guests to support your favourite causes. Which just goes to show that with a Patchwork wedding registry you really can fund absolutely anything you’re dreaming of.

So there they are – 2021 most wanted wedding gifts from Patchwork couples in the know. Feeling inspired to create your own non-travel, toaster and towel free Patchwork wedding registry? Join the thousands of couples that have. Even ex Prezola employees use Patchwork wedding registry!

It couldn’t be easier to start creating your marriage gift list, filled with all the things that make you happy. Browse our readymade templates for more ideas or let your imagination run wild and start your own wedding gift list from scratch.

Need help? Give us a ring on +44 7547 439 805 or drop us a line at hello@patchworkit.com – we’d love to hear from you and share our top tips for how to create the best wedding gift list!




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Image of a positive review of Patchwork Wedding Gift List
Gift IdeasPatchwork Perspective

Unbiased Reviews – Best Wedding Gift List

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

“Patchwork is a beautiful way to ask for what you want!” Ines

We think Patchwork is the best wedding gift list and honeymoon fund for a few reasons. But don’t listen to us. Like all parents, we’re obviously biased. Listen instead to the people that use our platform and are spontaneously inspired to leave reviews describing our gift list and honeymoon fund service as a ‘gem’, a ‘joy’ and a ‘delight’ and to tell us they are ‘in awe’ . These are quotes from strangers reviewing a piece of technology, not proud parents describing their first born. So, as much as we can tell you why we’re the best, the lovely people who have actually used our honeymoon fund and wedding gift list tell it better. So here are their unbiased reviews, describing what we do and why they are so happy to recommend us, in their own words:

“Patchwork has been an absolute gem of a find for us! As a registry it delivers everything that we were after, in a format that’s both fun and friendly for our guests, and having looked around (extensively!) for alternatives none of them were able to give the versatility and ease of use that this site could. It was super-easy and intuitive to use and when we had queries the friendly staff were on hand to help immediately.” Review by James & Katie

What is a honeymoon fund and how is it different from a traditional gift list?

A honeymoon fund is perfect for couples who don’t need traditional gifts but would like to offer guests the chance to contribute money towards a honeymoon instead. With a Patchwork honeymoon fund, you collect all cash contributions direct, and can show guests your plans with an online “patchwork” of images representing all the things you’d like to do. Guests can choose which piece they’d like to treat you to.

“We were struggling to find a collective pot for our Honeymoon contributions and really did not want to ‘ask’ for money from our wedding guests. Patchwork appealed to us as you can bespoke the donation amounts, and make the group of images related to the honeymoon theme. We were able to make a patchwork of all holiday elements that we would like money for.” Review by Charlene

“Fantastic way to enable people to visualise and contribute towards your honeymoon, I feel this was much nicer than asking for cash. Patchwork is easy to use, and we’re very happy with the level of service and Patchwork itself!” Review by Natalie

“We have really enjoyed the whole process of using Patchwork to put together our wedding list. The website is very clear and easy to use and all our questions and inquiries have been responded to swiftly, personally and incredibly helpfully. We have been so impressed with the whole concept and how it works and would recommend Patchwork to all our friends.” Review by Jessica

“Patchwork made it really easy and fun to put together our Honeymoon contribution list, and it looks amazing. I can’t wait to start hearing our guests comment on it. Highly recommend.” Review by Heidi

“Only just done the setup so far but it’s made me very excited about my upcoming honeymoon! It’s so nice to be able to ask friends and family for gifts rather than just give them bank account details!” Review by Abigail

Why should we set up an alternative gift registry?

A Patchwork wedding gift list lets you ask friends and family for money towards absolutely anything, whether it’s dinner at your favourite restaurant, a piece of art, or contributions towards a new sofa. You can also ask for friends to give their time and skill instead of money. For example friends could gift you their skills to help with a DIY project, take time to cook you dinner to celebrate your marriage or promise to DJ at your wedding reception.

“Easy to create your own patchwork based on a template. Yes, this was the solution to our wedding gift ‘problem’. Thanks” Review by Klaus & Silvia

“Patchwork was a brilliant solution to me and my finance’s problem; wanting to request money for experiences rather than having a set gift list. Patchwork was really good, easy and intuitive to use. It was fun to set up and add our own photos too!” Review by Sophie

“WOW! We love Patchwork…what a great concept that has been extremely well executed by a very helpful and friendly team. We set up our Patchwork site as a way of having our friends and family contribute towards our plans to transform our garden – in celebration of our wedding! ” Review by Charlie & Liberty

“Amazing amazing amazing! Loved this service so much! Such a great website concept. Really speedy customer service replies when I needed any help but it was actually super easy to use! We simply love it! Thanks Team Patchwork!” Review by Jon & Laura

How does it work? How do I set up my Patchwork registry?

When you set up your Patchwork registry all contributions go direct to you via our payment partners Stripe and/or PayPal. It only takes a few minutes to set up a page using one of our readymade templates – or you can get creative and start your own from scratch! Then simply share your page with friends via email or with a link in your wedding invites.

“The site was so easy to setup and use. It has great templates and ‘stock’ images to get you started plus we found it very easy to upload our own photos to compliment these, with each picture representing a key component of our plans.” Review by Charlie & Liberty

“This website is amazing! We found it at a wedding fair and it was exactly what we were looking for! The fact you can design it all yourself and choose how much you want people to contribute, even as little as £5 was what really swung it for us. It’s very easy to use even for a tech novice.” Review by Kathryn

“Oh my goodness I just love how my honeymoon page has turned out. It is so cute and the templates were an amazing help to get me started.” Review by Megan

“Great idea, beautifully executed! The pages are easy to build and for guests to use. The whole package has been thoughtfully designed.” Review by Becky & Oli

What will my friends and family think?

People love to find out more about your interests and see what your plans are for your wedding, honeymoon and your married life beyond. A Patchwork gift list is visual and engaging, which guests love, and they will be delighted to know that the gift they are giving is so wanted, needed and appreciated. Because it’s online, and payment is fast and secure, there’s no traipsing round shops or filling in long forms, and no risk of money going astray. Here’s what friends and family think:

“It has never been easier to make someone happy.” Review by Jan Christoph

“What a brilliant idea! It enabled us to learn about the dreams and wishes of the happy couple, and share in their beautiful journey with them. So inspiring and a wonderful way to feel part of it all, whilst gift giving. Well done Patchwork!” Review by Dorothy

“What a great unique idea from Patchwork! It makes gifts so much more personal. Loved the experience and will recommend to friends and family.” Review by Anil

“It couldn’t have been any simpler, easier or clearer to use and it was fun, well done Patchwork.” Review by Fiona

“Love using Patchwork Gift Registry. Giving towards something a loved one really wants. And you make it so easy to do payments. Great Job Patchwork!!!” Review by Michael & Zelna

“Easy to use and also fun. Being a technophobe I found it a delight.” Review by Carol

“Absolutely nothing beats this. I’m in awe.” Review by Tom

“Thanks for creating a really engaging, inspiring and beautiful website and for making it a very good user experience.” Review by Matt & Hazel

“Once we’d launched the site and shared the link with friends and family we received nothing but positive feedback about how unusual, refreshing and inventive the concept was – it’s great that it’s such a freeform platform. It really is perfect for weddings – a way of distinguishing your event given how hard it is to stand out now.” Review by Charlie & Liberty

“We’ve used Patchwork for our honeymoon registry and have had so much positive feedback regarding it. It’s been super useful and looks great, and it’s been easy to collect gifts from our wedding guests. Patchwork have also been at the end of every email and have dealt with everything really quickly. Thanks! Will use again!” Review by Matt & Kris

How much does it cost?

There is no set up fee to use Patchwork, and if you are using the service to ask friends and family to “make” or “do” something – it’s completely free to use. We only take a 3.6% commission on cash contributed via your page, so if you don’t collect any money we don’t either! Our payment partners Stripe and PayPal charge their own small commissions to process payments. You can read all about our clear and fair fee structure here. On average couples using Patchwork collect 30% more than those simply asking for money, and they save everyone the awkwardness and security concerns around giving cash gifts.

“These were also the best rates that we could find – no hidden fees, and what you read in the T’s & C’s is all you’re charged, unlike another couple of sites we had initially looked into. We honestly can’t recommend Patchwork highly enough.” Review by James & Katie

“So easy to create and no set up fee. Brilliant and just in time for us to now add the link to our wedding invites – thank you Patchwork!!!!” Review by Charlene

Design, style and UX are important to us – how will our Patchwork page look?

Patchwork offers clean, fresh design for your wedding gift list. Well thought out UX means you can create a gorgeous and super stylish page in minutes that looks professional, whilst still being unique to you. Our templates mean you don’t have to spend hours curating your list, although if this is your idea of fun – go for it and start your page totally from scratch!

“Surely the best idea for a wedding gift registry! Very versatile and aesthetically pleasing!” Review by Pavlos & Eleni

“So far we are really impressed with it. Its the best looking and most appropriate crowd gifting site we have seen. And very easy to use. I only found it after searching extensively on Google. It should be easier to find!!” Review by Mandy

“Absolutely amazing website, so easy to use and navigate across. Really able to make it your own, add your own photos or use the website gallery.” Review by Tiffaney

“Easy and super stylish. After trying loads of different options it was an obvious choice for our family-moon fund.” Review by Nikki

“We really enjoyed setting up our Patchwork. The choice of imagery is great and the UX is intuitive. Playing with the design was really enjoyable.” Review by Kat

“Really easy to use website, makes your page look great without any technical requirement. The staff are fantastically friendly and respond really promptly to questions.” Review by Kieran

We want great customer service and a smooth payment process – is Patchwork right for us?

Responsive, pro-active and friendly customer service is always our very top priority and our choice of payment partners means you can choose which service suits you best.

“Very attractive, user-friendly site with fabulous backup – a very quick response to all our enquiries. Highly recommend this.” Review by Kim

“Straightforward and easy to use. Great customer support and payment integration with Stripe.” Review by Andy

“This service was an absolute godsend in trying to organise and fund a wedding – the customer service was super quick and really helpful. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Patchwork to anyone planning an event.” Review by Ciara

“Wow, who knew getting married was so easy. Patchwork seem to have thought of everything and have made it so simple to see the gift selection, to pay for a gift and to leave a message. Why choose anyone else, choose the best, choose Patchwork.” Review by Henry

So, there you have it – straight from our users, the people who found us, loved us and have recommended us to their friends. Want to try Patchwork wedding gift list and honeymoon fund yourself? We have 100s of stylish templates for you to personalise, a friendly team on hand to help, and plenty of tips and advice for making your gift list a success. We are so sure you’ll love us too that we guarantee to waive our fee if you’re not 100% happy with our service.

Oh and before we go, the last word goes to Rod who says Patchwork is: “More fun than the John Lewis wedding list.”

We have used independent review site reviews.co.uk to collect independent, honest reviews from our users and their guests. We have an optimum star rating of 4.75* (compared to 4.5* for Prezola, and The Wedding Shop, and 4.4* for Honeyfund). You can read all of the brilliant reviews above (and more) at reviews.co.uk – and see why 95% of Patchwork users recommend us to their friends.

So now you know all about us – start your patchwork today and make your dreams a reality!

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