Grateful couples honor parents with memorable gifts

BY LAURA MANN
laura.mann@newsday.com

September 14, 2007, 4:05 PM EDT

Engagement gifts, bridal shower gifts, wedding gifts ... couples can expect to receive them all in the months leading up to their marriage. But an increasing number of brides and grooms are turning the tables and giving gifts of thanks to their parents; and they're finding creative and memorable ways to do so.

When Dana Lenore Friedman married husband Marc in May 2006, they thanked her parents, Gwen and Roy Breil of North Massapequa, with a gift certificate for a weekend getaway.

"The gift was a token of our appreciation for everything my parents did to give us a beautiful wedding," she says.

Gwen Breil says her daughter's gesture came as a surprise. "In my day we didn't give gifts to our parents," she says.

She also liked that her daughter put some thought to the gift -- which was purchased at Select Registry (selectregistry .com).

"It won't be a dust-collector," says Breil. "We'll have a wonderful memory of the place we stayed, instead of something to polish and put it away in a drawer."

About 70 percent of couples give their parents gifts, says Kristin Ciccolella of the wedding planning Web site Wed alert.com, citing a recent national survey of 800 people.

"These days couples are spending more, averaging about $300 to $500 per gift," she adds.

And the overwhelming trend has been away from traditional presents such as picture frames, jewelry and candlestick holders to gift certificates that reflect the personalities and hobbies of the parents.

Examples include certificates for golf lessons, wine-of-the-month clubs, B&B getaways and treatments at day spas. Elizabeth Arden's Red Door Spa, with locations in Garden City and Woodbury, has packages that start at $199 for a massage or facial. The Red Door's most popular package, the "Signature Spa Experience," includes a half-day of pampering with a massage, facial, manicure and pedicure, as well as a make-up refresher, for $342.

Some still opt for a more traditional gift. Stephanie and Rob Fekete of West Babylon, who were married in October 2006, chose to give their parents silver-plated photo albums, engraved with the couple's names and wedding date.

"We're big picture-people," says Stephanie. "I wanted to give them something they could use."

Specialty stores like Fortunoff in Westbury carry selections of china, crystal and silver-plated photo albums and frames by Lenox, Waterford and Kate Spade. At Fortunoff, prices range from about $40 to $185, and the store offers hand engraving for metal frames starting at $18; machine engraving starts at $12. Fortunoff sells father of the bride cufflinks for $95.

For traditional with a twist, try customizing. Bridget Grant, event specialist with Long Island Wedding & Event Planners in Commack, says the by-appointment-only boutique offers an array of customizable gifts, including embroidered linen and lace handkerchiefs (starting at $14; more for embroidery) or Swarovski crystal couture jewelry with stones that can be personalized to match any outfit or taste. After all, Grant says, "there is nothing that says 'thank you' to your mother and father like a personalized gift."

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