Got all the pots and pans you need? Maybe it’s time to think outside the (gift) box for your wedding list…

Deciding which presents you’d like should be one of the most enjoyable parts of planning your wedding, but if you’ve already set up home together a traditional wedding list might not be right for you.

Latest figures show that as many as 60 per cent of couples live together before tying the knot, so there’s a shift away from asking for homeware as a wedding gift. Couples are now looking for more inventive ideas for their gift list, so here are some ideas to inspire you:

1 Ask for a honeymoon

With the average wedding costing around £20,000, it’s no wonder that there’s often not quite enough spare cash left in the budget for a dream honeymoon. You could ask for a contribution towards it, or suggest that guests could buy you a travel voucher. Make sure you take lots of photos of you on honeymoon, and send them out to guests as thank-you cards to give them an idea of what they’ve bought with their money.

2 Make an 'experience list'

Get together with your partner and make a list of things you’d like to do, from afternoon tea for two to a parachute jump. Then work out the cost of each experience, making sure there’s something to suit a wide range of budgets, and give it to your guests as a wedding list. They can then choose what they’d like to 'buy' and you can take the cash and tick each experience off the list as you do it over the next few months.

3 Do some home improvements

Although some guests will prefer to give a traditional wedding gift, many will understand that sometimes money is tight and you’d like something more useful. Your wedding list could simply be 'Our new kitchen', and instead of asking for a toaster you could request a contribution towards building work, new units and everything else you need.

4 Give to charity

If you really are the couple who have everything, ask for a contribution to charity. And if your guests feel that they’d like to know exactly what they’re giving, take a look at a charity website, eg www.giftsinaction.org.uk where you can choose from a range of helpful contributions, from toys for children in Rwanda to a donkey for a woman in Ghana.

5 Have a night out with your guests

Your wedding day will probably fly by, leaving you feeling like you didn’t get the chance to speak to everyone. So ask your guests to treat you to a night out – and join you on it. That way, you get to spend time with them, and they get to give you a present they can share too!

However big or small your gift list is, it’s essential to take out Wedding Insurance. John Lewis Wedding Insurance can cover your wedding presents for loss, theft and failure of suppliers, as well as offering flexible levels of cover for your big day, from £10,000 to £50,000. Get a policy in place before you pay any deposits for goods or services, so if anything does go wrong you’ll have total peace of mind.

About John Lewis Insurance

John Lewis offers competitively-priced Wedding Insurance you can trust. Choose from six flexible levels of cover - from £10,000 to £50,000 - for weddings in the UK and abroad.

Don't worry about the special details - your cake, flowers, transport, rings and the dress are all covered.

Protect your wedding wherever it’s happening, with cover in the UK and abroad.
Don’t lose out if the bride, groom or a close relative falls ill, your cancellation costs will be reimbursed.

For more information about John Lewis Wedding Insurance please visit the website here www.johnlewis-insurance.com/wedding.

John Lewis Insurance is a trading name of John Lewis plc. John Lewis plc is an appointed representative of AXA Insurance UK plc which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

Terms, conditions, limitations, exclusions and eligibility criteria apply. A full copy of the policy wording and the insurance complaints procedure are available on request.