18 thoughtful gifts for newly engaged couples, from someone who recently got engaged

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.Shortly after my partner proposed to me last year, we began planning our engagement parties — yes, parties plural. We wanted to celebrate with my family in Florida, her family in New Jersey, and our friends in Brooklyn. Needless to say, it was a lot of work. We decided not to register for our engagement parties because we didn't love the idea of people feeling obligated to buy us fancy gifts twice. For the wedding, sure — we'll be registering for a Vitamix if anyone's wondering. But for the engagement parties, we just wanted to be with our friends and family, celebrating this exciting next step we chose to take together. I'll be honest — money is always a great gift for a newly engaged couple. The cost of a wedding these days could make your head explode, and it's likely that your gift will go toward helping them build a budget. But if you want to get them a physical gift, it's best to go with something inexpensive that they can enjoy together.Save the big gifts for the wedding once they've registered for the things they really want and need.Keep scrolling to read my engagement gift recommendations, or check out more ideas here:27 engagement gifts under $100 for couples who don't have a registry yet22 personalized engagement gifts couples will actually use32 affordable gifts to congratulate the recently engaged couple in your life — all under $50