Of all wedding gifts, the best is the one the couple will use often and would keep putting off buying for themselves. If there is a gift list, choose from it. If there isn't, take the best version of something they already have at home, such as sheets or towels, and check the size first of all. Below, the criteria and figures to help you decide.
Those who choose the bed as a wedding gift usually look at the Looniva bed sets in 300TC bamboo viscose, from €99 in the double size.
Couples who marry today already have a home
In 2023, 184,207 weddings were celebrated in Italy, 2.6 per cent fewer than the year before, and the average age at first marriage rose to 34.7 for men and 32.7 for women (source: Istat, Marriages, civil unions, separations and divorces, 2023). Over the same period, cohabiting couples more than tripled, from about 440,000 in 2000-2001 to more than 1.6 million in 2022-2023 (same source).
These figures change the gift. A couple who marry around the age of 33 have often been living together for some time, and already have plates, pans and at least one set of sheets. A present meant to fill an empty home is now useful to few couples, and for those who have only just started living together there are better ideas among the couple gifts for the home.
What etiquette says about wedding gifts
The idea that a gift should serve the home is as old as modern etiquette. Emily Post's 1922 manual devotes a chapter to wedding presents: they are sent to the bride before the ceremony, and each one receives a handwritten thank-you (source: Emily Post, Etiquette, 1922).
Today there is just one practical rule. If the couple have opened a gift list, choose from it: it avoids duplicates. If there is no list, or the remaining items are out of budget, step outside the list while keeping to its spirit: an item for the home that the couple already have and will really use.
The envelope stays a shared one among close relatives, and it can be accompanied by a small gift that stays in the home.
A wedding gift for the couple who has everything
Even those who have everything own things that wear out. Sheets are washed every week, towels lose their softness, pillowcases turn grey: these are the things a couple renews late, because neither sees them as a purchase to make together.
The criterion, then, is to choose the best version of something they already use. There are three families of gifts that pass this test:
- home textiles, meaning bed linen, towels and tablecloths, in a neutral colour if you don't know the décor
- a piece for the kitchen or the table that takes the place of an everyday one, such as a pan, a chef's knife or a set of glasses
- an experience for two, when the giver is a close friend and knows the couple's tastes
An original and useful gift for the couple
An original gift for the couple is almost always a personal one, tied to their story: the city where they met, the wedding date, a detail of the ceremony.
One way to tie the gift to the calendar is to start from the first anniversary, which in the traditional list corresponds to paper: a print with the date, a book, an album for the photos of the day. The years and their materials are collected in the guide to wedding anniversaries year by year, and ideas for later years in the one on the wedding anniversary gift.
How much to spend, alone or as a group
There is no written rule on the amount. Custom ties it to your relationship with the couple and the type of invitation: a colleague invited to the ceremony only spends less than a witness or a close relative.
When one person's budget isn't enough, a group gift solves it. Five colleagues with €30 each can buy a €150 item that none of them would have given alone.
To get your bearings on bed linen, the Looniva catalogue price ranges run as follows:
- the pair of 50x75 bamboo pillowcases costs €39, a small gift to go alongside the envelope
- the double Falce Set, fitted sheet 160x200 and two pillowcases, costs €99
- the double Mezzaluna Set adds the flat sheet 260x290 and costs €169
- the double Plenilunio Set also adds the duvet cover and costs €249, an amount suited to a group gift
The bed as a wedding gift
The bed works well as a wedding gift for a practical reason: it is used every night and changed every week, so an extra set doesn't sit unused in the wardrobe. The full reasoning is in the guide to bed linen as a gift.
Colour is the most delicate choice. White, sand and light grey go with almost any bedroom; if you know the home you can be bolder, and the pairings are explained in the guide to coordinated bed linen.
The fabric matters to the person receiving it. Bamboo viscose retains about 13 per cent of its weight in moisture, against 8.5 per cent for cotton (source: ASTM D1909; Journal of Natural Fibers, 2025), and it can be machine washed at 30 degrees on the delicate cycle. The Looniva Mezzaluna Set brings together a fitted sheet, a flat sheet and two pillowcases in a fabric certified OEKO-TEX Standard 100 class I.
How to choose the size without asking
With bed linen, the real risk is the size. The fitted sheet must match the width of the mattress and no other: a 160x200 sheet will not fit a 180x200 mattress. The two most common double sizes are dressed as follows:
| Mattress | Fitted sheet | Flat sheet | Pillowcases |
|---|---|---|---|
| 160x200 | 160x200 | 260x290 | 2 of 50x75 |
| 180x200 | 180x200 | 260x290 | 2 of 50x75 |
You can ask a witness for the size; if there is no way of finding out, a gift that doesn't depend on the bed is better, such as pillowcases. The other combinations, from French beds to King size, are in the guide to double sheet sizes.
In short
- In 2023, 184,207 weddings were celebrated in Italy, with an average age at first marriage of 34.7 for men and 32.7 for women (source: Istat)
- Cohabiting couples rose from about 440,000 in 2000-2001 to more than 1.6 million in 2022-2023: many couples arrive at the wedding with the home already set up (source: Istat)
- Emily Post's 1922 etiquette has gifts sent to the bride before the ceremony and a written thank-you for each (source: Emily Post, Etiquette)
- Bamboo viscose retains about 13 per cent of its weight in moisture, against 8.5 per cent for cotton (source: ASTM D1909)
Frequently asked questions
What should you give for a wedding if there is no gift list?
An item for the home that the couple will use often, in a better version of what they already have: bed linen, towels, a quality piece for the kitchen. If you don't know the décor, a neutral colour is best, and for the bed you need to know the mattress size first.
What gift should you give a couple who already have everything?
Something that wears out and that the couple renew late, such as sheets or towels, or a personal gift tied to their story, such as a print with the wedding date.
How much do you spend on a wedding gift?
There is no fixed amount: custom ties it to your relationship with the couple and the type of invitation, and a close relative or a witness spends more than a colleague invited to the ceremony only. If the budget isn't enough, a group gift lets you reach a more substantial item.
Is bed linen a good wedding gift?
Yes, if you know the bed size, because it is used every night and changed every week. The double Looniva Mezzaluna Set costs €169, is made of 300TC bamboo viscose and can be returned within 30 days if unused. Shipping costs €5.90, free over €109.
Edoardo Guarise