I firmly believe that couples who cook together use what’s on their registry and I love the idea of treating the bride and groom to a creative cooking class as a wedding gift.

Sometimes the wedding registry just doesn’t cut it. Or if you wait too long it’s all sold out. What’s worse than sold out? Only four hand towels. What’s even worse than lonely hand towels? When all the available gifts are well over $200 and you are not part of a group splitting costs. 

Your options? Give the gift of cash or gamble on non-registry items. I can only advise that if you are going to gamble, your odds get shakier the longer you wait to play like when my boyfriend and I went to a wedding in Santa Barbara and I did not even search the wedding registry until the Saturday before the wedding. Low and behold the not-so-huge wedding registry was totally sold out.

Personally, I prefer not to give cash as I really enjoy picking out presents. But etiquette-wise it is absolutely a-ok to give cash gifts should you choose. This was to be my third time ever attending an in-town wedding (i.e., a wedding to which I could drive) and given that attendance did not depend on the additional costs of airfare and hotel, I really wanted to have a gift in hand – or at least have purchased it by the wedding date.

Meanwhile when it comes to out of town weddings I am very firm about the one year to get a gift philosophy as the costs associated with travel are pricey and I need the time to save up for the gift. So with a week to go until our drive to Santa Barbara we were giftless and for me the thought of a delayed gift really felt like settling. Two days later, I received my daily email from Tasting Table LA and learned about Niki Tehranchi, a local, LA-based, private chef who hosts cooking class dinner parties in her home and owns a cooking school called EATZ.     

When you sign up for an EATZ class you not only learn to cook a five-course meal in three hours while sipping wine, you are also one of fourteen (max) dinner guests. Upon learning about EATZ on Tasting Table LA and checking out the company website, class schedule and prices this was looking more and more like a wedding gift with a lot of potential. I sent my boyfriend the link and the cost and he was in. So I contacted Niki Tehranchi about picking up the gift certificates as I was down to the wire and did not have time to wait for the cards to come in the mail.

The Friday before the wedding I went over to EATZ’s West Hollywood location and the outdoor dining area was absolutely adorable and romantic. These particular soon-to-be-married friends love trying new and unique experiences and I immediately felt like they were really going to enjoy this. When I picked up the cards they were sharp and printed on a quality card-stock paper with bright red and inviting envelopes.

Each gift certificate was $85 dollars, so $170 for two (which I split 50/50 with my boyfriend) felt like a quite reasonable spend on a wedding gift – especially since we also had to spend $130 for a night at the Pacific Crest In By The Sea, gas money and a taxi from the reception at Stella Mare’s back to the motel. As a side note, the wedding ceremony was right on the beach across the street from the motel (one night of convenience and affordability trumped luxury at this location) and Stella Mare’s was absolutely picturesque, intimate, romantic, delicious and beautiful. If you or an engaged friend are looking for a Santa Barbara wedding reception venue this is definitely one to check out.

So how did the bride and groom enjoy their EATZ cooking class? They loved it! They participated in the Christmas Party Cooking Class, met a lot of repeat customers (always a good sign) and learned how to make peppermint bark, party meatballs and more. They enjoyed the experience together and their only wish for the night was for a bar stool next to the prep table to rest on while watching the instructor. Otherwise, I think they want to try another class with friends.

Related topics:

1. Couples That Cook Together Use What’s On Their Registry
2. dbO Home For Stylish & Unique Wedding Gifts
3. The Bride’s Garter – Unique & Personal Shower Gift by Julianne Smith
4. Giving Back to The Bride and Groom by Rush Hambleton
5. Tastebooks Make Great Bridal Shower Gifts
6. Get Gifting – The New Wedding Card Box by Marni Gold and Linda Protovin

Have a great wedding survival tip to share with the Survive Wedding Season community? Email your tips to solutions@surviveweddingseason.com.

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Tags: Affordable Gifts, cooking classes, creative wedding gifts, EATZ LA, Elle Shapiro, How To Survive Wedding Season On A Budget, Los Angeles Wedding, Santa Barbara Wedding Venue, Stella Mare's, Wedding Blog, Wedding Registries

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