The Art of Receiving – Get Gifts You Really Love
Hannah was at work in a meeting when she received a text message from her boyfriend Philippe asking her to look out the window. “What has he done?” thought Hannah. After the meeting was finally over, she raced back to her desk to see the words “Will you marry me?” written across the expressway.
And the rest is history! The couple spent the afternoon celebrating with Dom Pérignon and cheese at the spot where they first met. They soon had their dream wedding mapped out based around the food, drink and places they both love. “Hannah and myself, we have so many passions in common,” says Philippe.
Another passion they share is an appreciation of art. As friends and family asked what to get them for their wedding, the usual awkward gift registry at a department store featuring towels, cutlery and bedding wasn’t what they were after. Instead, all they wanted was a beautiful artwork that would remind them of the family and friends who made their wedding the most memorable day of their lives.
Philippe and Hannah on their wedding day. Wedding Photos: Jonathan David Photography
“The gorgeous bronze sculpture, Leap Frog by David Bromley, caught our eye in the window of our favourite gallery,” explains Hannah. “We instantly connected with the playfulness and innocence of the sculpture. It reminded us of our own sense of adventure and curiosity. We are both kids at heart!”
To make this dream gift come true, Hannah and Philippe used The Gift Collective, an online gift-giving service that unites friends and family to give gifts that people really love. They simply created an “occasion” for their wedding by uploading an image of the sculpture, entering a few details and choosing how many people could contribute. This creates a personalised link to the occasion and a Gift Puzzle, a fun jigsaw that guests can buy pieces of and leave a message. When the link is shared, guests see the puzzle of the artwork and read the story around why the couple have chosen the gift and what it means to them.
Leap Frog by David Bromley
“That’s what creates such a special experience of giving,” says Charles Roche, Founder of The Gift Collective. “It’s all about the story, it’s about why the couple love that particular piece of art and what it means to them. Even what it says about them.”
Hannah loved the experience from start to finish. “The Gift Collective provided a fabulous end-to-end service for our wedding. The awkwardness of a gift registry was taken away and the puzzle concept made the whole process fun and exciting. Setting up our puzzle was easy from day one and we loved watching the puzzle slowly come together, piece by piece, in the lead up to the wedding. The process post wedding was seamless. We really appreciated the kind note from The Gift Collective sent to our family and friends thanking them for contributing to our gift too!”
Collectable Aboriginal art, like this piece, The Pukara Rock Hole by Telstra Award winning Jimmy Donegan, is a popular choice with brides and grooms to be.
Charles has noticed the larger gifts that couples are aspiring to the most are pieces of art. “More and more couples are choosing unique pieces of art for their wedding gift. An artwork really is the perfect gift. For a reminder of such a special moment – and those you shared it with – it’s a gift that’s always going to be loved and cherished.”
On the back of this increasing trend, The Gift Collective and bluethumb have joined forces to make it achievable for more people to own and enjoy art. “This is a perfect partnership as we often get asked if bluethumb has a gift registry,” says Edward Hartley, Co-Founder and Managing Director of bluethumb. “The Gift Collective is not only the best platform out there in terms of design and user experience, but also understands what it means to collaborate on a gift, concentrating all the good vibes from an occasion into a gift of love to keep forever. We know art is a labour of love and can be out of one person’s price range, so what better gift could there be for a group to collaborate towards for a bride and groom.”
Experience the joy of receiving your Perfect Gift! Find out more and create your occasion on The Gift Collective now.
