Having a kitchen tea? What a fun way to celebrate before you or your friend tie the knot! Whether you’re hosting your own party or it’s being put on by your beloved bridesmaids or favourite aunt, there’s one thing you can’t do without on this occasion – presents!

• A kitchen tea does not call for expensive gifts. It’s not about giving a whole dinner set or a full set of crystal glasses. Save those more pricey items for the wedding present itself, where you can club together with a group to buy something more substantial. Rather, kitchen tea guests are best to bring a more practical type of gift – with a general domestic theme, of course!
• Here are our top 10 ideas for gifts to suit even the most house-proud bride-to-be. They don’t have to be strictly confined to kitchen use only – mix it up with items for entertaining further afield also:
• 1. A picnic basket – many homeware stores stock picnic baskets, and they usually include plates, plastic wine glasses, cutlery, bottle opener and perhaps condiment containers or a chopping board. A romantic gift for newlyweds.
• 2. Outdoor entertaining gear – the bride probably already has an everyday china dinner set, so an additional set of stylish melamine crockery that can be used for casual outdoor dining on the verandah will be well-received.
• 3. Soft furnishings – think items like cushions and throw rugs. Try and ascertain her tastes before you make your purchases – she can direct you as to whether she’s into vintage style, bold brights or soft neutrals.
• 4. A homewares voucher – $50 will buy her a nice selection of useful goodies from the kitchen section of stores like Freedom or Ikea, and she can choose exactly what she wants.
• 5. Placemats or a table cloth – even if the bride has some in her drawer already, it’s nice to have a variety of styles to suit her entertaining occasion, whether it’s colourful board placemats for a weekend lunch or a beautiful linen tablecloth for a formal dinner party.
• 6. Gardening pack – if they’re a green thumb couple who are planning to have a veggie patch in the garden of their marital home, you could put together a fun starter basket with items like gardening gloves, a trowel and spade, watering can and packets of seeds.
• 7. Traditional kitchen gear – an inexpensive yet useful idea is to fill a utensil holder with half a dozen cooking essentials such as a potato masher, wooden spoon, tongs, egg flip, whisk and salad servers. Wrap them all up in a checked tea towel.
• 8. Gourmet produce – foodie brides will love a selection of gourmet items to set up her pantry. Think fancy olive oils, dressings, jams, bottled olives, or mustards. Package them up in a DIY gift basket.
• 9. An outdoor rug – these are so useful for tossing in the back of the car. Great for impromptu fish and chips outings by the beach or for snuggling at the outdoor cinema on a cool night!
• 10. Everyday crockery and glassware – a girl can never have too many platters, serving dishes or sets of funky tumblers and wine glasses, can she?