21 Wedding Surprise Ideas: How to Surprise Your Partner on the Big Day
Surprise the one you love – and make them even more excited to marry you – with these beautifully sentimental gifts and gestures
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Have you thought about giving your partner a surprise gift on the morning of your wedding day? Surprising your spouse-to-be with something like a card, gift or note before you meet them at the altar is wonderful way to let them know you’re thinking about them and that you’re excited for the day ahead. And the best thing? With our edit of wedding surprise ideas below, you don’t need to spend a fortune.
Because, yes, while jewellery and watches do make wonderful and timeless keepsakes, there are also plenty of other thoughtful ideas out there to suit a range of couples and budgets.
If you’re wondering how to surprise your partner on your wedding day, we’ve compiled an edit of the very best romantic wedding surprises and gifts to spoil the one you love – plus some tips on writing a heartfelt letter or card to your partner.
Best Wedding Surprise Ideas for Your Partner
Whether it’s gifts for the bride or the groom, or any nearlyweds for that matter, these are the wedding gift surprises sure to make their morning extra special.
- Surprise Gift Ideas From Groom to Bride
- Surprise Gift Ideas From Bride to Groom
- Surprise Gift Ideas From the Wedding Party
- Emotional & Romantic Wedding Surprise Ideas
- What to Write in a Wedding Day Letter
Surprise Gift Ideas From Groom to Bride
How can a groom surprise the bride on the wedding day? We've no doubt these stylish and romantic gestures will have her smiling from ear to ear
1. Breakfast Box – Fitzbillies
Give the gift of good food and organise a surprise breakfast to be delivered to your partner on your wedding morning. You could even throw in a bottle of fizz to go with their orange juice…
One of our favourite no-cook options is Fitzbillies’ delicious Breakfast Box, which includes the brand’s famed pastries, English muffins with jam and marmalade, handmade granola, espresso coffee beans and a tin of English breakfast tea. Perfection!
2. Satin Lace Trim Pyjama Set – Chelsea Peers
Have these gorgeous lace-trimmed Chelsea Peers pyjamas delivered early so she can slip into them and feel the part for those all-important getting-ready photos. Otherwise, this slinky set also makes a comfortable and stylish choice for your first room service breakfast as a married couple. Either way, we guarantee they’ll be very well received.
3. Sling + Stone necklace – Feathers + Wings
High quality jewellery is a classic but sentimental surprise gift for the wedding day – and this stunning necklace from Feathers + Wings is a truly special piece. It comes in three chain lengths to work with most necklines and is available in either 9- or 14-carat gold or sterling silver, finished with a delicate string of freshwater pearls. A modern piece that’ll be treasured forever.
4. Susanne Kaufmann Hayflower Bath Oil – Space NK
Every nearlywed deserves an indulgent soak in the bath to soothe away any pre-wedding nerves or planning stress, so elevate her dip in the tub by gifting something from the grand dame of bath oils, Susanne Kaufmann.
The Hayflower bath oil is packed with spruce needle, lavender, thyme and rosemary essential oils, as well as sweet almond oil, to calm the mind and nourish the skin. It’ll also make the perfect base layer for her wedding-day fragrance.
5. Queen of Hearts Jewellery Case – Rockett St. George
There’s a good chance your bride is going to have a lot more jewellery after the wedding, so why not surprise her in the morning with a chic place to store them? This cute leather jewellery wrap from Rockett St. George is a practical but thoughtful gift that’ll stand the test of time – plus it’s perfect for taking away on your honeymoon.
6. Just Married Tote Bag – Six Stories
Thinking beyond the wedding day? Give her beach bag or aeroplane carry-on a honeymoon upgrade with this oversized Just Married tote from Six Stories. The durable cotton-canvas design is spacious and slouchy enough to hold everything from beach towels to a laptop loaded with all your favourite shows. Plus – post-honeymoon – it’ll double as a reusable shopping bag or cute anniversary weekender.
7. Fancy Getting Married Later? Card – Etsy
Don’t forget the card! There’s no better surprise wedding gift than heartfelt, handwritten words – and this beautiful card is the perfect vessel for your letter to the bride (or groom!). The cute design from With Puns at Etsy allows you to personalise the ribbon colour to match your wedding theme and includes an optional wax seal on the envelope to make it feel even more luxe.
Surprise Gift Ideas From Bride to Groom
Are you a bride wanting to surprise your groom? These nearlywed gifts are quite possibly the easiest way to pull off a wedding surprise without added stress!
8. Metallic Personalised Song Lyrics Print – Spin Collective
Personalised products make brilliant surprise wedding gifts for a partner because they show an extra level of planning and care. This cool custom print from Spin Collective at Not on the High Street is a great pick if they’re a music lover. Be sure to choose a song that’s meaningful – maybe your first dance song or the tune you plan on exiting the ceremony to?
Simply choose the song and artist, foil colour, size and framing, and Spin Collective will do the rest.
9. Cypress & Grapevine Cologne Intense – Jo Malone London
Suit aside, what’s going to make them feel really special on your wedding day? In our opinion, it’s a mist of luxury fragrance.
For a scent that exudes warmth and sensuality, surprise him with a bottle of Jo Malone Cypress & Grapevine Cologne Intense, which has notes of amber alongside fresh and woody cypress, cedarwood and vetiver. It also sees British actor Tom Hardy as the ambassador, and if it’s good enough for Tom…
Personalised Leather Wallet – Carl Friedrik
When it comes to iconic leather goods, Carl Friedrik accessories are hard to beat. This butter-soft wallet comes in three colours (all of which promise to only get better with age), but we love it in ‘cognac’ for a modern yet classic look. For an extra special surprise on the morning of your wedding, the brand also offers in-store embossing, allowing you to add a name, initials, date or meaningful message.
10. Grant Chronograph Leather Watch – Fossil
Not only will the light brown leather strap and richly coloured blue dial look especially smart peeking out from the cuff of his wedding suit, but this watch from Fossil can be engraved for an extra sentimental wedding day surprise.
11. Monogrammed Socks – Pantherella
We’ll try to resist the ‘so you don’t get cold feet’ line but jokes aside, a stylish pair of luxury, monogrammed socks are a thoughtful way to surprise your groom on the morning of the wedding, while adding an extra special finishing touch to their outfit. The Danvers cotton lisle socks from Pantherella are excellent quality and come in a wide array of colours, so there’s sure to be a pair to complement his outfit.
12. Personalised Mini Champagne – Not Another Bill
Whether you gift them to be enjoyed as a pre-ceremony tipple with their best man or woman, or for the two of you to enjoy with breakfast the following morning, these miniature personalised champagne bottles are the perfect way to celebrate in style. Choose from Pommery or Moet Rosé.
Surprise Gift Ideas From the Wedding Party
The happy couple are sure to have planned a day filled with surprises for their guests, so why not treat them to a little wedding surprise of their own?
13. Personalised Wooden Ring Box – The Laser Engraving Co
How’s this for a cute wedding surprise? A personalised ring box will make that moment they exchange rings even more special. This rustic wooden box from The Laser Engraving Company comes in four different designs and can be customised with up to 20 characters. Why not choose the couple’s names and their wedding date?
14. Laura Ashley Photo Frame – Next
Turn their engagement shoot into a beautiful keepsake gift by presenting one of their favourite photos in a frame. Select a collage-style frame if you can’t pick more than one, but if you’re looking for stylish and affordable options, Laura Ashley has a great range that’ll work with all kinds of home décor.
15. Personalised Edible Photo Iced Cookies – Baked By Steph
You had us at 'edible photo'… Surprise them on the morning of their wedding with the gift of sweet treats, like these personalised biscuits from Baked By Steph. Perfect for sharing over a cuppa – nobody likes a hangry newlywed, after all!
16. Family Name Sign – Grey Fox Design
We love the idea of the happy couple walking into their ceremony or reception to see their married name on the wall, so why not club together with the rest of the wedding party to plot it in secret? These wire letters, which come in a choice of black, gold, rose-gold copper or silver, will look gorgeous on the wall of their home after the big day, too.
Emotional & Romantic Wedding Surprise Ideas
Gifts aren’t the only way to surprise your partner on the morning of your wedding – there are lots of other creative ways to tell them just how much you love them. Ahead, some of our favourite out-of-the-box wedding day surprises…
- Engraved rings: If your partner doesn’t wear any other jewellery – or has more than enough – why not steal away your wedding rings before the big day and have them sneakily engraved with something meaningful? We’ve even got some inspirational quotes about love and marriage to get you started…
- An old-school letter: Nothing says ‘I love you’ quite like a handwritten letter or card. Sometimes we take for granted that our partners know how we feel about them – but penning your love in a handwritten note will not only make them feel special, but it also provides a long-lasting keepsake.
- Pre-wedding video: Maybe you did a pre-wedding shoot with your photographer or videographer that you can share for the first time to surprise them on the morning of your wedding. Make sure there’s some kind of narrative that shows your love story and how you got to this point in your relationship. You could even show this at your reception – there won’t be a dry eye in the house!
- First look shoot: More and more couples are opting for a first look shoot but how about not telling your partner and simply roping in your photographer to help surprise them instead? The look on their face will be priceless. Seeing each other in your wedding attire for the first time is an emotional and raw moment anyway but doing it privately – without the added nerves of a crowd around you – makes it extra special.
What to Write in a Wedding Day Letter
Wondering how to write a letter to your husband or wife on your wedding day? Remember, the most important thing is to speak from the heart. But if you find yourself… lost for words, shall we say, here are some hints that might inspire you. John Keats, eat your heart out!
- Keep it casual: Opening with something like, ‘to my wife on our wedding day’ or ‘to my future husband on our wedding day’ might feel like the right, most romantic, choice for some – but always go with what feels natural. Address the letter to the name you usually call your partner by – whether that’s their actual name, a nickname, or even just ‘babe’!
- Share the reasons why you love them: It could be the cuppa they bring you every morning, the fact they can make you laugh like no one else can or the unwavering support they give through dramatic life events – telling your partner the reasons (big and small) why you feel connected to them will make them feel special. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable and romantic – it’s your wedding day, after all.
- Reminisce on your fondest memories: Maybe it’s the day you met or the day you specifically knew you wanted to marry them. Perhaps it’s an experience or major life goal you achieved together. Either way, recalling those moments through words in your wedding letter will bring a smile to your partner’s face while paying tribute to how far you’ve both come.
- Reveal your hopes for the day: Which parts of the wedding are you most looking forward to? Maybe you’d like to steal a few moments away from guests after the ceremony to let it all sink in (side note: pre-arranging a couple of glasses of bubbly in a candle-lit, tucked-away part of your venue is another great wedding surprise idea and a really romantic way to do this!), or perhaps you’re looking forward to introducing them as your husband or wife in your speech. It’s heartening for your spouse to know what you’re feeling most excited about – and will make them look forward to it even more.
- Share your promises for the future: You can go into more detail in your vows if you’ve chosen to write your own, but sharing your hopes and dreams for the future is a great way to end your wedding day letter. This is also a great opportunity to make in-jokes and somewhat wilder comments that might not be appropriate in front of friends and family!
If this has all got you feeling super sentimental, don’t miss these romantic ways to personalise your wedding.
