Gift card to a fancy restaurant...case or several bottles of nice wine....

Why is "older" in quotation marks? (Here I am on my old-is-good soapbox again --)

But although it certainly is older, actually early 70s really doesn't sound all that old to me anymore. The friends I have that age seem more like older middle age in terms of how they live (still working, some even with kids still at home, etc.) I'm not sure I would choose anything all that different from what I'd choose for any second marriage of middle-aged people. I know that many people middle aged and older (including me) don't want to accumulate a lot more stuff, but then again you don't want to be sending a message that they are so close to death's door that they really have no future, so there is no point in giving them anything lasting, either!

How much do you want to spend?

Do they like to cook? If so, even though they presumably have plenty of kitchen equipment, they may not have some of the newer items we have come to love -- e.g. an immersion blender (Thank you again, jessyf, for changing my life! :-) ).

Well, I didn't really mean anything by ''older'', except that they both already have two lifetimes of stuff they are going to have to weed through. (Weeding can be stressful.) What I like about their spirits is they know what they want and don't waste any time! They are wildly happy and definitely in their honeymoon phase.

I don't really know anything about them as a couple, and consequently don't know about their habits. They only reconnected about 8 weeks ago, so I'm certain it's all new for them too. As for picking something similar to second marriage of middle-aged people...Well, What IS that? (I don't have any experience there.)

Linda, he doesn't drink and the trouble with a restaurant is sometimes my friend is a vegetarian (sometimes not, and enjoys a nice piece of bacon), switches to being vegan, and often tends to go to extremes with his diet. (He is a Libra who is constantly seeking balance and can swing wildly one way, then the next. I quit cooking for him because I never knew if he was eating eggs this week, avoiding carbs or all animal products.) Picking the right restaurant could be a minefield IYKWIM! At this point I can only presume they have all the kitchen equipment they need. I do know the size of his kitchen (which is quite small), and they are moving her back to his home pulling an rv (another small kitchen.)

I do welcome all ideas, while I ponder this. Please know I am grateful for all your suggestions, since I have absolutely none of my own!

A great picture frame, engraved. And if you can get a nice picture of the two of them together, it'll be perfect. If not, find an appropriate poem that they can replace with the picture of their choice.

Here is a link that might be useful: picture frames

Perhaps tickets to an event: concert, etc? A really good kitchen knife, a copy of your favorite cook book with a nice little note saying why it is your favorite?

Well, we covered the kitchen knife aspect last year, when I told him about Aldi's bargain forged Santuko knives and went right out to fetch him one. (He's thanked me many times for my effort on his behalf.) I also steered him towards their enameled cast iron pieces, so I know he's covered that way. My favorite cookbook covers meat dishes, and since I don't know if he's vegetarian, vegan or what this week, that doesn't seem to fit very well. I did give my favorite cookbooks to two nieces a few years ago (the one getting married, and another to her sister the maid of honor who was feeling like a slave at that point) which didn't make any kind of impression on either of them. I'm not ready to go there again.

I'm leaning towards something more fun than kitchen tools. For example, one couple we were friends with received a trapeze they could hang somewhere as they always seemed to be taking people on tours of their beautiful old home. At least it was something to talk about! (I guess this would have been the second marriage, middle aged couple.) No, it's not appropriate for this couple, but I'd love to give them another ''story'' to add to their own. We've known our friend over 30 years, and would like something a little different I guess than the standard wedding gift you might give to someone just starting out you don't know very well.

We used to give a hamper of gourmet goodies so the happy couple didn't have to emerge from their honeymoon venue to eat until they wanted to :-)
I know you said your friend is often vegan but I would hope you could find a range of nibblies, with some nice glasses, napkins and suitable utensils.....perhaps a really jazzy picnic hamper?

Your trapeze idea made me think...
How about a hammock built for two, a porch swing, or loveseat glider, or two comfy low folding chairs with tickets to an outdoor concert?

Colleen, Thanks for that suggestion. I have done that before and know it was much appreciated at the time. The wedding has taken already taken place, so this would be after the fact. My friend lives in another town about three hours away, so surprising them that way would be a little more difficult.

Ann, I love that idea! It reminds me that my husband came with a beautiful hammock a friend had given him, which I still love to this day (30 years later). That sounds like a winner to me. A hammock for two, swinging in the great outdoors seems like a perfect thing for two air signs. THANKS!

You're welcome, CdL! Glad I could help.
Ann

I had some friend get married last year, both in their 60's. They're outdoorsy, so I bought a fancy picnic hamper and filled it up with goodies and coffee. If they like coffee, you can get "coffee of the month" kinds of things online, or just an assortment of coffees. There are also lots of kinds of picnic hampers and coolers out there, make very nice gifts.

Another option is some kind of MP3 player/stereo kind of thing. That's the way music goes these days. You could probably find one that does CDs too. My folks (in their late 70's) have one and it's on all the time, they really enjoy it. The nice thing about getting one of these small gizmos is that even if they have a stereo already, a small one can be put in another room to enjoy, even out in the garage, patio, etc.

I got my folks an electronic picture frame that you can load a set of .jpgs onto it and it rotates the photos thru the picture. However, my folks turn the darn thing off all the time because they don't want to wear down the battery. Jeesh! Check the instructions on these, some are easier to use than others!

Thanks for the ideas pink. Food and music are two places I simply don't go for this friend. Since he's also a musician and his music preferences are so detailed, I simply know when to turn and go another direction! I know what you mean about the picture frame, as my sister has one she doesn't turn on either...

I think Ann pegged it perfectly for me. I'm going to wait until I meet his new wife before I decide if this a good fit. Don't I have a year to send a wedding gift, or does old fashioned etiquette count these days?

I'm sure you have made your decision but for future reference I have had success with multi-sprayer/hand held shower heads. Don't know why but I gave one years ago to a couple who were combining households and they thought it was perfect for their needs and easy to install. So that has been my go-to wedding gift.

Cathy, that's also a great idea. I'll wait before I decide to make sure I can find a good fit. I don't know if they'll be staying in their current house (it was bought for the bachelor in mind) just in case there may be changes with their space. (Of course we want them to move to Kansas City! I don't have a hidden agenda; it's right out front!) I appreciate your input. This is a harder decision than I expected it would be, for something that's supposed to be fun!

A Ceiva Frame (electronic picture frame) that hooks up to the net is really great. Buy them a one year subscription and away they go. The cool thing is that their families can also upload to the frame and keep them in the loop.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ceiva