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We're giving our mothers a Coach Bag, our fathers a Coach Belt, and for a gift together we're getting them Tiffany Champagne Flutes. We're spending quite a bit on them, but they have helped us with about half our wedding costs financially, so we really wanted to thank them.
For our parents, we wrote them each a letter telling them what we admired about them as a couple (his parents are married 30 years, my dad remarried 4 years ago, my mom is engaged) and what we hoped to take from their relationships and incorporate into ours. Each letter is individualistic to that couple, and it gives us a chance to tangibly express the gratitude that we feel for everything they've done for us (not just in regards to the wedding, but in raising us to be who we are today, which made us perfect for each other!)
We chose our favorite engagement picture and had it made into greeting cards (using Shutterfly, which I highly recommend) which we will write the letters on. We didn't want to frame them because they are personal, and we wanted to let our parents choose whether to display them or keep them private.
We are also debating getting each couple a gift card. I know these are usually cop-out gifts, but we want to get each couple something specific to their interests, as a way to "further enhance" the relationships that we have come to admire and respect and strive for.
HTH!
That is such a good idea kandaceandjason. That is so sweet. I might have to borrow that idea too :)
A letter is exactly what I wanted to do! Like most non-materialistic adults I know, our rents have pretty much everything they already want so getting them another "thing" wasn't tops on our list. (Although, Cheekybride, I am never one to pass up a new Coach bag myself! 
)
However, the dear FI would rather stick hot pokers in his eyes than write said letter...back to the 'ole drawing board. So glad you and your FI are going the letter route. Maybe I can get him to revisit this idea though.
Depending how much you planned on spending for the gift card kandaceandjason, perhaps a gift they can "use" together? You already admire their relationships so why not help them continue to build upon that framework? Perhaps get them passes to a local museum, wine-appreciation classes, tix to the symphony...
We're planning to do letters, and a parents album with some wedding pictures.
We got our parents embroidered handkerchiefs. It was more of a personal gift. We're also going to create parent albums for each side of the family.
what about good stock bindery? they create custom books that contain narratives and family trees. one of the featured projeccts included a dedication for a family member who recently passed away.
The photo album seems to be a popular idea. We're also planning on giving our parents albums. They have just about everything. I know something as sentimental as an album and family tree will certainly be a hit.
I wanted to do the photo albums too, but was just curious - for those of you who have done this, how do you present it on the wedding day? Obviously the wedding photos won't be available yet for several days or even weeks so it won't really be a timely gift. But it is such a lovely idea we really want to do that.
You can't present it right away obviously. So one thing you can do is show them the nice album you plan on using, or mention it in your thank you card.
For the tech-savvy...
I'm planning on giving my parents a digital photo frame. We're working with a photographer who will gives us all his photos on CDs. This way, we can load EVERY photo we get onto a large photo card, put it in the frame, and voila, my parents will have every single photo from our wedding day.
And Kodak has a really nice frame (about $250, I think) that will let you load music as well, so you can put songs from your wedding...
Now, because my FI's parents already have one, I'll probably steal another idea for them!
we are doing a photo guestbook for our wedding (yay for iphoto's books!) that includes pictures of my fiance and I at various stages in our lives, and we will purchase two extra copies of the photobook for our parents with a special note on the first page for each. i think it's something that they will certainly appreciate and will always remind them of us and our wedding day!
nashgirl, that's a great idea. esp when the wedding pictures don't come for a while later!
both parents are getting albums for christmas (the wedding is in 31 days! eep!). My parents are splitting the cost of the wedding with us, and as a thank you, we're going to lay pavers down for their patio! They bought a new house a couple of years ago and the backyard is still dirt.
My family goes to the landscape arboretum up near the twin cities every year for mother's day and my brother's wife grew up close to there, so it was also fairly important to her family as well. So, when they got married, they dedicated a tree at the arboretum for both sets of parents. A plaque gets put on the tree and will stay there as long as the tree does. This was especially fitting since this was also the wedding venue, but both sets of parents really loved it and my mom started crying because she thought it was such a great gift.
Our parent's gifts are on their way... we decided to wait until after the wedding to get them gifts-- why? Because we went to ART.COM and ordered our Formals with them from the wedding (family portraits) and had them turned into 16x20 paintings...
I think they will appreciate it, and it will go along well with the family albums we are making for them from MYPUBLISHER.COM
Yesterday my mother was over celebrating my bday. She asked what wedding tasks we still had outstanding, so I handed over my to-do list. After reading the "brainstorm for parent's gifts" listing, she steadfastly insisted we do not spend any money on a gift for her (or his parents).
Her reason? She (and my FIL's) has everything they possibly need. Knowing their children have met and will soon marry is the best gift a parent could ever possibly receive. (Tearing up again as I write this.) She was so darn adamant and heartfelt in her proclamation; she even brought tears to my FI's eyes! Mom again stated that our happiness is the only gift a parent could ever desire. Awwww!
That said, I think we'll go the letter route, deliver to the rents after the wedding with a double photo-frame (one shot with us and another with the parents and son or daughter). I've really enjoyed reading what others are doing. Thanks for the unique and creative suggestions that I may steal for future use!
We're making parent albums after the wedding. They both seem to like pictures that they can show their friends more than anything else.
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My fiance and I are stumped as to what to give our parents on our big day. Both his parents are still alive, my father recently passed away a few years ago.
I'd love to hear what everyone else plans (or has recently) to do for their parents.
Thanks!