According to About.com there are five major gifts that couples are jazzed to get.

1. Money. Young couples are often saving for a down payment on home, a car, paying off student loans and more.
2. An expensive item off their registry. It’s hard to ask for that super chic item on the registry, even if it is the only thing you really want. Inlu is here to save the day.
3. That uber sweet wedding night hotel room.  – memories, memories, memories they will be made, and why not do it in style?
4. A wedding gift that stands the test of time.  – this could be anything special to the couple, with Inlu it could be a charity donation in their name!
5. An extra sweet honeymoon:  A hotel upgrade, flight upgrade, anything extra to make that honeymoon even more special.

Of course each of these are easy to give with Inlu… where fabulous becomes affordable when everybody pitches in.

Inlu is the perfect and etiquette friendly way to coordinate MAJOR wedding gifts. Check out Inlu’s wedding page to learn more.  We’ll give you ideas, suggestions for the bride, suggestions for her bridesmaids and family.  All easy, simple, and etiquette friendly.  In the meantime, you make it easy for your friends and family to give the perfect wedding gift.  Nice.

Some of Inlu’s personal favorite wedding gift ideas?

• A tractor. (Yep, we love Vermonters.)
• A set of kayaks (Check out our awesome Group Gift Certificate partner: Outdoor Gear Exchange)
• A gift of kindness.  One Inlu wedding couple asked friends and family to support Vermonters coping with last year’s flooding.  Helping others is a wonderful way to start a new life together.

Questions?  Send questions to our Office Of Etiquette where we are happy to help you find just the right way to Inlu.    support@inlu.com

how inlu works

If you have used Inlu to collect for any gift, any charity or both, you know there are endless ideas out there. So many great gifts can be given by simplifying and streamlining the process! If you’ve never used Inlu but have wondered, what the heck are people collecting for ?, here’s a fabulous list of gifts and collections that will inspire you to collect for something awesome: something your friends, family members or yes, even you’d really love.

1. First House Deposit

2. iPad

3. Skateboard

4. Dollhouse

5. Legos

6. Design Your Own Converse

7. Tech Pen

8. Spa Treatments

9. Airplane Tickets

10. Camera Lenses

11. Bulk purchases

12. Tap Shoes and Tap Dance Lessons

13. Vespa Riding Outfit

14. Flowers

15. Wheelchair ramp

16. Medical Assistance Funds

17. The Beatles Video Game

18. Broadway Play Tickets

19. A Day At The Mac Store (gift certificate)

20. An Olympic Hopeful’s Training Fund

21. Fish Aquarium

22. A New Business Start Up Fund

23. Travel Funds for a Middle School National Championship Game

24. Drumset (and Headphones!)

25. Double Strollers and Infant Car Seats

Want to try it?

Have you ever stopped in your tracks to gaze at a piece of art, thinking THAT would be a perfect piece in my house! Do you know an artsy couple about to get hitched? Do you happen to know a local artist you’d love to add to your collection? Could your inlaws use some artistic inspiration in their house? Well, Inlu makes it super easy to round up funds for artwork! And what better site to explore than Etsy? Here are some Etsy art shops that offer cool, unique pieces that would make the recipient smile! (Here’s a sample featuring artwork as the INLU GROUP GIFT),

NewModernArt

Etsy Artwork by NewModernArt $245.00

Ben Will Studio

$150.00 USD © 2011 BenWill Studio.

New Wave Art Gallery

Original Painting Fine Art Modern Abstract by Henry Parsinia $450.00

NathalieVan

LARGE Cherry Blossom Painting Gold Red Black Abstract Modern $285.00 USD

ChristineKrainock Contemporary Art

Modern, Abstract, Metallic Oil, Silver, Textured, Knife Painting $190.00 USD

bigapple60

Art Original Acrylic Painting of Ballerina at Rest in Old Studio Room In Repose $175.00 USD

solamar7

Autumn Splendor -Original Acrylic Textured Painting $225.00 USD

JMJARTSTUDIO

JMJARTSTUDIO Original 3 Piece Painting 24 X 54 Inches $259.00 USD

AmyGiacomelli

AmyGiacomelli -- $275.00 USD

NathalieVan

Sunshine Burst of Joy $315.00 USD

Collecting from a group to buy a piece of art is a cinch. Simply create an Inlu, explain WHY the artwork is special and invite people to pitch in!

Well, it’s a tad cold up in the Northeast. And I’m kind of over the frozen fingers and ice blocked toes. I’m inside, wearing a beanie, a scarf and a sweater. It’s not my favorite time of year. It’s not really anyone’s idea of a good time to watch the temps drop to well below zero. And so, I thought, dang, what’s a better “group gift” than the gift of getting out of here?

Maybe it’s not gonna happen for me, but perhaps this will inspire a lucky wedding couple, long-time-love-birds or a family member who could use a break from this crazy, cold winter. Just think, if everyone pitched in, skipped the individual gifts, gift wrap and cards and all that jazz, you or someone you know could be on your way to a sunnier, “happy place” on planet earth.

Get ready to daydream.

1.Hotelito Desconocido. In Mexico. Near sand and water. Eco friendly. Windmill water power. No phones. Perfect.

2. Machu Picchu Sanctuary- “The only hotel near the famed Inca ruins, Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge matches luxurious comfort with ancient splendor.” – Kiwi Collection Yes please.

3. For the ladies: Pura Vida Adventure in Costa Rica. (Co-ed available too.) Looks good to me!

“Our surf and yoga retreats truly embrace the “pura vida” way: meeting new friends, sharing the sport of surfing, practicing the art of yoga, relaxation, laughter and fun.”

4.  For the entire family…Papillote Wilderness Retreat on Dominica, “the Nature Island of the Caribbean.” This eco-resort is smack dab in the middle of a rainforest. Sounds perfect! You wander. Eat mangoes. Love life. The website says it features “Comfortable, charming rooms overlooking gardens, mountains, waterfalls and pristine rainforest wilderness.” Ok. I’m sold.

5. I’ve been dreaming about this one for a long time: Atlantis. Dolphins and waterslides await. AND there’s plenty of quiet beach around.

6. Hawaii anyone? Kona Village Resort. It’s a pristine slice of rustic, tiki-hut-heaven on earth. The beaches, the pools, the hammocks by the sea. Aaaahhhhh….I can already feel the sunshine on my face.

7. Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica. El Sapo Dorado is “The jewel of the tropical rainforest.”- Why not? Nearby boasts monkeys, ziplines, canopy tours and fresh food. Certainly beats today’s activity of bundling up for 30 minutes to head to the grocery store.

8. A little closer to reality: Canyon Ranch Spa Miami Beach. Ok, well, it’s still a fantasy but I’m gonna keep dreaming about this perfect getaway gift.

9. Head south. Check out some Mayan wonders. Recharge on life! This escape is filled with mystical wonder. HACIENDA CHICHEN RESORT & YAXKIN SPA -”Mexico’s Best Green Jungle Resort and  Eco-Spa Wellness Destination within the majestic Mayan site of Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico.” … ” Hacienda Chichen has recently been named one of the Top 50 Wellness Destinations in North America by National Geographic and its Yaxkin Spa has been selected in the Ten Best Eco-Spas of the World.” No twisting my arm. I’ll go!

10. A tad alternative to pure relaxation: pure adrenaline with Wide Open Baja Off Roading Tours. Sounds like a rally of time. I know a few people who would welcome this adventurous excursion right about now. This girl included. It would certainly shake me out of hibernation mode!

11. Big Sur Getaway at Ventana Inn & Spa. This resort on over 200 acres of wooded, oceanside property, is serenity at its finest. Plus, they take all kinds of earth-friendly initiatives to keep the land as it should be. Check this place out and tell me it’s an AWESOME group gift idea!

And so, now that you are all daydreaming about that escape from the mid-winter freeze, I’ll leave you to go back to my icy and imaginary-filled existence…for now. Cheers and Happy Inlu-ing!

-JJ

The Great Bowl O’ Fire

This thing is the hottest wedding gift, anniversary or hard-to-shop-for-person gift idea, ever. John Unger hooks up some seriously sizzlin’ options for outdoor ambiance.

Is there a special couple in mind– an outdoorsy duo perhaps –getting hitched? Do you know anyone that would LOVE this gift from the group? Collaborate and make it happen via inlu.com and purchase at John T. Unger‘s site.

This is one of our all time, so far, ever seen…TOP PICKS! No joke- Monica & Jamaica are ALL ABOUT this gift idea. It’s fabulous, funky and recycled. A triple treasure.

If my job as an artist is to fill the world with “more things,” I feel it is equally important that I reclaim materials from the waste stream to make space for my work. — John T. Unger

Skip the “stuff” and get right down…dog…to it. Ok, sorry. COREPOWER Yoga is an excellent gift for that special someone who’d appreciate balance and stillness, strength and calm vs. a pile of clutter. Give his & hers yoga passes as a wedding gift, a coach gift or even pitch in to celebrate a new mommy. Don’t live in one of the listed areas? They have YOGA on DEMAND, which is the perfect option for travelers, SAHMs and other people who could use a little yoga in their lives.

Thinking locally? Buy a punch pass to a local yoga studio. Burlington, VT boasts Bikram Yoga, Evolution Yoga and Yoga VT to name a few.

Top it off with some new threads or nontoxic mats:

Lululemon

BePresent

Gaiam

Sound good? Head to inlu.com, create a group gift collection and make it happen (the easy way). TA-DA!