The handmade wedding gifts a couple keeps are the ones they use. A platter carved with their names and wedding date, a set of cups for coffee every morning, a bowl that sits at the center of their table. These pieces get pulled out for years, and they carry the day with them each time.
At The Potter’s Hands Studio in Oxford, Mississippi, April Dupuis makes handmade wedding pottery on the wheel and carves each piece by hand. Nothing comes off a line, and no two pieces are alike.
Here are the gifts we would point you toward, depending on how much time you have and how personal you want to go.
A carved wedding-date platter
If you want to give one piece that the couple will hand down, this is it. April carves their names and wedding date into a serving platter, with florals that can be drawn from the bride’s own bouquet.
Each platter is wheel-thrown in stoneware, coated in white porcelain slip and carved through that surface by hand, a technique called sgraffito. Where she cuts, the darker clay shows through, so the names and flowers are part of the pot itself rather than painted on.
You can add a carved scripture line or gold leaf detailing. For many couples the verse is the part that matters most.
A verse worth carving
A wedding platter has room for a short line, and two verses come up again and again for good reason.
And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4:12 (KJV)
Many Christian couples read the threefold cord as the two of them with Christ at the center, the strand that holds when the other two are tired. Carved on the rim of a platter, “a threefold cord is not quickly broken” becomes something they read every time they set the table for company.
For whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.
Ruth 1:16 (KJV)
Ruth’s words were spoken to her mother-in-law, not a husband, and that is part of their beauty. They are a promise of loyalty to a whole family, which is what a marriage asks. A shorter piece of the verse, “thy people shall be my people,” fits well on a cup or a smaller platter.
If you are commissioning the gift, ask the couple, or someone close to them, which verse means the most. April will sketch the design for approval before any clay is thrown.
A couple’s cup set
A pair of cups is a quieter gift, and an everyday one. April can carve a couple’s cup set with their names and date, for coffee every morning after.
If you need something ready to ship, the Bouquet Collection Cup Set is a set of wheel-thrown stoneware cups hand-decorated with carved florals. They are high-fired and food-, microwave- and dishwasher-safe, and each cup is one of a kind. In-stock orders typically ship within 3 to 5 business days.
A statement bowl for their table
Some couples already have plates and mugs. What they do not have is the piece people notice when they walk into the dining room.
The Bloom Together Swirl Bowl comes from April’s Bloom. Together. collection of hand-sculpted florals. It measures about 10.5 by 10.5 inches across and 6 inches tall, which gives it real presence at the center of a table. It is the kind of gift that sets the tone in a first home.
What to write in the card
A handmade gift deserves a note that tells the couple why you chose it. Say who made it and where: thrown and carved by hand by April in Oxford, Mississippi. If there is a verse carved into it, tell them why you picked that one.
Then tell them how to use it. Mention that most of April’s stoneware can go in the dishwasher, and that anything with gold leaf should be washed by hand. A gift that comes with permission to use it is far more likely to leave the cabinet.
Timing and how to order
Handmade gifts need a little planning. Here is how it breaks down:
- Ready-made pieces from the shop typically ship within 3 to 5 business days.
- Custom wedding commissions typically need 6 to 8 weeks. Busy seasons can add time, so earlier is safer.
- Late is fine. Wedding pieces can be shipped in time for the couple’s first anniversary, which gives you room if the wedding is close.
If the couple has a registry, check whether they have added any studio pieces or are collecting gift cards toward a custom commission. Our post on adding handmade pottery to a wedding registry explains how that works. And if you are shopping for a couple who has been married a while, see pottery anniversary gifts, from first to fiftieth.
Questions people ask
How far ahead should I order a custom wedding gift?
Reserve 6 to 8 weeks before you need the piece in hand, counting back from the wedding or anniversary you are celebrating. Busy seasons can add time, so earlier is safer.
Can a Bible verse be carved into a wedding platter?
Yes. You can add a carved scripture line to a wedding-date platter or cups. April sketches the design for approval before any clay is thrown.
Is the pottery dishwasher safe?
Most of the tableware is high-fired stoneware with a food-safe glaze, so it is safe for daily use, the microwave and the dishwasher. Pieces with gold or metallic accents should be hand-washed.
When you have the couple in mind, start a commission with their names and date, or browse the shop for a piece that can ship this week.