The landscape of gifting is undergoing a remarkable transformation. Milestone events, once synonymous with stacks of presents, are now witnessing a rise in experience gifts.

Instead of wrapped boxes and store-bought items, more and more people are giving loved ones concert tickets, luxury getaways, and personalized adventures.

Here, we’ll take a closer look at experience gifts and what you should know about them if you’ll be planning (or attending) a milestone event in the near future.

THE APPEAL OF GIFTING MEMORIES

While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with giving someone a tangible gift, something they can touch, hold, and use, gift-givers are gravitating toward the idea of helping loved ones do something special, something they wouldn’t necessarily do on their own.

Why? For one thing, experiences are often seen as more personal and tailored to an individual’s preferences. Experiences can be customized to suit a person’s interests, whether that means adventure sports, fine dining, or creative classes. And there’s something very rewarding about giving a gift that you know will make someone feel cherished.

Experience giving can also be a way for gift givers to line up special time with the recipient(s). Children can arrange for parents to join them for dinner and the musical coming to town. Siblings can take their newly graduated teen on a weekend shopping trip. These experiences create lasting memories and deepen relationships.

In other cases, experience giving is the result of growing interest in minimalism. Experience gifts align with the desire to live more simply and reduce the clutter in homes while still offering meaningful and thoughtful gestures.

SUPPORTING EXPERIENCE GIFT GIVING AT YOUR CELEBRATION

If you’re planning an event, and want to tap into this trend, there are steps you can take to make giving experience gift-giving easy for guests.

Create an Experience Gift Registry

Just like a traditional gift registry, set up a registry for experiences. There are several platforms, like Zola or Honeyfund, that allow you to list experiences like trips, concerts, classes, and more. This makes it easy for guests to select and purchase an experience gift directly from a curated list.

Provide a Wish List of Experiences

If a formal registry isn’t ideal, you can create a simple experience wish list with ideas like weekend getaways, spa days, or cooking classes. This can be shared with guests in invitations or on a dedicated event website. If you go this route, include a variety of price ranges so guests can choose based on their budget.

Offer Group Gifting Options

Large experiences, such as vacations or luxury adventures, can be expensive. To accommodate these, set up a group gifting option where multiple guests can contribute towards a bigger experience. Many online registries or platforms allow for this feature, or you could include it in your own registry.

Include Experience Gift Cards as an Option

Guests might feel more comfortable giving a gift card rather than planning the actual experience. Make it easy by providing options for popular experience platforms like Airbnb, Tinggly, ClassPass, or Ticketmaster, so the recipient can choose their own adventure later.

Offer Specific Suggestions with Booking Info

Give guests clear ideas about specific experiences they can book. For example, if the birthday honoree always wanted to take a pottery class or go zip-lining, list the name of a local provider and how guests can book it on their behalf. This removes guesswork for the guest, and the guest of honor gets something they really want.

Use an Event Website

If you’re using an event website to organize your milestone celebration, include a section for experience gifts. On this page, you can list suggested experiences, registries, and instructions on how to contribute to group gifts or buy experience-based gift cards.

Encourage Experiences with a Note in the Invitation

Gently suggest experience gifts in your event invitations. You could add a short, polite note saying something like, “We love making memories and would cherish experience gifts. See our wish list for ideas!” Providing a simple nudge can make it more likely that guests will consider this type of gift.

Be Flexible

Provide a wide range of experiences for guests to choose from, varying in cost and type. Some guests might prefer to gift a smaller, local experience like a museum pass, while others might contribute to something bigger like an adventure vacation. Flexibility makes it easier for guests to participate.

POPULAR EXPERIENCE GIFTS

Could you use some inspiration for experience gifts to suggest or give? Here are some popular options.

Birthday Parties

-Concert or event tickets: Treat the celebrant to tickets for a favorite band, artist, theater show, or sporting event.

-Adventure activities: Gift them an experience like zip-lining, hot air balloon rides, or indoor skydiving for an unforgettable adventure.

-Spa day or wellness retreat: A day of pampering with massages, facials, and other treatments can be a perfect birthday gift.

-Cooking classes: For food lovers, a fun, hands-on cooking class can be a delightful way to celebrate.

-Private dining experience: Arrange a private chef for a personalized dinner at home or book an exclusive table at a top restaurant.

-Wine or beer tasting tour: An immersive wine or brewery tour can be a great gift for beverage enthusiasts.

Anniversary Parties

-Romantic getaway: A weekend trip or romantic retreat to a scenic destination is a wonderful anniversary experience gift.

-Couple's spa day: Give them a relaxing day at the spa for two, complete with massages, sauna time, and relaxation.

-Wine tasting experience: A vineyard tour is a great way for couples to celebrate.

-Dance classes: gift a fun and interactive experience like ballroom dancing or salsa lessons for couples.

Memory-making experiences: Look into gift activities that allow couples to bond like pottery making, cooking classes, or a photography session.

Dinner cruise: A sunset or evening dinner cruise offers a unique and romantic experience on the water.

Retirement Parties

-Travel package or vacation: A dream vacation to a destination on their bucket list is a top experience gift for retirees.

Golf or sports experience: Give a round of golf at a prestigious course or tickets to a favorite sporting event.

Hobby classes: Retirement often means time to explore hobbies like photography, gardening, woodworking, or painting—Gift a class or workshop.

Subscription to an experience service: Gift a membership to a service that offers monthly or seasonal experiences such as art workshops, cooking courses, or local excursions.

-Relaxing retreat: A wellness retreat, yoga experience, or nature retreat offers a peaceful way to celebrate the start of retirement.

Graduation Parties

-Adventure experiences: Reward a graduate’s hard work with something thrilling, like a skydiving or paragliding session or a white-water rafting trip.

-Travel vouchers: Give travel vouchers so they can explore new places before starting their next chapter, whether it’s backpacking or taking a celebratory trip abroad.

-Concert or festival passes: Gift tickets to an upcoming music festival or concert.

-Skill-building classes: Gift a fun but useful class—cooking, photography, coding, or possibly financial planning—that helps graduates transition into adulthood.

-Museum or art exhibit passes: Passes for exhibits or museums in their city or a place they plan to visit can inspire creativity or exploration.

-Adventurous food tour: For food lovers, a guided tour of unique eateries or food trucks in a city can be a fun and cultural experience.

Weddings

-Honeymoon experience: Help the couple enhance their honeymoon with a special experience like a helicopter tour, snorkeling adventure, or wine tasting at their destination.

-Couple’s adventure: Gift something active, like a kayaking trip, paddleboarding lesson, or hiking experience for an outdoorsy couple.

-Cooking classes for two: give the newlyweds a chance to bond over learning to cook a new cuisine together.

-Couple’s photoshoot: a professional photoshoot allows the couple to capture memories from their early days of marriage.

-Private wine tasting: arrange a private wine or whiskey tasting experience for the couple to enjoy together.

-Home makeover experience: Hire an interior designer or home organization expert to help the newlyweds turn their house into a home.

Additional Experience Gift Ideas for Any Occasion

-Art classes: Encourage creativity with a painting, pottery, or sculpting class.

-Scenic train ride: Book a scenic train journey through picturesque landscapes for a relaxed yet memorable experience.

-Helicopter tour: Aerial tours of a city or national park offer stunning views and a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

-Private dining or chef experience: arrange for a personal chef to cook a gourmet meal in the comfort of the recipient’s home.

-Outdoor adventures: Options like horseback riding, hiking tours, or sailing trips offer an exciting connection to nature.

-Membership to local experiences: gift a membership to a local zoo, museum, theater, or garden to provide ongoing opportunities for discovery and enjoyment.

EXPERIENCES FOR ANIMAL LOVERS

Is the guest of honor at your milestone event an animal lover? In that case, you have even more incredible options for experience gifts.

- Wildlife sanctuary visits: Many ethical sanctuaries offer the chance to learn about and interact with elephants. Guests can feed, bathe, and walk with these magnificent creatures in a responsible setting. You also can offer visits to big cat rescues and primate sanctuaries.

-Farm and ranch experiences: Gift the opportunity to spend a weekend on a working farm where the guest(s) of honor can help with animal feeding, milking cows, or collecting eggs.

-Alpaca and llama farms: Your recipient would interact with these gentle animals.

-Marine life encounters: Boat trips allow people to observe marine mammals in their natural habitats. You also can gift a snorkeling experience.

-Exotic animal experiences: Give your recipient a chance to get up close with penguins at select aquariums or wildlife centers, visit sanctuaries where they can learn about and sometimes gently interact with sloths, or walk through lush gardens filled with vibrant butterflies and learn about their life cycles.

The Bell Tower on 34th is one of the leading luxury event venues in Texas, known for our beautiful grounds, grand staircase, and decadent, Old World atmosphere.

Our experienced team works closely with customers to help them realize their event vision.

Contact us to learn more about holding a celebration here.

 

The Bell Tower on 34th

901 W 34th St, Houston, TX 77018

(713) 868-2355