What sort of price range are you looking for? A weekend away at a B&B would be nice. Tickets to (whatever) and dinner gift certificate might be good. Something which reflects their hobbies, passions or dreams would be good.

I would probably do go with something which has them interact as a couple. This would sort of tie in you becoming part of a married couple and their relationship as a married couple. This natrually assumes your mother and father and your fiance's mother and father are still married.

The other way to go would be to give out something more on the lines of spectacular Mother's Day and Father's Day gifts. This would in a way be sort of like a graduation for them. They have raised children who have now taken particular "grown up" steps.

As a MOB, I'd love to be able to relax with my DH and linger over dinner after the 'madness' of the wedding! ;-)
However, I think I'd also treasure a framed and matted picture of my DD and her fiance, perhaps an engagement photo, signed by them on the photo saying a simple "Thank You, Dad and Mom", Love....

The dinner thingy would, of course, be a nice addition!
But please, no more chachky...we've dusted enough over the years...Maybe nice matching wallets, because we'll probably have money to put into them once again after the wedding! haha!

Anyway...HTH!

Here's a thought from another MOB:

My DD and her fiance gave all the parents (four sets of parents!) a silver picture frame engraved with the date of their wedding. It's the right size to use with a 5x7 photo unmatted, or 4x6 matted. What was really sweet about it was that they had someone take Polaroid photos of the two of them on the day before the wedding in front of the place where the reception was. There they are, grubby and sweaty after setting up for the reception, looking so happy! They told us when we opened them that they would replace the Polaroid with a "real" wedding photo after they are available, and this was just temporary... but I like it anyway!

They gave these to us after the rehearsal dinner (same day the Polaroids were taken) with a really sweet note thanking us for our patience and generosity, etc. I treasure the note as much as the picture frame!

Judy

One of my favorite brides gave her mother a gold circle pin. That was the gift that the mother had given to HER mother at her own wedding. I thought that was charming.

I think a beautiful frame for a wedding photo is a great idea, too. I'd choose a photo with the family, not just the bride and groom.

I'm being a total scrooge. The whole reception is their gifts as far as I am concerned. LOL
no one is helping us pay for this shing ding. We defintately won't have any money left over to pay for gifts. They will be lucky if we have recovered enough for Christmas presents this year!
Penny

I hate the idea of "Parent Gifts", just more shuffling around of the money. You could pre-pay the photographer for the parents albums if you really want to, but you know what they really want, and it will cost you a fortune in the long run...grandchildren!

I'm with Sylvester on this one. I am a MOB to be and I'm not expecting a gift or feel that my daughter should buy one for us.

I know a lot of couples really want to give something to their parents though. How about doing something special for the moms at the ceremony such as present them with roses, or maybe have a special poem or verse oprinted in the wedding program thanking their parents. Plus a nice picture after the pro pics come in would be thoughtful.

We gave my parents a B&B gift certificate that could be used for a night at a B&B about an hour from their home, or would also cover their wonderful/elegant 5-course prix fixe dinner.

I gave my dad a new, silver pocket knife--he always carries one (a small one), as well as a handkerchief. It's one of those "my dad" things that I've always liked about him; he was always prepared. And just a week before the wedding he'd lamented that his was getting a little dull. And I think one of the decorative panels was cracked or something.

So it was something he needed, and it was small and personal; I just got a slightly fancy version of it.

My folks didn't pay for the wedding, but they DID a lot. I wanted to say thanks.

I don't remember what I got my mom--maybe a beaded evening bag I saw that I realized would match the dress she was going to wear? Sort of "spur of the moment" thing.

I didn't have a really formal thing, and i don't think my sis got them presents, so they weren't expecting anything.

I just happened to get two very SPECIFIC ideas that were unique to them.

I didn't worry about getting a present for my in-laws. I didn't give the presents out at the rehearsal barbecue, co my ILs didn't even know about them. Plus, I was very specifically saying "thanks for ripping up your schedule, your home, etc., for this wedding." My ILs didn't do that much. They flew out for the wedding, and were helpful where they could be, but that was about it.

They did throw a big reception back in their home town, but I didn't feel like they were doing much for US; that reception was really for THEM. So while I was gracious, and grateful, it didn't move me the same way my DMom & DDad's organizing and cleaning and prepping did.

I'm not a fan of generic sorts of gifts--picture frames, etc. Those do feel like a "shuffling around of the money" thing.

We didn't give our parents anything at the time of the wedding, but since we spent part of our honeymoon in Bangkok, we brought back a ton of gifts for them, and our other family members, and our friends. A gold bracelet for MIL, a carved walnut box for FIL, a marble jewelery box for my mom, a mango-wood bowl for my dad, plus lots of little things.

Thanks everyone for the great ideas. :)

One more sentimental idea (I was think about giving) is finding a way to put together a picture of you as a child, your fiance as a child, and then the two of you grown up and together. I know my mom just loves those sweet "innocent" childhood pics!

I bought my mom a pretty crystal vase, which she loved and I got my dad a gift certificate for a massage. I also got the mom's a pretty embroidered handkercheif.