Bridal registries can be useful, but some family and friends like to hand-select gifts that reflect the bride and groom’s personality, lifestyle and even ethnicity. If you're planning to attend a wedding involving a wedding party of Egyptian descent or if you'd like to express your own Egyptian heritage with your wedding gift, there are many options from which to choose.

Ancient Egyptians discovered glassblowing thousands of years ago and included glass objects in King Tut’s tomb. Glass originally was used in amulets, beads and inlays, and later was used to make larger pieces, such as handblown bowls and jars. Egyptian glass is blown by mouth and contains bubbles created by the artisan’s own breath. Natural oxides in the melted glass provide colors and swirls. It is also common to find hand-painted blown-glass items (see Resources).

Ancient Egyptians crafted writing paper by soaking papyrus in river water to soften the skin of the reed. After the tough skin was peeled away, white pith was exposed and sliced into very thin strips. The strips were laid together, vertically and horizontally, to form a tight weave. The woven paper was squeezed tightly until it dried, creating an artist’s canvas. Papyrus paintings are created with ancient themes and religious motifs and can be personalized with the initials of the bride and groom in hieroglyphs (see Resources).

Using handmade, mouth-blown glass, oil warmers and lamps are hand painted in Egypt. Many sites feature 24-karat gold embellishments on the warmers and lamps (see Resources). Various sizes, shapes and colors are created with craftsmanship, using heat-resistant glass and seven steps that ensure the quality of each piece.

In Ancient Egypt, cartouches were worn only by kings and queens, but you can have cartouche jewelry or decor created specifically as a wedding gift. A traditional cartouche is an oval shape, formed from a rope; inside the oval is the name in hieroglyphs. It is said that a cartouche protects the named person or symbolizes all that the king rules. Offered as pendants (see Resources), cartouches also can be created on decorative boxes and rings.

A widely available yet authentic Egyptian gift is Egyptian cotton. It is the finest cotton in the world, with a long fiber that allows for a very strong yarn. The yarn then creates a fabric that is solid and resistant to stress. This handpicked cotton absorbs liquid well, which is what makes Egyptian cotton towels so effective. Also, because of the absorbency, items made of Egyptian cotton are brighter and tend to fade less.