Birthdays, weddings, the holiday season—or even a simple get-together: Occasions for giving gifts abound. PT talked with two experts on the subject: Sherri Athay, the founder and president of Present Perfect Gift Consultants and Giftelan.com, and Alison Deyette, a lifestyle expert and founder of www.alionthego.com.

    Footwork

    "If you are planning to buy a gift that fits with the recipient's field of expertise, be extra careful," Deyette says. Don't buy a camera for your photo-buff buddy without doing some research. Read product reviews, talk to the experts at the store, or just ask him what he wants.

    Presenting the Present

    Creativity is "a great way to make gifts more memorable," says Athay. Deyette concurs: "Don't just give the bouquet of flowers in its original wrapping—buy an inexpensive vase. Dress up that bottle of wine! Add a message to the cake!"

    Bon Voyage

    What about experiential gifts, like trips? "If the experience is custom-tailored to—and enjoyed by—the recipient, it will be remembered and reflected on for years to come," Deyette says. "If the experience is shared by the giver and recipient, it brings them closer. And these gifts don't require storage or maintenance."

    The Quick Fix

    Gift cards are convenient and ubiquitous. But are they good gifts? "They are a safe choice if you are completely flummoxed," says Deyette, "but make sure the recipient will actually use it. And always throw in something else."

    生日，婚禮，節(jié)假日，或者只是一個(gè)簡(jiǎn)單的聚會(huì)：送禮的場(chǎng)合無處不在。PT與兩個(gè)專家討論了這個(gè)話題：一個(gè)是Present Perfect Gift Consultants and Giftelan.com 的創(chuàng)始者及總裁Sherri Athay，另一個(gè)是生活時(shí)尚專家以及www.alionthego.com的創(chuàng)始者Alison Deyette。

    策劃

    Deyette說，“如果你打算買一件合行家口味的禮物，就要格外小心”。如果沒有做點(diǎn)調(diào)查，不要給你的攝影愛好者朋友買相機(jī)�？纯串a(chǎn)品評(píng)論，在賣場(chǎng)與專家多交流，或直接問他想要哪款。

    送禮

    創(chuàng)造力就是“讓禮物更難忘的偉大旅途”，Athay如是說。同時(shí)，Deyette也認(rèn)為：“不要把還包著花店包裝紙的花直接送人—哪怕買個(gè)一般的花瓶也好。給葡萄酒做點(diǎn)包裝。在蛋糕上寫點(diǎn)什么！”

    一路順風(fēng)

    經(jīng)驗(yàn)贈(zèng)言怎么樣，例如旅行經(jīng)驗(yàn)？Deyette說，“如果這種經(jīng)驗(yàn)專為受贈(zèng)人量身定制且為受贈(zèng)人所喜歡，這種禮物就會(huì)被人銘記于心，甚至在未來幾年內(nèi)還會(huì)讓人回味無窮。”“如果送禮人和受贈(zèng)者共同分享這種經(jīng)驗(yàn)，則能讓雙方更親密。而且，這些禮物無需儲(chǔ)存也不用保養(yǎng)。”

    速成法

    禮品卡是最便捷的也是最普遍的。但是，禮品卡真的是很好的禮物嗎？Deyette認(rèn)為，“如果你十分彷徨，禮品卡就是最穩(wěn)妥的選擇，但是務(wù)必確認(rèn)受禮人真的會(huì)用這些卡片。通常情況下，這些禮品卡都被隨便夾在其他東西里。”