A wedding gift should be heartfelt; it should reflect your relationship with the couple. In general, it's a great idea to stick to the couple's registry. They've created a registry for the convenience of their guests and because they really need these items for their new life together. Registries are also helpful because they reduce the risk of duplicate gifts.

Having said that, if you've waited until the last minute and now there's nothing left on the registry, don't panic. You still have a few options. Consider buying the couple a gift card to one of the stores they registered with. Chances are, they'll find something there they like again.

And while it's isn't exactly "mandatory" to stick to the registry, you should have a pretty good reason for going off it. Do you know they have a favorite restaurant they've just been dying to go to? Consider buying them a dinner there. Or, perhaps you know they'd love an item from a store that doesn't have a registry. In these cases, it's okay to buy a gift off the registry. Remember, the bottom line is that the gift should be thoughtful.

Find any couple's registry here.

Read more about guest etiquette:
Is it ever OK to not send a wedding gift?
What are the biggest guest gifting mistakes?