Ah, but stationary means at rest; writing paper is stationery.

I am topping this one more time as I am leaving in a few days and still have not bought a wedding gift. Thanks for all the ideas.
Mary

I went to a wedding in London in '95 and the couple were, in fact, registered. I selected an item from the shop by phone and had it sent to them. When we went over, we also brought them "no iron" U.S. sheets (knowing the size of their bed and color preferences), which turned out to be their favorite gift. Not for the value, but rather the practicality. Most homes do not have dryers -- only washers -- so their sheets all wrinkle, unless they are ironed. Our no iron variety are really appreciated.

Most homes don't have dryers?

If you're attending a wedding of anyone who isn't working class in Europe, or has servants, they will have a dryer.

Isn't bedding a very personal gift?

When in doubt on a wedding present I always refer to the sage-like advice given in the movie Bull Durham: "Candlesticks, candlesticks always make a nice wedding present."

A couple of nice Tiffany candlesticks translates to any nationality. If you'd rather just wait until you get to France, Christofle is more than comparable to Tiffany's.