MM, me personally, I would have /loved/ the shawl and necklace, but then I have a very ecentric personality and have always enjoyed that sort of thing. I came from a time when both my Grandmother's made clothes for my dolls and for me, and when I was old enough taught me to sew. Because some gifts have become so easy to purchase the way of the handmade gift seems to be disappearing. I always try to make it a point to make gifts at the holiday season; this last year I made a couple of no-sew blankets out of thick fleece ... my son is almost inseperable from his. Which has also helped keep alive the fact that handmade gifts are far more precious and special then anything store bought.
When a friend of mine got married over ten years ago (which would have put me in my late twenties) she kept her gifts simple. We hadn't carried flowers down the aisle, we had carried beautiful hand painted wooden folding fans. They were all different, wether some had a more lacy cut-out design, to the stain/type of wood. I remember mine was cherry with beautiful roses painted on it. Simple, functional, and I regret that I lost it when I moved from one state to another. Along with the fans she also gave us sterling silver roses. Not a real rose, but a actual single silver rose about 3 inches in length, open in full bloom. I took mine to a jewelers and had a simple tack soldered onto the back so I could wear it on my evenin coat. The men were given engraved flasks.
Personally I would enjoy seeing these shawls you make, and do you take orders as I would love to have something like that!! I could never learn to crochet, and now my hands won't work. I've managed to learn to knit with the help of knifty knitter looms and do alot of scarves and hats for friends, infact I just finished an order for a Doctor Who scarf.