We didn't use John Lewis for our wedding list when we got married about two and a half years ago. We chose Debenhams instead, mainly because we didn't have a John Lewis locally. (At the time Debenhams also offered a free £50 gift card just for setting up the wedding list, so that was also an added incentive! I don't think that offer is available anymore though.)

This review is written from the point of view of a wedding guest accessing somebody's else's wedding list at John Lewis to buy a lovely present for them. Obviously, a couple will chose a company for their own reasons, but it would be useful to hear how their guests might actually get on when they try to make a purchase from the list.

My friend had slipped a wedding list card in with the wedding invitation but added a nice note saying 'Please don't feel obliged to buy us anything. You're invited to the wedding as we want you to join us in our celebration and your presence is more than enought of a gift to us both.' This was a nice touch although I did go on to choose a gift from their list.

The card gave a wedding list number and a date from which the list could be accessed. The date was only six weeks before the wedding which seemed quite short notice to me but maybe that is to make sure that all the stock on the list is current. The list is only open for 8 weeks which didn't seem overly long but should give everybody the chance to choose a gift.

The list can be accessed online at www.johnlewis.com at any John Lewis store or via the phone on 0845 600 2202. I chose to order online as there isn't a John Lewis store locally and I get a bit flustered over the phone sometimes!

When accessing the site, I couldn't break the habit of a lifetime and checked whether I could get any cashback on the purchase! Unfortunately, John Lewis wasn't listed on any of the main cashback sites but was available on www.pigsback.com (offering two points per pound spent) and www.ipoints.co.uk (also offering two points per pound.) I went through Pigsback as there was nothing mentioned about wedding list purchases being excluded and every little helps.

Once I was connected to the John Lewis site, I saw the option to buy from a wedding list on the bottom right of the homepage. On clicking through I just had to enter the list number and it immediately confirmed my friends' names and wedding date and brought up the list. For those of us that might lose little cards, fear not, you can just use the couple's names and it will find the wedding list for you!

Once you access the list, you have the option of viewing it by prices ascending or descending. It automatically groups items under price bands ie: under £20, under £30 etc so it is easy to identify items within the budget you are looking at.

You can purchase as many different items as you want to buy. If there isn't anything on the list that takes your fancy (or fits your budget!) you also have the option of purchasing John Lewis gift vouchers through the site instead to the value of your choice.

The only criticism I have of how the list is presented is that there isn't really much information about the products to help you make a choice. Some, but not all, of the items have a picture next to the listing. You can click on this and it brings up a slighter larger image and some detail about the product but not a great deal to make an informed choice about it. I appreciate that this is probably because the bride and groom-to-be have already chosen the items but it would be nice for the buyer to have a bit more information.

When I eventually selected my item, is was a simple matter of ticking it and choosing the 'add to basket' option. It was a pleasant surprise that there are no additional p&p charges and the gifts get delivered directly to the happy couple so no extra hassle wrapping and transporting the presents.

At checkout you add your details as the present buyer and have the option of leaving a short personalised message. There wasn't room to leave much of a message though but the thought is there. All that was required was to enter name and address details and, obviously, payment for the purchase. Email confirmation of the order came through pretty much instantly and the whole process was pretty quick, straightforward and painless.

All I need to do now is choose an outfit for the occasion and pass on my best wishes to the happy couple!

Edit: The wedding was wonderful and bride and groom were very pleased with the chosen present.