Unless I know the bride's style well and am confident in choosing bright colors, I tend to make low volume quilts as wedding gifts -- neutrals, simple blocks, with the interest coming from the texture of the free motion quilting.
Another epiphany for me -- I no longer make queen or king sized quilts for wedding gifts. Most people I know like big puffy comforters and duvets for their bedding. So I make a generous lap size, perfect for cuddling on a couch or to throw at the foot of the bed for decorative interest. Much easier and cheaper for me to make, and they've been appreciated as much, if not more, than the massive quilts I used to try to pull together.