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Because we are in the middle of a long wedding season it seemed like a good time to go over wedding gift etiquette at this time as these rules are changing constantly. It really makes it hard for the bride and those person’s giving wedding gifts to know what is right and proper at the moment.
We are invited to wedding showers along with the wedding and often an engagement party if the couple is having one. It can get costly and confusing so let’s cover some of the questions that seem to come up along with the invites.
1. You do not need to send a bridal shower gift if you cannot attend, but many people want to send something especially if it is a very close friend or family member. Try to send it so the bride-to-be will have it to open with the other gifts she receives at the shower.
2. If you are invited to more than one shower for the bride-to-be it is not necessary to buy a gift for the second shower, but you may feel that you want to get a small remembrance and that’s fine too.
3. A wedding announcement doesn’t mean you need to send a gift but again if you are close to the couple or just feel you wish to congratulate them on their current marriage you may send a gift along.
4. Another occasion when you might choose to give a gift, but it is not a requirement, is when you are invited to a belated wedding reception and the wedding was a destination wedding or an elopement.
5. You might remember that when you were married and sent a friend an invitation they did not give a gift. Whether it was truly an oversight or whatever, etiquette still says you should not be guided by that but you should do the right thing and give a gift.
This is strictly up to you and what you can afford to do.
6. Theknot.com has come up with a recommendation of how your gift dollars overall should be allocated and here it is.
Engagement gift 20%
Bridal Shower 20%
Wedding Gift 60%
If you are guided by this you will have an easier time of knowing how to spend the money you have allocated for the gifts.
7. The question is, do I give money or buy a gift? The answer is, often if a couple have been living together for a time and have accumulated many items already probably cash or a gift card would be the answer.
It is, I have discovered, a regional thing too depending on if you live on the east coast, west coast, in the South or mid states. There seems to be certain trends for certain areas.
8. Some people just feel that they want to buy a gift as it is more thoughtful and if your bride and groom are registered it is a nice thing to do.
It is considered not in good taste to list the wedding registries on the wedding invitation. If a guest wishes to find out if a couple is listed they only need to ask the bride or groom or someone close to them.
9. If you are a guest of a person that has been invited to the wedding it is not necessary for you to give a gift. The person invited does the buying and perhaps they might wish to put your name on the card also.
10. The question as to how long a person has to send a wedding gift doesn’t have a “cut in stone” answer, but you are supposed to send a gift for a wedding within a year if at all possible.
These ideas should be helpful so that you are doing what is considered to be wedding Gift etiquette.
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Source by Tiffany Cole
