Wedding Etiquette 101: Gifting
By Pierre Ramon Thomas
To give a wedding gift or not tends to be a point of confusion, but it doesn’t have to be. Though gifts are not required, they are highly encouraged. As a guest, food drinks, and entertainment are typically provided to you free of charge; the brides or the grooms require nothing from you but your presence and that you share in their festivities. With that being said, the newlyweds would probably appreciate a gift celebrating their proclamation of love.
Here’s some tips regarding wedding gifts:
If the engaged couple has a wedding registry, your safest option would be to select something from their registry. Choose something within your means.
If the couple has a cash fund or a honeymoon fund, you could opt to donate to their fund instead, said Sarah Hanlon from the knot.com. Cash gifts, she says, are no longer distasteful.
Etiquette experts agree that while wedding gifts can be gifted on the wedding day—as some couples have gift boxes where gifts can be deposited—wedding gifts are best sent before the wedding or within 2-3 months after the wedding.
Etiquette expert Elaine Swann advises the guest to have their wedding gift shipped to the newlyweds’ home so the brides or the grooms “don’t have to worry about lugging the gift home”.
Simple, right?
Then, when the reception has concluded and the newlyweds have returned from their honeymoon, their thank-you notes will alert you that they’ve received their gift, they like it—“Yes, we’re getting much use out of our new blender”—and the social transaction is complete.
