Wedding Gift Etiquette
Wedding bells bring happiness. It is a holy occasion where a couple is tied with an invisible knot signifying eternal love. Brides get busy in selecting their wedding gowns and dresses while grooms get held up with bachelor parties, all the while secretly wondering if they made the right decision! Once the invitations are sent, invitees begin musing about the right gift for the two. This is the time when guests are most confused about the nature of presents that they must shower on the couple. Should it be flowers or an expensive crystal vase or an envelope with money? If you are wondering about the what’s, when’s and how’s of marriage gifts, then you have come to the right place! These unwritten rules are dependent on the place and traditions along with some other considerations that must also be kept in mind. Wedding gift etiquette explains what is expected and what isn’t appreciated. Read the article further to get an idea.
Etiquette For Wedding Gift
Dos
- Giving cash gifts for weddings is appreciated and it is the most common gift too. The concept is to offer monetary presents as the couple needs this money to begin their new life. They could use it to rent a new apartment or buy appliances and furniture for their home.
- Consider the customs and practices of family of the couple’s families before buying or even selecting a gift for them. In some places, gifts are offered only at the reception, where a separate table is set up for this purpose. Sometimes, it is clearly mentioned that gifts and flowers are not necessary.
- Giving a wedding gift depends on the venue also. If the location is a far off exotic island, then gifts are not preferred since your time and effort to attend the wedding itself will be valued. But, if the venue is not too difficult to reach or is quite nearby then you may include a small gift.
- Check whether the couple has set up a wedding gift registry. If yes, pick up something of your choice, which could include cash gifts too.
- Gift vouchers and cheques are also commonly seen as part of wedding gift etiquette. Some people arrange a birdcage at the wedding or reception venue. This is an ornately decorated accessory to store cash gifts.
- In case you are unable to attend the function, you may send wedding gifts by post or through another person. Do not forget to add a congratulatory note along with the gift.
Don’ts
- Try not to present heavy or big gifts since transportation could prove to be a major problem in such cases.
- Gift it like you mean it! Do not simply give an invaluable item just for the sake of gifting. Some research work on popular wedding gifts will give you attractive and useful ideas.
- Don’t go shopping for expensive wedding gifts without having a clear idea in your mind. There are a number of appealing options available in the market for every kind of budget. Never consider your gift as a repayment of the dinner and other facilities offered to you during the wedding. A gift is not an ‘admission price to the wedding’; it is a token of your love, care and blessings to the newly wed.
- It is not mandatory that you should gift the couple on their wedding day. Taking time up to one year from the date of wedding is allowed. But generally, etiquette specialists consider anything more than six months, rather wrong and impolite.
- Don’t ever consider weddings as an opportunity to recycle a certain gift received for your wedding or any other celebration! This could go horribly wrong if you haven’t removed the congratulatory note; even if you take all such precautions, it could still trigger your guilty conscience. On the whole, it is an embarrassing situation to get into. Also, there are chances that you may end up giving the gift to the same person who gave it to you in the first place. Now that could be embarrassment in its truest form.
- Try not to wrap gifts in black or white because these colours are considered unlucky. You may use green, red and yellow instead to convey your festive and happy spirit. Flowers also make for impressive gifts; the only flowers which should be avoided are the frangipanis as they are very closely associated with funerals.
- Do not offer wedding gifts if card specifically says “no gifts please” because there could be a reason behind this. However, a thoughtful gift is always appreciated.
Given above are some of the basic etiquette tips for wedding gifts. It is always better that you consider these rules before picking up a gift. Cash gifts can always be resorted to in times of doubt. In countries like India and Japan, money is almost always accepted. So, always consider the place and tradition before considering a gift. Hope this article helped you understand wedding gift etiquette better.