An unspoken and long-standing tradition, the wedding gift can be tricky to tackle! Consider these tips when thinking of protocol for gift-giving and receiving.
For the Bride-to-Be
Make sure you keep track of who gave you what gift; that way, when you send out thank-you notes, you
can personalize them by mentioning the [insert gift here]they bought you.
Try to mail your thank-you notes no more than a month after you return from your honeymoon.
Keep in mind that people may deviate from your gift registry. If you are hoping for monetary gifts, spread the word that you would appreciate financial help, rather than items. Have the Best Man and Maid of Honor share your preferences through word-of-mouth.
Never include registry info with your “Save the Date” announcement or invitations. You can,
however, include the link to your wedding website with the actual invitation.
Leave your registry open for one year after your wedding date for late gift-givers.
For the Giver
If a bride has a gift registry, stick to it – they chose those items for a reason! If you are close to the couple and have a more creative or DIY gift idea that they didn’t register for, ask the parents of the couple, or
the Maid of Honor and Best Man, if they think the couple would enjoy it.
Worried about spending too much? Try the 20-20-60
Rule: If you are invited to multiple wedding celebrations, you can budget how much you will spend
on each gift: 20% on an engagement gift, 20% on the shower gift, and 60% on the wedding gift.
If you are unsure of what to give the newlyweds, you and your friends who are also invited to the wedding can join forces and purchase a bigger ticket item.
Convention tells us that guests have up to one year after the wedding to send the newlyweds a gift.
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