Weddings 101: The Etiquette of Gift-Giving

Most people know that when you are invited to a wedding, you should buy a gift for the happy couple. What most people don't realize is that when you purchase the gift, it should be mailed to their house. Which means that ...yes, you guessed it... you technically aren't supposed to show up to the reception with the gift under your arm.

So how did this whole "gifts-at-the-reception" begin? Well, back in the day, brides and grooms actually used to open gifts at the wedding reception. Hence the reason guests started bringing them there in the first place. However, we all know that is not a common practice anymore and the wedding gift-giving process is much different today.

That leads to the following question: Should you ship your present to the couple's home vs. bring it to the wedding? In a word, yes. If you are able to. I mean I doubt there could ever be a scenario where giving the bride and groom a gift at the wedding would be unappreciated {after all, it's the thought of giving the gift in the first place that counts anyway}. BUT if you want to be helpful and save the couple the hassle of having to haul back a whole slew of presents from the reception, sending gifts directly to their home is the way to go.

~ Jillian


{Photo Credit: Puddy Toad}