Duplicate gifts, unwanted gifts, and broken gifts are all a part of receiving wedding gifts, and there is a wrong and a right way to handle these common issues. Before the gifts start rolling in, learn the proper wedding gift etiquette.
Proper wedding gift etiquette can help you avoid offending guests that might have put a lot of thought and effort into your wedding gift. Proper etiquette can also help reduce the number of broken, unwanted, and duplicate gifts you receive—all of which are a common occurrence. Before the gifts start coming, learn the following proper wedding gift etiquette.
Proper Wedding Gift Etiquette for Broken Gifts
Some guests will send gifts ahead of time through the mail to the bride. Unfortunately, mail services aren’t perfect, and gifts will sometimes break en route to the happy couple. What you do about it will depend on the gift itself. If the gift is insured, you should tell the sender so that they can report it and have the gift replaced. If the gift isn’t insured, try to exchange it yourself and don’t tell the sender.
Proper Wedding Gift Etiquette for Duplicate Gifts
Even if you use a wedding gift registry, duplicate gifts happen. It is perfectly acceptable to exchange duplicate gifts, but many experts recommend waiting until you have received all of your gifts. After all, the last thing you want to do is exchange a cappuccino maker for a toaster oven and then end up getting another toaster oven! Also, you may want to consider keeping some duplicate gifts. Duplicates like glasses or bathroom sets may come in handy later on.
Proper Wedding Gift Etiquette for Unwanted Gifts
No matter how well intended the gift may be, there will always be at least one gift that misses the mark depending on your style or needs. Some gifts that you don’t want are perfectly acceptable to exchange, but others might be a bit trickier. Take for example the quilt that your husband’s grandmother handmade. She put a lot of heart and hard work into it, but you find it absolutely atrocious. What do you do when grandma plans to visit? Proper wedding gift etiquette for this type of gift would be to keep the gift on hand but out of sight, so that grandma can see it when she comes to visit.
