In your wedding, you give gifts and you receive gifts. Always remember these wise words of Seneca, an ancient Roman Stoic philosopher:
"We should give as we would receive, cheerfully, quickly, and without hesitation;
for there is no grace in a benefit that sticks to the fingers."
How to Choose Gifts for Groomsmen
Your choice of groomsman gifts depends on many factors. However, these gifts should be the sole domain of the groom since in no way should your "blushing bride signature" be found on the items.
However, you can assist your groom in choosing his groomsmen gifts. Here are some tips to be helpful instead of intrusive:
* If you are also friends with the groomsmen, you can help the groom decide on the best groomsman gifts to reflect both his personality and those of the groomsmen. Just suggest based on what you think is best but never cross the line of actually insisting otherwise.
* You can direct your groom to stores and online sites where he can source out possible ideas for his groomsman gifts. Often, your man will need just a little push in the right direction and then you should trust him to make the right decisions. After all, he did make the right decision to marry you, didn't he?
* If he appears to be going beyond the budget, you can gently remind him that there are imaginative ways to express his appreciation even on a tight budget. You can consider your gentle persuasion as practice negotiation for marriage!
How to Choose Bridesmaid Gifts
Unlike the gifts for groomsmen, you have full control over the bridesmaid gifts. Here are some useful tips in this area:
* You should opt for useful items that can be used during the wedding ceremony and after it. For example, you can opt for jewelry and accessories to accent the bridesmaids' dresses. Or you can give everyday items like scarves, purses, vanity cases, make-up kits, and perfumes.
* You should consider the personality of the bridesmaid. It is not necessary that every bridesmaid have the same engraved item; you can give varying items of the same amount to reflect the unique personalities of the bridesmaids. Consider how you felt when you were a bridesmaid receiving an item the bride knew you could not care less about.
Wedding Gifts
Unfortunately, you really do not have much control on the wedding gifts you will receive. Although you can enroll in a wedding registry, your guests still have the final say on the gifts they will present you with. However, you do have control over the theft of your wedding gifts. You can prevent these by:
* Having all your gifts sent directly to your house or to your parents' house. This is the accepted way anyway so you will not have much trouble in this area.
* Foregoing a gift table. Sometimes, cash gifts are presented during the reception. You can table-hop to get these gifts instead of putting them on a gift table.
* Asking gate crashers to leave. Only movies romanticize wedding crashers but reality does bite (and steal).
* Buying a wedding insurance. Your stolen wedding gifts will be covered by insurance as long as the theft is reported right away.
And do not forget to send the appropriate thank-you notes!
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