When to open gifts

erinlindow

We are a month out from our wedding and starting to receive gifts. We were originally planning to set all the gifts aside and open them all at the gift opening. Now I am starting to second guess this decision. Do we open the gifts right away so that we can send out the thank you? I have designed photo thank you cards, but will need a few pictures from the wedding day to complete this project. This is why we wanted to wait to open the gifts and send thank yous. However, is it rude to wait? Will people think we are being lazy by not sending a thank you right away or will most people assume that we are opening their gift at the gift opening? I will have all of the thank yous out the week after the wedding anyways - so still within the realm of a timely thank you. Thoughts??

CA2MT4EveR

I think you can open them now and make note of what the gift was, then send the thank you out with the rest, as long as they are in the timely manner that you said they would be.  For the record though, you cannot use the gifts until you are already married.

As far as the gift opening, is this something that people are coming to to watch you open gifts? I am not a huge fan of that.  And why would you want to tote gifts sent to your home to something like that, just to tote them back.

gottahavashorti

You should open the gifts, make sure nothing is broken and send the thank you notes now.  Maybe you can use other pictures of you and your FI for the ones that need to be sent now.  Also cash any checks and send thank you notes for those.  Just don't use any gifts or spend any gift cash until after the wedding.

erinlindow

We are hosting the gift opening at our home the day after the wedding. It will be more of a brunch for the bridal party and any out of town guests. If anyone wants to stay for the gift opening they can. Otherwise they may leave before that part. I know we can't use anything before the wedding and that was why I just planned to wait until the gift opening anyways. I think I will go with opening them now and sending the thank you right away.

MyNameIsNot

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_registering-gifts_open-gifts-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:34Discussion:d60ff160-4289-40b5-b6d2-ccc98f2c39a0Post:32235fa6-249c-4a44-9ef4-30224f4ad4fc">Re: When to open gifts</a>:
[QUOTE]You should open the gifts, make sure nothing is broken and send the thank you notes now.  Maybe you can use other pictures of you and your FI for the ones that need to be sent now.  Also cash any checks and send thank you notes for those.  Just don't use any gifts or spend any gift cash until after the wedding.
Posted by gottahavashorti[/QUOTE]

<div>Yeah, this.  </div><div>
</div><div>And inspect everything to make sure nothing is broken or damaged, in case you have a limited time to exchange.</div>

weddingbells2010

This is ultimately why I decided to open some gifts that arrived last night.  I sat them on my dining room table and literally had a stare down with them all night, debating the proper etiquette.  I know my shower is coming up, so I considered giving them to my mom to bring to the shower so I could open there.  but then I wondered if something was broken, or even perishable (I have some cousins who love sending food of the month baskets and things like that), and what the giver might think of me knowing she sent her gift a month early and never received a timely thank you.

I opted to open and then wrote the thank you out right away- better etiquette, and less to write after the shower! Just pick up a pretty box of thank yous for the early ones.

banana468

If any gift arrives at your home, you should open it.

Then send the TY note asap and don't use until after the wedding.

And please re-think the gift opening in front of your guests.  I wouldn't be cool with it if I was a guest.