Parent gifts

Ballet513

At our RD (which is 3 weeks from today! time passes so quickly!!) we are giving gifts to our readers and everyone else in the WP. Should we give gifts to our parents AT the RD? They are both getting their own album and video after the wedding but should we give them something when we give everyone else something? 

I honestly can't think of anything for FI's parents. I could give my mom a really nice picture of her and I from from my shower in a frame and cuff links for my dad. No idea what to get my FIL's. FI's dad dresses up all the time so has cuff links (my dad does not). I was thinking of just giving my parents their gifts privately (I am sleeping at their house the night before the wedding) but my worry is that it would be rude to give everyone gifts at the RD except our parents. I should add that my parents gave us over 20k that pretty much paid for our wedding and FI's parents gave us 10k towards our honeymoon/other wedding expenses. We are so appreciative of our parents (not just for their wedding contributions but we are lucky enough to have great relationships with our families and eachothers families) that I don't want to seem ungrateful. Like I said they will get albums/videos later and we are also each writing letters to our own set of parents.

ETA- We are giving them the letters we are writing at the RD, not later when we give them the albums/videos.

HockeyFan4

I think write the letters now...and give them those. 

Tami87

We ended up not giving gifts to our parents at the rehearsal dinner. We told both sets privately that their gifts would be coming after the wedding and how much we appreciated their love and support. Neither set seemed to expect anything at all or were hurt by having to wait while others got gifts at the rehearsal.

I do agree with the previous poster that a nice letter would be a great idea. My husband also gave a speech at the rehearsal dinner specifically thanking our parents.

aragx6

I agree with PPs. Also if your dad rarely dresses up I wouldn't give him cuff links that he'll never use. Even a lot of people who wear dress shirts on a regular basis don't wear ones with French cuffs.

Ballet513

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_parent-gifts-11?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:1fbf8767-2b6c-4afb-9d7b-acd2a1e44dacPost:e19195e7-91a3-4150-9e7b-d492b376cbfd">Re: Parent gifts</a>:
[QUOTE]I agree with PPs. Also if your dad rarely dresses up I wouldn't give him cuff links that he'll never use. Even a lot of people who wear dress shirts on a regular basis don't wear ones with French cuffs.
Posted by aragx6[/QUOTE]

<div>Good to know! My FI wears a suit everyday for work and wears cufflinks everyday....I assumed they were worn with every kind of dress shirt. My dad never wore a suit to work when I was growing up and I work with preschoolers so I never see men at all at work nevermind in dress shirts so I know nothing ab this subject. Thanks!</div>

aragx6

^French cuffs have become a little old school (though I love them). FI wears dress shirts to work but the more casual, modern styles from places like Express just have button cuffs. He's actually excited to wear a tux for this exact reason I think

edit: if anything cuff liks would be a good gift for your FI's dad though -- guys that wear French cuffs often have almost as many cuff links as ties.