Wedding Customs & Traditions Forum

gift opening?

I have been to many gift openings and to be honest they are a little torturous. After rehearsals, the wedding day, and dancing all night, the last thing I want to put my wedding party through is a gift opening. Is this common still? My FH and I need to decide if we are going to do this... any help is appreciated!

Re: gift opening?

  • I had never heard of this until the knot.  I think this is a regional tradition in the midwest/north and in Canada.  I don't think they are that common.  In any event, it is certainly not required.  I agree with you about it being torturous.  If you don't want to do it, plan to leave for your HM the next day, and open gifts in private or with your parents when you get home.
  • It's not common at all in the northeast. If you really want to do it then go for it, but if you don't mind skipping it then just open gifts together when you get back from the honeymoon.
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  • Dang, I grew up in the NE, have lived in Alaska, Florida, Arizona, Colorado, California and now live in the deep South, and never heard about this until right now.  I had always thought it was rude to open the gifts in front of the guests unless it's at the shower.  Who knew?
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  • We're doing our gift opening the day after the wedding. I had no clue about gift openings until my cousin got married last year and we were invited. My mom & dad are having it at their house (cuz it will be easier the night of the wedding to take the gifts to their house--2 blocks from the reception hall, than taking them to our house 20 minutes from reception hall). We're having a cook out like thing and inviting the bridal party and a few close relatives by word of mouth. I plan on telling them that in no way will I be disappointed if they don't show. And by no means are you required to do one. My parents just wanted something else to host and a possible way to get rid of any extra reception food/booze. :)
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  • We didn't want to do it the day after either. We have so much stuff to do with leaving for the honeymoon the next day and all. We are going to open them that night, our receptions from 4-10pm. So after everyone's gone we are opening gifts at the reception and going home. We are only opening the presents not the cards though. I was in a wedding and they did a day after brunch and it took FOREVER because they opened all the gifts and the cards.
  • I have never heard of this.  My mom took the gifts home with her and we opened them when we got home from the honeymoon.Don't make your wedding party do this, and don't do it to yourself either.
  • I live in Chicago and have never heard of this eather. Honestly, I wouldn't attend it if I was at a wedding where they did it. Actually as far as our wedding shoer goes, we are just doing a display table of any gifts we recieve. It seems to be the censes between our families that they prefer this instead of having to sit through us opening presents
  • I understand what you mean by torturous.  I was talking with my fiance today about us opening gifts when we get home and he made the comment that him mom (who is amazing by the way, huge help, couldn't do this without her) always has to have a big gift opening.  I was hoping to avoid this and hadn't heard about doing one at all (we're getting married in less than 2 weeks).  I would not do one.  I think it would be much more fun to do it yourselves instead of having spectators...
  • We are going to have one at our house the day after. We don't plan for a lot of people to come since I'm not getting up super early the day after my wedding lol

    We'll plan to open the gifts of those people that are there, but certainly not all of them. We'd rather chat with those that come and enjoy the day with our guests.

    I remember sitting through my sisters at the age of 14 and it was brutal. Long and boring. No one really wants to see you open every single gift.
  • I've never heard of this.  Sounds boring.  Don't do it.
  • I know this is a really late response to your question, but a girlfriend of mine got married last year and had a huge wedding.  She knew the gift-opening would take a really long time, so they had all of the presents unwrapped when the guests arrived for the gift-opening.  That way they could still see the presents and who they were from, and still socialize with the newly weds and their families without watching the bride open all of the presents.  I thought it was a great idea!  My wedding is going to be much smaller than hers, so whoever decides to show up for the gift-opening will be sitting through the opening of the gifts!  ; )
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