Using Bridal shower gifts before the wedding?

RacheldeBenedet · April 2012

Just wondering what the etiquette is on this: had my bridal shower two days ago. Should I wait to open and use those gifts till after our wedding, in 3 weeks?

amymaysa · April 2012

It is suggested you wait to use any shower or wedding gifts until after the wedding.
God forbid it didn't happen, you should send back all the gifts, so unless you have the funds to send new items, I would wait the 3 weeks

hoffse · April 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_registering-gifts_using-bridal-shower-gifts-before-the-wedding?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:34Discussion:2c97febe-88e5-4b91-92f5-ff9324bc5763Post:3eef9e10-5116-43d1-97d4-24513179164e">Re: Using Bridal shower gifts before the wedding?</a>:
[QUOTE]It is suggested you wait to use any shower or wedding gifts until after the wedding. God forbid it didn't happen, you should send back all the gifts, so unless you have the funds to send new items, I would wait the 3 weeks
Posted by amymaysa[/QUOTE]

<div>This. That said, if you received, say, a nice new spatula and you want to make scrambled eggs with said spatula, I'd probably go ahead and use it. Definitely save any "larger" shower gifts for after the wedding though, just on the off chance that you may need to return them. You can probably afford to replace the spatula. A KA stand mixer? Maybe not.</div>

Nikki71 · April 2012

I totally agree with this etiquette however HOW SAD that weddings get called off enough to make this the norm!

I can't imagine when my fiance and I receive our first present and I have to explain to him that "just in case the wedding doesn't happen" we can't use it! He would definitely freak out haha

RebeccaB88 · April 2012

You do need to open the gifts and make sure nothing is broken, and send the thank you note now, though. Don't wait until after the wedding to do that. If something is broken you'll need to exchange it sooner rather than later, and people need to be thanked asap.

RebeccaB88 · April 2012

You'll need to unwrap the gifts and make sure nothing is broken, and send a thank you note right away, though. If something is damaged you need to exchange it sooner rather than later, and people should be thanked as soon as possible.

LeiselEB · April 2012

Aside from the whole wedding being called off thing, I think it makes more sense to wait to use the gifts until you're married. Even if given at showers, the gifts are for your married life - wait to use them until that married life begins. At least that's how I see it

Avion22 · April 2012

We didn't use anything until after the wedding...when I explained this to him, I told him that it was more of a superstition, like not seeing each other before the ceremony. Then he was fine with it:-)

Osterizer · April 2012

We opted to wait til after the wedding to use any gifts because we wanted to start our new life together with our new stuff. My shower was three months before the wedding. Believe me, H was chomping at the bit to use the Soda Stream that we got as a gift!

gananoque · April 2012

I can't believe I'm the only one here with a dissenting opinion. It doesn't make any sense to me to wait with a bunch of boxes piling up in your home instead of just unpacking and using stuff when you get it.

Also, you say you haven't opened your shower gifts yet? Open them so you can write thank you cards and let the guests know you received and that appreciate their gifts!

And are engagements really so tenuous that there's a real chance of someone calling off the wedding between the shower and the wedding day? Yikes! I feel sorry for any bride who's even the slightest big concerned about that potentiality. She is clearly NOT marrying the right person...

librababy · April 2012

I never knew this. Personally I don't think I would wait.

LuckyGirl1713 · April 2012

This is going to be one of the hardest things for me to do. I'm so excited about quite a few things on our registry and it is going to be so hard to not use them.

kiki1978 · April 2012

I have to admit, we've used some of our gifts already. We've used our Bride/Groom Tervis Tumblers and some Rubbermaid plastic storage containers. Oops!!

KplusE2012 · May 2012

I also have to admit...we have used a few of our things as well. We got some gifts for Christmas - KA Mixer, Ninja, casual dishes, etc. and we just moved into our new place last week. Because we wanted to start fresh, we are using some of the things we've already gotten. We had dishes and things from college, and wanted to give them to a relative who's moving into an apartment for law school, so we just boxed up a lot of our "old" stuff, and are now using our registry gifts. I don't see a problem with it at all. I mean, I definitely didn't want to open them until we were settled in our new place, but I don't think it's wrong. I think it's whatever you feel like doing!

Also, I know this is very cliche, but I always like to think of the saying that you shouldn't wait for a special occasion to do things or use things. Today is a special occasion, in an of itself!

precamies · May 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_registering-gifts_using-bridal-shower-gifts-before-the-wedding?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:34Discussion:2c97febe-88e5-4b91-92f5-ff9324bc5763Post:d2049a57-d761-499a-b927-46cd5b0f2a46">Re: Using Bridal shower gifts before the wedding?</a>:
[QUOTE]Aside from the whole wedding being called off thing, I think it makes more sense to wait to use the gifts until you're married. Even if given at showers, the gifts are for your married life - wait to use them until that married life begins. At least that's how I see it :)
Posted by LeiselEB[/QUOTE]

that's how I see it as well. Especially because we already live together, I love the idea of the "new life" starting with the wedding. In fact, we plan on moving in a couple months after the wedding, so some things might go unused until we get into our new place. a fresh start, if you will :)

tclopes · May 2012

I say use them! My FI live together so we have already started our lives together. Enjoy your gifts

brianam25 · May 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_registering-gifts_using-bridal-shower-gifts-before-the-wedding?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:34Discussion:2c97febe-88e5-4b91-92f5-ff9324bc5763Post:e07b3193-f3c7-4305-8d64-b1f266d01ee7">Re: Using Bridal shower gifts before the wedding?</a>:
[QUOTE]This is going to be one of the hardest things for me to do. I'm so excited about quite a few things on our registry and it is going to be so hard to not use them.
Posted by LuckyGirl1713[/QUOTE]

Exactly how I think I'm going to feel! My shower isn't for another two months, but I know that I'm going to want to start using them as soon asn I open them to send out the TY's. I really doubt the FI would care in all honesty, most of what's on our registries are for kitchen/cooking/baking which he's all about to steer clear from.

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