Community› Cultural Wedding Boards› South Asian Weddings
South Asian Weddings
New Discussion

Gift Ideas Needed

temurlangtemurlang member
Combo Breaker First Comment First Anniversary
in South Asian Weddings
SIL has finally set a wedding date and picked a venue (Hallelujah!)

We are paying for the main event which will include the ceremony and main reception in DH's home town.  We will also jointly host with my ILs a reception in their current town.  We will have to travel between these places as well as to Mumbai, where the groom's family is hosting another reception.

Therefore, I am anxious to keep the cost of gifts down!  SIL has already asked for a new camera (although we gave her one 18 months ago), an iPad, a new Mac, and jewellery, all of which I think are really inappropriate on top of the wedding expense.

Any suggestions for appropriate gifts for her and the groom which are NOT hundreds of dollars?  Who else are we supposed to bring gifts for on his side, and any ideas on what to bring?
wedding bio
Report Reply to Post

Re: Gift Ideas Needed

  • rv224rv224 member
    First Comment First Anniversary
    edited February 2012
    That's a lot of things!!!  I think traditionally you give sarees and jewelry. Or cash.

    But since you are paying for the wedding - I don't think you should give anything else! She should thank you profusely!
    Report Reply
  • jsleikjsleik
    First Comment
    I would pick something that you think has meaning and give that to them. As for the other gifts, that can be tricky.  I would talk to your in-laws to figure out what they think is right.  My in-laws handled buying the bulk of the presents for us before we got there and then we coordinated on what gifts needed to come from the States.  But we brought things like sweaters and little purses and things like that.  Not super-expensive stuff!  Oh yeah, and it was our wedding, not a sibling's!
    imageWedding Countdown Ticker
    Report Reply
  • Priya490Priya490
    First Comment
    Oh wow, that's so generous of you to be paying for your SIL's wedding!!! I agree with the PP, don't feel obligated to buy her super expensive gifts! You are already doing plenty! I think a sari or even nice jewelry would be fine for her though. I'm going to watch this post because I'm in a similar situation with my own wedding, my parents have to buy gifts for my fiancé's family. We bought saris for his two sisters and mother. Now we need to find something for FI's father, and small gifts for the rest of their relatives...
    Report Reply
  • raangoliraangoli
    Combo Breaker First Comment
    First, congrats on your SIL finally setting a date! I hope that this alleviates a lot of the issues you guys have had to deal with from her!

    Second, wow, she's asking for gifts? Is this for her or for her new inlaws? For her and her husband to be, I would give something small, especially given that you are paying/hosting their wedding and reception. Maybe a nice sari fo her and I think traditionally (at least in our Gujarati traditions) the bride's family was to provide the groom's clothing as well.

    I wish I could help some more with the gifts for the groom's family, but since my husband is American, we didnt actually do the traditional gifts. I think though that a sari for the female relatives would suffice. For male relatives perhaps a dress shirt or something like a sweater like the PP suggested? Do your inlaws have any ideas on what to give?
    ExerciseMilestone
    Report Reply
  • temurlangtemurlang member
    Combo Breaker First Comment First Anniversary
    The items SIL requested are for her.  No one seems to know what to get her FI's family, but in the past FIL has asked DH for items to give people DH doesn't even know and it really added up.  I'm hoping to curb that from now on, so I was hoping to offer ideas that satisfy everyone.

    If clothes are acceptable that will make things easier.  MIL can pick out saris and stuff.  SIL doesn't wear Desi clothes, but I assume she will be from now on!  We don't know much about her FI or how many people are on his side, but maybe that's a project for MIL, too.

    By jewellery, do PPS mean real or costume?  And what kind of price range?

    Thanks for the help!
    wedding bio
    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards