Gift Question....

Re: Gift Question....

• AdeleDazeem member

  

  July 2012

  1. How many gifts did you receive at the actual wedding that were wrapped presents and not a card?  A percentage would help me. We got a few boxed gifts at the event; I'd say maybe 10% of our guest list brought a gift.  Another 15% or so mailed boxed gifts either before or after.  The vast majority of things we received on the day were cards.
  
  2. Did most people, who gave a gift, either give cards or have them shipped to the home address on the registry? It was split 50:50.  We got half the boxed gifts at the reception and half were shipped to our home.
  
  3. Has anyone dealt with this and how did you handle it? I have no idea who will bring a gift.  You pay to mail the gifts home.  The end.  I know you want to do the easiest and correct thing, but the correct thing is to graciously accept the gift and pay to mail it home.  It's not fair to dictate to your guests that you don't want to shoulder the financial burden of mailing things home so they should pay that for you.  I know you don't mean it that way, but that's how it will come across.  Set aside some money to pay to ship things home.  Make time in your schedule to pack it up and get it to the Post Office, UPS, FedEx, whatever... these people took the time for you before the wedding, you should take the time afterwards.

  
  

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• egm900 member

  

  July 2012

  Everything Joy said.  

  
  

  Part of this is going to depend on what the norm is in the area your guests are from.  FI's family is from the deep South, they do not give cash/checks/gift cards as wedding gifts, I'm sure they will give us boxed gifts and have them shipped to us before the wedding.  My family is from the Midwest, I expect more of a 50/50 split on cards/boxed gifts, but the gifts will be brought to the wedding.

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• lauraanne9 member

  

  July 2012

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_registering-gifts_gift-question-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:34Discussion:7660e5ab-5794-46db-af50-8367714a64adPost:3e04645c-9728-4b56-91a3-61331506da7e">Re: Gift Question....</a>:
  [QUOTE]1. How many gifts did you receive at the actual wedding that were wrapped presents and not a card?  A percentage would help me. We got a few boxed gifts at the event; I'd say maybe 10% of our guest list brought a gift.  Another 15% or so mailed boxed gifts either before or after.  The vast majority of things we received on the day were cards. 2. Did most people, who gave a gift, either give cards or have them shipped to the home address on the registry? It was split 50:50.  We got half the boxed gifts at the reception and half were shipped to our home. 3. Has anyone dealt with this and how did you handle it? I have no idea who will bring a gift.  You pay to mail the gifts home.  The end.  I know you want to do the easiest and correct thing, but the correct thing is to graciously accept the gift and pay to mail it home<strong>.  It's not fair to dictate to your guests that you don't want to shoulder the financial burden of mailing things home so they should pay that for you.  I know you don't mean it that way, but that's how it will come across.</strong>  Set aside some money to pay to ship things home.  Make time in your schedule to pack it up and get it to the Post Office, UPS, FedEx, whatever... these people took the time for you before the wedding, you should take the time afterwards.
  Posted by Joy2611[/QUOTE]<div>
  </div><div>The reason I am asking this here is we have NO intention of ever letting the guests know that getting the gifts home was a burden, either with time constraints or financially.  So I am trying to come up with a plan.  Having my parents bring an extra checked bag which is left empty (my fiancee and I are alreay bringing all the carry on and checked we can without crazy extra fees) has been suggested, but that will cost $50 for the round trip...so trying to figure out how many people MAY being them to have the best plan is the goal.
  
  </div>

  

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• AdeleDazeem member

  

  July 2012

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_registering-gifts_gift-question-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:34Discussion:7660e5ab-5794-46db-af50-8367714a64adPost:c676f436-e0f3-4355-a0b6-6b57f8cf5703">Re: Gift Question....</a>:
  [QUOTE]In Response to Re: Gift Question.... : The reason I am asking this here is we have NO intention of ever letting the guests know that getting the gifts home was a burden, either with time constraints or financially.  So I am trying to come up with a plan.  Having my parents bring an extra checked bag which is left empty (my fiancee and I are alreay bringing all the carry on and checked we can without crazy extra fees) has been suggested, but that will cost $50 for the round trip...so trying to figure out how many people MAY being them to have the best plan is the goal.
  Posted by lauraanne9[/QUOTE]
  
  Gotcha.  All of our boxed gifts could have fit in one extra suitcase, if that helps!  We had 125 people come to our reception.
  
  Maybe bring the one extra bag and buy a larger box + bubble wrap to have on hand at your sister in law's home.  That way you can decide if it will fit better in the bag or should really be shipped separately.  Then you'll be really ready!

  
  

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• lauraanne9 member

  

  July 2012

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_registering-gifts_gift-question-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:34Discussion:7660e5ab-5794-46db-af50-8367714a64adPost:c0b496fe-f615-4a4f-8b7d-166554f9e834">Re: Gift Question....</a>:
  [QUOTE]In Response to Re: Gift Question.... : Gotcha.  All of our boxed gifts could have fit in one extra suitcase, if that helps!  We had 125 people come to our reception. Maybe bring the one extra bag and buy a larger box + bubble wrap to have on hand at your sister in law's home.  That way you can decide if it will fit better in the bag or should really be shipped separately.  Then you'll be really ready!
  Posted by Joy2611[/QUOTE]
  
  <div>Knowing that all your boxed stuff would have fit in a suitcase does help.  And that is a good plan with the box too.  I am just worried that any shipping will be left to SIL, by default.  We are leaving at 10am on the Monday, so we need to be at the airport by around 8am.  Nothing will be open.  And we are already getting SIL to drive us to the airport, so also asking her to drop a box by UPS (she lives in a small town so I am guessing she would be a good half hour from the nearest shipping place) feels rotten.  But, knowing the suitcase plan of attack may be a winner could help.  </div><div>
  </div><div>The suitcase/shipping thing is also why I was asking.  If we bring the extra bag, even if it is empty, we pay for it (stupid airlines) and I could use the $50 in other places if people don't usually bring gifts to the reception.  But if they are likely to bring gifts, I need a plan...(in CA people give cash and usually a small gift but almost never at the reception...at least in my circle) and I have only brought a gift to a reception once.  It was at the B&G's home, I was close to the bride, and she told me it was fine if I just brought it (I was on the phone with her as she called while I was paying for her gift) instead of shiping it.  That is the only reception where I have seen a number of gifts.</div><div>
  </div><div>Too bad I can't just do what my fiance suggested, LOL  Yes, kidding...but the guests would be so offended NO ONE would bring gifts.  At least that is his theory.  I told him if someone did something that tacky to me, I would buy and wrap the heaviest, largest gift I could find and bring it to the reception on general principle.</div>

  

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• GoodLuckBear14 member

  

  July 2012

  We shipped several gifts from San Francisco to Philadelphia.  It took almost two weeks but they all got here safe and sound and for not nearly what we were expecting to pay.  Most guests wither shipped registry gifts to the house or gave checks or gift cards.

  Proud to be an old married hag!!

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• mbrischoux member

  

  July 2012

  We only had 3 wrapped gifts, which would be easy to bring home in suitcases (not that we had that as an issue, but for reference for you).  In my family, wrapped gifts are for the shower and cards/monetary girfts are for the actual wedding.  However, I know that isn't the case everywhere.

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