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Parent Gifts

KrisC0526KrisC0526
in Wedding Etiquette Forum
My fiance and I are getting married Sept 20th and we are trying to finalize the gifts for the bridal party and our parents. But we are stuck on how we should do the parent gifts? Do couples usually get a joint gift? Or do we get each of them something separate? Or do I get my parents gifts and he gets his, or vice versa? We are so confused on how this works, can someone help shed some light on the subject for us, please!?!?!
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Re: Parent Gifts

  • LakeR2014LakeR2014 member
    500 Love Its 100 Comments Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    Kris C - it's entirely up to you and what you prefer.  For us, we're doing it separately.  He's deciding on what is right for him to give his parents and I for mine.  My family is super sentimental, so I'm going that route with my gift.

    For my mom, I've kept a journal of wedding activities we've done together and described them, how I enjoyed them, and appreciated all her help throughout the year.  I'm going to give this to her along with a necklace for my wedding gift to her.  She'll love both, but cherish the journal.

    For me dad I've kept a photo of us sleeping on the couch when I was a little kid (I was nicknamed his shadow) and will have it made into a 5X7 or 8X10 with a little writing about how he's given me to a great man, but that he will always be my daddy and thank him for showing me what his little girl deserved and teaching me never to settle, especially in love.

    As I originally stated though - it's entirely up to you and how you want to gift it.  If you want to make it something sentimental and special in relation to their support your whole life, etc, I'd go the sentiment individual route.  However, if you want to show a joint appreciation for all the support they've provided with the wedding, I'd say go for the joint gift.


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  • OliveOilsMomOliveOilsMom member
    Tenth Anniversary 5000 Comments 500 Love Its 5 Answers

    We gave my parents some generous gift cards to use for dinners.  One to a fancy place they don't go to often and the other for a place they go to frequently and can get 2 meals out of.  For my MIL, she was in need of a new computer.  So we bought her a small netbook at a Black Friday sale and held it for the wedding.  I think its best to buy something you know they will enjoy and not worry about trying to find a typical "wedding" gift. 

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  • bjhubblebjhubble member
    10 Comments 5 Love Its First Anniversary
    LakeR2014 said:
    Kris C - it's entirely up to you and what you prefer.  For us, we're doing it separately.  He's deciding on what is right for him to give his parents and I for mine.  My family is super sentimental, so I'm going that route with my gift.

    For my mom, I've kept a journal of wedding activities we've done together and described them, how I enjoyed them, and appreciated all her help throughout the year.  I'm going to give this to her along with a necklace for my wedding gift to her.  She'll love both, but cherish the journal.

    For me dad I've kept a photo of us sleeping on the couch when I was a little kid (I was nicknamed his shadow) and will have it made into a 5X7 or 8X10 with a little writing about how he's given me to a great man, but that he will always be my daddy and thank him for showing me what his little girl deserved and teaching me never to settle, especially in love.

    As I originally stated though - it's entirely up to you and how you want to gift it.  If you want to make it something sentimental and special in relation to their support your whole life, etc, I'd go the sentiment individual route.  However, if you want to show a joint appreciation for all the support they've provided with the wedding, I'd say go for the joint gift.


    I love the gift idea for your dad, and I'd like to throw out an unsolicited suggestion.  You can have that photo put on a blanket at shutterfly.com.  They come out great, we did it for our parents. Feel free to ignore me, I just thought it would be super cute since the picture is of the two of you sleeping.
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  • LakeR2014LakeR2014 member
    500 Love Its 100 Comments Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    @bjhubble Thanks for the idea - I love it too, but gave the same thing to mom last Christmas (only it was a montage of pictures of my little nephew (currently they're only grandchild).  So I figured the picture frame with plaque/saying would work for him.  Just have to find the right words to say and frame, lol.
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  • emmyg65emmyg65 member
    1000 Comments 500 Love Its 5 Answers First Anniversary
    We got both of our parents gift certificates to their favorite restaurants.
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  • cruffinocruffino member
    Ninth Anniversary 1000 Comments 500 Love Its First Answer
    we already picked out something for my parents, a piece of artwork to hang in their beach house. but we haven't decided what to get his parents. they like to travel so maybe something travel related? not sure yet. 

    as pp said, i think it makes sense to get them something based on their likes, not necessarily wedding related. 
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  • Maggie0829Maggie0829 member
    Eighth Anniversary 10000 Comments 500 Love Its 25 Answers
    We did not get gifts for our parents.  I know for a fact my Mom and Dad would have killed me if I had gotten them anything.  All they wanted was a big hug and a heartfelt thank you which I gave them many times over.

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  • melbelleupmelbelleup member
    500 Love Its 1000 Comments Second Anniversary First Answer
    edited August 2013
    My parents have already told me not to get them anything. That being said, after wedding photos come in, I'm going to let them pick some of their favorite pictures out and get a photo book made for them and also for my Fi's parents. That way they can always look back on it.

    My brother got my parents photos of their wedding, which now hangs on a wall in my parents' house. So, we'll probably do photo book and hanging frames in some way for them.
    Daisypath Wedding tickers
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  • erinlin25erinlin25 member
    500 Love Its 1000 Comments Third Anniversary First Answer
    we wrote our parents a nice note inside a card for the wedding day.  After the wedding my mom and my husbands mom photo books with wedding pictures, and for my dad I made him a frame with our father-daughter dance lyrics for his office with a picture from when I was 6 years old dancing with him as a flower girl for my cousins wedding, and a picture of us dancing at my wedding.  They all were very happy
    image

    Anniversary
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  • Jen4948Jen4948 member
    Knottie Warrior 10000 Comments 500 Love Its 25 Answers
    Give them something tailored to their interests, or nice notes and photos, or something like that.
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  • easilyunamusedeasilyunamused member
    100 Love Its 100 Comments Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    Yay! Wedding twins:) I'm getting married that day also!

    We wrote our parents nice thank you notes and after the wedding we will get them a photo album of the pictures that they like the most.

    I'm confused as to why you get parent gifts. Is it because they are awesome, or that they paid for the wedding? My mom bought my gown and FMIL is throwing us our RD. She also let us store some wedding stuff at her house. I guess I'm just wondering what other brides reasonings are.
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