Registry and Gift Forum

Storing Early Gifts?

I know we aren't supposed to wash or use any wedding gifts that arrive early by mail or at showers and parties, but where in the world do you ladies keep all those things? I can't stand the thought of a big stack of things just sitting around for (from this point) nearly 7 months.

Re: Storing Early Gifts?

  • I've seen differences of opinion on this issue from lurking on these boards. Please correct me if I'm completely wrong, but as I understand it the practice of not using gifts until after your wedding seems to be going out of practice. For example, I recently got a very early gift (a tea kettle) from my registry from FMIL after she learned I'd be having surgery soon. Since the note she enclosed said "Thought you might like some tea as you recover" I thought it'd be silly  for FI and I not to use it now since that's what she intended it for. Yes, it was technically a "wedding" gift since it was from the registry, but she didn't send it with that purpose. I wouldn't mind if people wanted to use gifts I sent early but I'd also understand if they waited. And if they break up and the wedding doesn't happen...well, they've got bigger issues to deal with than returning or reimbursing my gift :(

    That said, we have just a tiny loft in our bedroom that's completely taken up with stuff already and I won't have a clue where to store early wedding gifts either if any more arrive. I would say, as long as you're prepared to reimburse people for the cost in the unlikely event that (heaven forbid) something happens and the wedding doesn't go on...feel free to take them out of their boxes and put them in your cabinets and closets if you're just going to be stepping over boxes for the next 7 months.
  • If space is a concern, do either of your parents happen to have a spare room they could store it in? Sadly, you are kinda stuck with a stack of things until after the wedding.
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  • I know we aren't supposed to wash or use any wedding gifts that arrive early by mail or at showers and parties, but where in the world do you ladies keep all those things? I can't stand the thought of a big stack of things just sitting around for (from this point) nearly 7 months.
    @lauraharvison

    7 months seems pretty far out to be getting gifts but if you are then congrats. We are going to store any gifts that arrive early and that we get from the bridal shower in either a closet at my parents house or in a closet in the spare room at our apartment (depending on how many we get and how easily we can store them). We are thinking we'll just store them at my parents house so our cat doesn't get into them. My parents don't live too far from me. (Maybe 30 minutes away).
  • Thanks for the tips. I may just clear out a closet for storing things until then - a couple friends showed up to the engagement party with gifts even though we requested no gifts. We're certainly not calling off the wedding - we have  3 year old and a house together, so it's not that I think we may need to send any gifts back or anything. But I also think part of the fun after the honeymoon is to open all the nice, new things and start using them all at once!
  • We didn't get many early presents, actually I don't think we got anything until my shower in November (we got married in January).  Our spare bedroom pretty much became wedding central.  The closet was for my dress, his suit and other wedding supplies and the far wall is where I stacked the shower presents and the wedding presents that were shipped early.

    Both parents bought us stuff off the registry for Christmas and we used that as soon as we got it since it was a Christmas present not a wedding present, but we didn't use anything else.
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  • I got first gift (pot & pan set) about 6 months before my wedding. It's been sitting in corner of my living room for 3 months now. I believe current etiquette still states not to open until after wedding. Or, if you do open early, be prepared to purchase replacement item to return to sender if wedding doesn't happen. If you wouldn't be able to replace it, don't use it until after wedding. My aunt has already asked how we like the pot/pan set, so I know she expects us to be using them already. And of course we don't expect anything to cause us to cancel wedding, but nobody ever does.

    My sister had wedding that got cancelled 2 weeks before wedding. She received mostly gift cards at her shower and immediately used them. Several of the guests were very upset that gifts weren't returned. 

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  • Honestly, I used my stuff.    We got a set of pots and pans 9 months out.  A few months later the give came to our house and was surprised and offended it was still in a box.  We just decided right then to use the gifts.   Our place was way too small to keep boxed gifts. No parents around to keep stuff there either.

      In order to get my stuff from my OOT shower (via plane) back home efficiently was to take some items out of the package.   

    We had the money to replace anything should the wedding not go through.  To be honest with us living in the islands it would have been easier and more cost efficient  to just buy any gift online and send it to the gift giver than us trying to ship stuff from where we lived.  The gifts would also have a better chance making it to the destination than if we sent it from the islands.






    What differentiates an average host and a great host is anticipating unexpressed needs and wants of their guests.  Just because the want/need is not expressed, doesn't mean it wouldn't be appreciated. 
  • I used my stuff too. If you're concerned that the wedding won't happen, then you have bigger concerns than returning early wedding gifts.
  • I agree with @emmyg. I have already written my thank you notes etc so I un-boxed mine, but haven't used them yet. I always thought that was what you were supposed to do. Oopps 


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  • I think it is fine to use your gifts ONLY IF you accept and agree that, god forbid, any reason the wedding doesn't take place you will reimburse the gift giver in full promptly. If you are willing and financially able to take that risk, then it should be fine. 
  • vmj23vmj23 member
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its First Answer
    I haven't received too much yet, my shower is next week, but I plan on using/putting away what I receive.  I have pleanty of room for storage, but I prefer stuff to be put away where it needs to go.  If for some horrible reason the weddidng didn't happy, I would have no problems replacing the items to give back.
  • everything stayed stored in my MILs loft until we moved to a place of our own nearly 6 months after the wedding. The only thing I used prior to the wedding was a vanity mirror I got at the bridal shower. I figured if I did not get married I could afford to pay the gift giver back.  I would bet the majority of people do not plan to call off a wedding, but it can happen so better to wait to use the gifts. 

    I must say it was heaven getting to re-open all our gifts when we moved!
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