Preparing a Wedding Gift
It is true that not all wedding guests buy gifts for the newlyweds. The couple wouldn’t really know who bought them a gift and who didn’t, unless of course if they assigned an item to each guest, which is actually rude. The truth is wedding gifts are not obligatory. There are even weddings that request guests not to bring any kind of gift, because their presence is appreciated even more.
Buying a gift for the wedding couple will be an additional expense for a guest. When there are engagement and bridal parties, plus travel and lodging expenses, the cost of being a guest is no longer cheap. It really helps to understand what you are getting into first before committing. Ask the bride or the groom on what aspect of the wedding you will be financially responsible.
In case you can’t afford to buy the couple a wedding gift, there are alternative ways to offer them something memorable. A wedding gift is usually a material stuff, like a cook set, baking utensils, toiletries set, appliances and more. However, you are not obliged to give them a set. Instead, choose a stand-alone item like a bowl, frame or vase. Yet if you are really tight on your budget, your service will be much appreciated than any item.
Prior to the wedding day, you should be honest to the bride or the groom-to-be about your situation. Offer your time, effort and service to the couple on wherever you can help in planning their wedding. For instance, you can offer to pick-up out-of-town guests from the airport or train station and drop them to their hotel or accommodation. Others have tried watching over the couple’s pet while they are on honeymoon. These aren’t really big things, but they would surely thank you for helping.
There is nothing wrong about skimping on gifts. If you are invited to a destination wedding, like out of the country, there are many things involved. You will have to buy or rent a dress/tux, your plane ticket, lodging and meals. Add all these up and you will most probably spend more than what you are supposed to earn from missing work.
Wedding couples spend thousands of dollars for their wedding. So you are probably thinking that even just a few hundred or less than a hundred dollar worth of gift won’t bother the guest. On the other hand, the hundred dollar gift you are expecting is more important to be added to their mortgage payment.
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