Wedding Gift Dos and Don'ts Written by Sher Matsen
When it comes to weddings, both bride & groom, and guests worry about wedding gift etiquette. These do’s and don’ts will keep you on right gift giving track!I bet your wondering where idea of wedding gifts originated? You’ll have to travel back to time when men no longer bartered for their wives. With tradition of choosing your bride, also came tradition of friends and family bearing gifts. In those days articles were functional and useful additions to couple’s house, making their lives easier. The Grecians were into presenting lush and lavish gifts. It was a big competition to see who could present most lavish gift. Brides and grooms were presented with precious jewelry, gold vases, magnificent clothing or furniture. These days’ things have really changed. Wedding gift etiquette of past, simply does not work today. For couples who have been married before they already have all household toys, so what is one to buy? Even if a couple has not been married before, most have run their own households so they still have everything they need. Many couples request no gifts. Some will ask for cash gifts, so they can put funds towards a vacation, a house, or bigger ticket item. Is this okay? How big of wedding gift should one buy? It seems no matter what a person buys, they feel they’ve not spent enough, or bought wrong type of gift. Relax!! And go with modern day flow! The best thing bride and groom can do for their guests, it to let them know what you are looking for. Funny, brides and grooms feel bad playing “what they need” card, and guests are too uncomfortable to broche subject for fear of offending bride and groom.
| | After The EngagementWritten by Sher Matsen
You've said I do. Now what? Your minds in a whir all things you need to do to have that perfect wedding. You begin to panic everytime you think of planning ahead of you. Your mind is going a mile a minute with ideas and plans what to do when to do it, so many questions, so little time. First don’t get ahead of yourself. Before doing anything you should grab a pen and paper and follow these simple steps.First you need to make a list of things you need to discuss with your fiancée. Don’t go any further until you’ve done this. Although you might be inclined to rush out and start planning. Remember this is his big day too, and he should have a say in planning of it. You’ll need to discuss: •the maximum amount your going to spend •How many people your going to invite •How you are going to finance your wedding •What type of wedding your going to have – big, small, formal, informal •How many people will be in your wedding party You'll need to make some time to meet with both sets of parents to further discuss items above. You need to find out how much, if any parents will be able to contribute to your costs. You’ll need ask them to make a list of who they want to invite - get them to make list from most important to least important, that way if you need to cut guests you know which ones to cut. Next set your wedding date. Most wedding facilities advise booking 6 months to a year in advance. You’ll want to take into consideration time of year you plan to get married, any holidays, vacations, or family events that might not work with your date. Once you’ve determined a date that works for your bridal party and family members, as well as yourself, you can move ahead. It never hurts to have a couple of date options
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