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Your friend or a close family member is engaged -- so now what? Once their registry is created, you’re obligated to navigate the task of purchasing multiple gifts for the festivities, from the engagement party to the wedding day. Not sure where to start? Here’s a practical guide to choosing the perfect present.
Engagement Gifts
Traditionally, engagement gifts tend to fall in the housewarming spectrum of purchases. The expectation is to present the happy couple with something much smaller than you’d buy for the bridal shower and the actual wedding. Barware, like wine glasses, beer steins, and pilsners, are all acceptable gifts. So are picture frames, crystal vases, serving platters, and other upscale essentials.
Bridal Shower Gifts
A bridal shower is the time to focus your attention on the bride and groom’s new home. While some guests may splurge and go for big-ticket items, like a mixer, the idea is to help the happy couple furnish their space without leaving any holes in the registry. For example, if you’re planning on purchasing bedding, it’s customary to buy a large chunk of the entire set -- either the comforter and pillows or all of the sheets. By doing so, you avoid leaving an odd item on the registry for someone else to purchase. The same practical buying holds true for other rooms in the home. For the kitchen, stick to one area like baking, cooking, plateware, flatware, or entertaining. And for the bathroom, consider towel sets, bathroom accessories, or a shower curtain and a bath mat.
Wedding Gifts
This is the time to flex your wallet and make your biggest purchase. Items such as a large mixer, microwave oven, or even a digital camera are all acceptable. Generally, the amount you spend should be based on your relationship to the bride and groom. The closer you are to the happy couple, the more you should spend on a gift. Keep in mind that it’s considered bad etiquette to bring your gift to the wedding, so make sure you have the proper address so you can ship it before the wedding. If the bride and groom live together, you can send it directly to their address. If they don’t live together, it’s customary to either send it to the mother of the bride or the maid of honor.
Note: If the bride and groom have a charity or honeymoon registry and you’d like to make a donation, do so for your wedding gift. In both instances, the more money you spend toward it, the greater the contribution to the couple’s favorite cause or trip abroad.
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