Are couples becoming too fixated on wedding gifts? Or are some presents just plain stingy? Photo / Getty
Are couples becoming too fixated on wedding gifts? Or are some presents just plain stingy? Photo / Getty
Did you get a good haul of gifts at your wedding?
While most newlyweds gratefully receive whatever their guests are generous enough to give them, one snarky couple sparked headlines recently after they emailed a guest to say their generous cheque wasn't big enough.
Now, a British talk show has joined in the conversation about wedding present problems.
Talk show This Morning asked viewers to call in and share their experiences of bad wedding gifts, and some of them were unbelievably dire.
One woman said she was given an old toaster with crumbs and melted cheese inside, while another caller was gifted a used deep-fat fryer.
If that wasn't weird enough, one bride said she and her husband were given £200 in $2 coins, while another couple received an unwrapped git with the £5.99 receipt still in the bag.
The show enlisted the help of etiquette expert William Hanson to offer his advice.
When one woman called in to say she never received so much as a thank you card from her only bridesmaid, after the bride had paid for all of her friend's costs, the etiquette expert agreed that her behaviour was off the mark.
"'You should at least have got something at the end of it," he said. "Bridesmaids should give something mid- to high-end on the gift registry, or something around the £70 mark - especially if the cost is being covered by the bride."
Twitter users had a lot to say on the topic of wedding gifts. Photo / Twitter
Another woman called to say she had been asked to contribute money towards a couple's honeymoon, and she wasn't sure what the proper etiquette was.
"There can't be a definitive answer," William said. "It also depends on your relationship with them. Anything you can give should be looked upon with gratitude."
He added: "It's very middle-class to worry about keeping up with the Joneses. Just give whatever you can."
When it comes to weddings, finding the right gift can be tricky business. Photo / Getty
On Twitter, opinions on wedding gifts was more mixed.
"If people expect wedding gifts and/ or complain about them, then they shouldn't be allowed out in public," wrote one commenter.
While another couple had taken a different stance altogether, and had asked guests for a donation to charity in lieu of gifts.
"We didn't want gifts for our wedding," wrote the bride. "We asked for donations to a charity and raised nearly £1000. We were thrilled with that!"
