The Unique Gift Spot

How Much Should You Spend on a Wedding Gift?  -11 Etiquette Tips Wondering how much to spend on a wedding gift? It's a fair question — as  wedding  invites start to pile up, dollar signs might also start to flash. The idea of having to spring for flights, hotels, bridesmaid dresses, and then — on top of everything — a wedding present for each occasion can become a serious source of stress for wedding guests. Complicating matters more is the seeming lack of concrete wedding gift etiquette. Questions, like how much to give for a wedding gift, start to come up. When do you buy the gift? Can you buy gifts outside the registry? Is giving cash gauche? Here, answers to these questions and more, with expert insights from Kylie Carlson, the CEO of the  International Academy of Wedding & Event Planning . 1. How much should I spend on a wedding gift? According to a  recent study  from the American Express Spending and Saving Tracker, the average amount that a  gu

When to Give Gifts to Your Wedding Party, Family and Each Other Here’s everyone who should receive a gift and when to give them. Giving thoughtful gifts to your wedding party and important loved ones, like your parents, is the best way to thank them for being key players in your wedding—and in life. But when do you actually hand them out? While there are no strict rules when it comes to the timing of gift giving, here’s a breakdown of when most couples traditionally choose to present each person with something special. Spouse Many couples like to exchange gifts on their wedding day. If you’re doing a first look, you might take this quiet, intimate moment together to share gifts. If the first time you’ll see one another is at the ceremony, ask someone in your wedding party to facilitate the gift swap. But if you prefer to exchange gifts the night before your “I dos,” that works too. Whenever you decide to do it, talk with your soon-to-be spouse in advance so you're bot

What’s the Difference Between a Gift and a Present? It’s that time again when we’re busy buying, wrapping, and giving them. Sometimes we call them gifts, sometimes presents. Is there a difference? The words come to us from different language families.  Gift  comes from the old Germanic root for “to give.” It referred to an act of giving, and then, to the thing being given. In Old English it meant the dowry given to a bride’s parents.  Present  comes from the French for "to present." A present is the thing presented or bestowed. They were both in use for the idea of something undergoing a transfer of possession without expectation of payment from the 13th century onward. The words  gift  and  present  are well-matched synonyms that mean essentially the same thing, but even well-matched synonyms have their own connotations and distinctive patterns of use.  Gift  applies to a wider range of situations. Gifts can be talents. You can have the gift of gab, or a musi

A Modern Guide to Gift-Giving Etiquette From how quickly you should send a thank you note to the perils of re-gifting. The holidays are stressful enough without having to worry if you've offended someone by tucking a gift card into their stocking. We asked  etiquette expert Myka Meier , who is also  the author of  Modern Etiquette Made Easy , to share her top tips for the season of giving, and for her advice on some of the most commonly encountered gift giving dilemmas. ARE HOSTESS GIFTS ALWAYS REQUIRED? WHAT ABOUT IF THE INVITATION SPECIFICALLY SAYS NOT TO BRING A GIFT? You should always  bring a gift to someone’s home . The host may say, “Don’t bring anything” but they won’t refuse your lovely gesture once you arrive. A hostess gift can be a small, token item, such as a candle, festive cocktail napkins, or even a home-baked good. ARE THERE ANY ETIQUETTE RULE AROUND GIFT GIVING GAMES, LIKE SECRET SANTA OR WHITE ELEPHANT? If you’re hosting a White El