To Gift or not to Gift....that is the question!

Is it acceptable for a couple to send out a wedding gift list to their guests when hosting a destination wedding?  

The politically correct answer is no.  As guests would have taken unpaid time off from work, arranged childcare and forked out hundreds of pounds to fly thousands of miles to attend your big day, it is generally not expected that they will also bring you a gift.  After all, their presence is enough, right?  Not exactly.

​Guests are spending their own money on their own travel and, more often than not, take advantage and make a vacation out of your wedding by extending their stay.  A sort of wed-cation.  You are hosting them at gorgeous venues with a sumptuous Wedding Breakfast, drinks, usually an evening finger buffet thrown in, a wedding cake, entertainment and a chance for them to let their hair down.  Some couples also host welcome and farewell dinners as well as providing their guests with local excursions, wedding favours and in-room welcome kits.  

So when the couple are going to great lengths to make their guests' stays comfortable, a De'Longhi toaster and matching kettle is not going to break the bank!  It's a courteous touch to thank the couple for their generosity and to wish them well in their married life.  Of course, lugging gifts across in your luggage is not ideal so it is better to gift the couple locally in advance of their travel.  

It is always a good idea to ask the couple whether they have a wedding gift list registered with a department store to avoid unwanted and duplicated gifts.  

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