Dealing with Unwanted Wedding Gifts
By Carol Edwin
It inadvertently happens – you get duplicates of the same gift, or worse, something you absolutely do not want. This happens especially in cultures where gift registries are not popular. So what do you do with these items?
First, consider if the item has sentimental value. If it doesn’t, you could opt to sell it online, donate it to a local charity or re-gift it. If you choose to re-gift, remember some rules:
- Do not give a gift back to the original gifter
- Be careful about who you give the gift to. You don’t want to offend the original gifter by giving it to someone within the same circle.
- If the gift is handmade or one-of-a-kind, it CANNOT be re-gifted
- The gift should be something the receiver would want, not just something you want to get rid of
- Do not give away the gift in the same wrapping you received it in. Always re-wrap the gift.
- Do not re-gift if you’ve already used the item. Even if it’s been slightly used, the best way to dispose of it would be to give it away (not as a present).
What do you do when the gift has sentimental value? If the item is part of a family heirloom, keep it. A dinner set given by your grandmother or mother-in-law should not be disposed of. Keep it for a year, and use it when they visit. If storage space is a concern, display one of each item in a glass cabinet and dispose the rest discreetly. This will keep the special people in your life happy, and minimize storage space.
If the item has sentimental value but is too large for you to keep, consider taking a photograph of it so you will always have a record of the item. Then, instead of disposing the item yourself, you could tell the gifter how much you appreciate their generosity and gift, but regret that you do not have the space for it. Perhaps they might be able to find a suitable home for the gift.
