Post # 1
Member
7 posts
Newbee
Hi there!
If shower gifts were shipped to me (or to my mom) ahead of time, do we have to bring the gifts to the shower? I assume it’s a shower gift, since the wedding invitations are going out today and the gift arrived earlier this week, after the shower invitations went out. I had all gifts shipped to my parents’ house, as we live in the city and my parents are in suburbia so it’s easier to leave a package at their house. My mom said that it’s a large Bed Bath & Beyond box. Sooo at my shower, do we need to bring any and all gifts that are shipped ahead of time? The shower is 2.5 hours from my parents’ house, so it’s a lot to lug up to the shower, especially with everything else she’ll be bringing. It doesn’t seem like it’s necessary, but then is that short-changing whoever gave us the gift when I’m opening gifts at the shower?
Thoughts?
Post # 3
Member
1078 posts
Bumble bee
I wouldn’t necessarily bring the gifts with you. Unless you want to show them off! =) Which is never a bad thing.
At the very least, after opening all the gifts at the shower, be sure to tell everyone what else you received. Something along the lines of…
"So-and-so couldn’t join us today, but they did send me the sweetest gift! They gave me…"
Post # 4
Member
7 posts
Newbee
That’s a good idea. If they ship it ahead of time but DO attend the shower, I just don’t want them to feel like they’re empty-handed. But I can definitely thank them specifically for the gift. I just don’t want my mom to have to bring all of those boxes to the shower since she’s coming from out of town.
Post # 5
Member
2434 posts
Buzzing bee
Unless it’s something special that the sender wanted you to open, I don’t think you need to bring it. But I would open it in advance so if the sender is a guest at the shower you can acknowledge her generosity since you don’t have the gift to open in front of everybody.
Post # 6
Member
813 posts
Busy bee
I’m in the exact same situation. My mother is opening up all of the boxes, to see who they are from. That way, if it is a gift from someone who is attending the shower, we’ll take it with us to the shower and I’ll open it up there. Most of the gifts are actually wrapped inside the shipping boxes, but for those that aren’t, my mom is looking at the receipt/shipping label to see who it is from, and then deciding from there.
I would just hate that a guest goes out of their way to ship a gift to me early (especially if they have to travel to my shower) & then they seem to be empty handed at the shower. I think part of the fun is seeing the bride open your gift!
Post # 7
Member
16 posts
Newbee
I received shower gifts before the bridal shower from guest who couldn’t make it. I haven’t opened them yet but will at the shower. After I open the gifts, I plan to take a picture with it along with me holding a thank you sign so I can send it along with a thank you card. It’s a little cheesy but i’m a ham =P
Post # 8
Member
2022 posts
Buzzing bee
I would say it’s not a big deal if you don’t bring the gifts to your shower. Presumably your shower guests will know that the shower is not being held at your parents house. I do think it would be a good idea to open them in advance, so you can thank your guests who sent early gifts, at the shower.
Post # 8
Member
2 posts
Wannabee
I’m not a bride but was upset to learn that the shower gift I sent to be opened at the shower had already been opened. I would not have sent to the bride if I knew that would be the case. We are a small family and the shower was a plane flight away and I couldn’t make it. My only way of having a presence there was to send a gift and I paid $25 extra to have it there in time for the shower. I has heartbroken…
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