Now it's all done. You're officially married and everybody goes home happy and full from your reception. You're now left hopefully with a table overflowing with gifts from all your friends and families. You've probably anticipated that you need help to transport all these gifts which should be included in your planning. Open one or two for photography sake during the reception but leave the rest for opening when both bride and groom are well rested.
It's a joy to open wedding gifts. I bet you've never received so many gifts at one time in your life. That's because now, there are two of you and with all your friends and families wishing you a new life together, chances are that will be giving you a gift which you can use for your home.
When we moved in to our newly rented house, we didn't have much stuff. Okey, we had lots of stuff of our own but no important home stuff like kitchen and dining room essentials. It was when we knew we needed to eat in a few hours and needed a microwave oven to preheat some left-over food from our reception that we looked at all the gifts and chose the gift that was shaped like a microwave oven. And true enough, we teared the gift wrapper to unveil a brand new microwave oven. Yes ! We can eat ! Next up were plates, glasses and silverware so we wouldn't be eating on a paper plate with plastic forks and spoons and drink off a styrofoam cup. We chose the heavy gifts that looked similar to a plate's dimensions. Jackpot ! We got plates and even some cute and durable Japanese serving dishes which we now use for all our viands even if it was meant for sushi.
Chances are you'll get most of the appliances you'll be needing: plates, glasses, pitchers, airpots, toasters, ovens, rice cookers and the like. Trust me when I say that this is a lifesaver when you're starting from scratch. No need to dash to the nearest department store to scurry for items you need immediately. If you're lucky, you'll get one of each. And in some cases, you may end up getting different brands of the same item.
Receiving plates, glasses and utensils are okey cause it can be put into good use. We got 2 rice cookers. But that's okey. We can save the other as a spare or when we need to cook more rice for a special occasion. We got 5 flat irons of different brands. I don't think we'll be needing all five at the same time especially when we don't have an ironing board yet. One is enough and we'll store the others for safekeeping.
Now with all your gifts unwrapped, make sure you note who gave what. The greeting cards that usually come with the gifts and a personal note signed by the giver is a great way of tracking what that person gave. Write the item down on the card or tag and in the case of multiple gifts of the same item (like the iron example above), make sure to include the brand and model of the item so you know who gave the iron you're using. It would be embarrassing to bump into one of your friends and tell them that you love the black & decker iron they gave and it's very handy, when they know they gave you a Hanabishi iron. So keeping track of who gave what is a big saver.
And when you have your house arranged and you've settled in comfortably, try to remember who gave which appliances and utensils you're using. When we had our house blessing, we were happy to tell one of our guests that we loved their gift and actually showed it to them displayed in our kitchen. The thought goes a long way and instantly shows your gratitude to the person who gave you the gift. The best way to show appreciation for a gift is a gift that's being used.
Happy gift opening newlyweds !
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