Family Matters
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Invited to engagement party- what to give as a gift?
I have a party to go to for good friends who recently got engaged. They have lived together for a long time, so they have a lot of what they need in their home. Need suggestions of a creative/fun gift to give.
Re: Invited to engagement party- what to give as a gift?
Face Painting Blog | Body Art Blog
Legal Blog
Bottle of champagne, something of that ilk. This is not a major gift giving occasion.
they are not registered anywhere. They like to workout, go wine tasting, dinners out. Their home is pretty simple with no obvious collections of things. They travel a bit as well.
A bottle of wine would be good. If they attend classes at the local gym and if the classes aren't part of their membership you can get them a gift card. Maybe a small personalized item.
We were registered for our engagement party since we weren't living together at the time. People got gifts off of that but the gifts we enjoyed most were two not on the registery - a personalized frame and a cookbook.
Either a gift card to a restaurant they like so they can have a celebratory dinner, or a gift like a picture frame, a serving platter, a vase. One of those things you'd find in the Lenox section at Macy's.
I personally wouldn't give a cake cutting set or toasting flutes unless you know they ones they want, because then they might feel obligated to use them for the wedding ... we registered for a specific set of flutes and then someone gave us different flutes and a cake cutting set and we felt it would've been rude not to use them. Someone else gave us a signature platter that we put out at our wedding reception.
You don't have to go nuts, since gifts aren't really expected for an engagement party.
Face Painting Blog | Body Art Blog
Legal Blog
Face Painting Blog | Body Art Blog
Legal Blog
I gave this to some world-traveler friends recently, and they got a kick out of it. It kind of depends on the look of their home:
http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/scratch-map
Otherwise, a travel/wine journal or a wine picnic basket. Really, just something they can enjoy together.
Oh, I'd probably bring something if I were invited to an e-party, but from my understanding not everyone feels that way.
We didn't have an e-party but some people sent us gifts ... offhand I remember a ring dish (that I still use), a few photo frames, those collectable Lenox plates, and some gift cards and cash that we put toward paying for the wedding.
I find the size of the engagement party is typically larger/bigger deal for girls with Italian American or Jewish families where I live.
In the old days and engagement party meant inviting guests for a party and announcing the engagement as a surprise as part of the festivities. No gifts were brought because it wasn't an "Engagement Party". The whole process was disposed of it the couple were well known to friends and family since the purpose was more of an introduction.
It's funny you mention short engagements. This, too, has changed. It used to be 3-6 months was the accepted ideal length for an engagement. Long engagements of 12-18 months, except to accommodate college or military service, were given the side eye. As if the couple wasn't serious. DH and I caught the original Father of the Bride on TCM the other night. Liz and "Buckley" were engaged for a whole 3 months in the movie.
Face Painting Blog | Body Art Blog
Legal Blog
I wouldn't have thought to bring a picture frame or cake cutting set until the Knot. Before that, I probably would've brought them some champagne or flowers.
Our friends had a casual GTG/e-party at a diner and asked everyone not to bring gifts. I brought them a planning book and a blank planner in her wedding colors.
mbc,
A planner is a good idea. I've often done toasting flutes or the cake set IF they are already registered and aren't registered for any of those OR I'll do the ones off their registry. Or wedding frames or photo albums.
Auntie,
Funny, that might be part of it. I'm Jewish and grew up in a very Jewish/Italian town. I thought it was NJ, but it might be cultural beyond that. Seriously, except for one engagement party where the couple was originally from CA and threw it in their apartment building common room in NYC, every single one I've been too has been a monster affair. The most recent even designated "semi-formal attire" on the invitation and had a 3-layer fondant cake with a formal cake cutting. And yeah, that one was definitely over the top.
Face Painting Blog | Body Art Blog
Legal Blog
We gave money to go towards their wedding and a bottle of wine/champagne nothing crazy.. I am from NJ too and some engagement parties are huge and made into big events others are not ..... the ones i have been to are backyard bbq and nothing fancy ....I wouldnt get toasting flutes or anything engraved those are more like shower gifts to me ....... have fun at the party!!!