How do I handle wedding gifts...they have been coming in the mail and are consuming my living room?

Question

So some of our wedding gifts have been arriving at our apartment from people who live out of state.

Anyways...how do I handle this? Am I supposed to wait until our wedding day to open them? Does it matter? Are there any taboos (like with chritmas or birthdays) of waiting until THE day to open them (cuz I'm naturally curious and they are starting to consume our living room just sitting there in their boxes).

What did you married people do?

Answer 1

I opened them. I'm glad I did because at the wedding, everyone that sent them asked me if I got the gift and if I liked it... So, they expected me to open them anyway. :) I didn't send thank you notes for them until after the honeymoon though, but I did have them already written out so there was less to deal with later.  

Answer 2

I think you are supposed to wait but then again, why do some people send them so early? I think if you want to open them, then open them. Just make sure you keep a note of who the gift is from for when you are sending out your thank you cards.  

Answer 3

Open them! and write the thank you letters straight away which will mean you get a head start.

Answer 4

I say wait! Its kind of the joy of the wedding. That's like not waiting 'til your wedding day to get married, I think. And yes, I think its exactly like with Christmas and your birthday, it is really taboo to open them early. Plus, a big point, its alot easier to keep up with writing your thank you cards if you open them together. We sat down with a pen and paper and as we opened them wrote down who it was and what was given. Soo easy to write the thank you's. I think if you open them separately it could be easier to lose track.

Answer 5

You wait to open them.  Just find a corner to put them in, and after you're married you both open them and keep track of who gave you what for your thank-you cards.  Make sure all your thank-you cards mention the gift, it's so personal that way.  And you do this right after you get back from your honeymoon.  It's also nice to send a picture of the two of you at your honeymoon location.  You can have prints made cheap, and everyone will really love the extra touch.  Best wishes on your wedding.  

Answer 6

You can open them.  the only rule behind it is not using them till after the wedding in the off chance things need to be returned for any reason.  Other then that go for it, make a list of what from who and you can get a head start on the thank you notes.  

Answer 7

I heard of having a special table in your living room to display them until the wedding day/reception. I have never heard of opening them before the wedding day, plus if you open them all at once, I think it would be easier to write thank you notes after the wedding, not trying to juggle it in an already stressful time period.  

Answer 8

Open them now!  Then immediately sit down and write your thank-you notes!  The fewer of them you have to do after the wedding the better.  The people who sent the gifts are likely wondering if they were received safely; put them out of their misery and thank them!

Answer 9

Open them, no one will know, just send the thank you's AFTER the wedding date.

Answer 10

Open them up, write down the name of the giver and what the gift was. And if there is something special about the gift, like a beautiful gift wrap job, write that down, too.

And start sending out thank you notes, or at least write some of them. That old stuff that the the bride has a year to send the thank you does not wash with most guests, and certainly not the people who send gifts in the mail. They want to know if their gift  got there. And you won't have such a big job when you get home from the honeymoon, if you start now.

No, it is not your birthday, you don't have to wait until the day of to open them, unless you want to for some reason.

The old custom was to unwrap the gifts, and set them out in a pretty display. So when people came to call on the bride, and bring their present over, they could see all the gifts. Even the checks were

displayed, the amounts cleverly covered, of course.

Congrats.

Answer 11

You may open your gifts, but don't use them.  The link below explains more about opening wedding gifts prior to the wedding.

Best Wishes!

Answer 12

Through 'em out!

Answer 13

Open them.  That way you can start writing the thank you notes ahead of time.

Answer 14

We got our presents at the wedding..everyone was local or just sent moeny in a card so it didn't take up much room.  I guess it doesn't matter, but I think for lucks side you should wait.  Congratulations, I hope you have a lifetime of happiness together.