Friday, June 22, 2012

Bridal Shower Etiquette: Does the Bride Have To Open Up Gifts At Her Shower?

Q: The bride has said that she doesn't want to open up gifts at her shower.  Does the bride have to open up the gifts at the shower?


A: Yes, the bride has to open up the gifts at the shower.  We can understand why some brides don't want to-some feel uncomfortable with everyone "staring" at them while they're opening the presents or some don't want to feign enthusiam for the gifts.  However, the purpose of the bridal shower is to "shower" the bride with gifts.  As a result, it is definitely expected by most of the guests, if not all, that the bride will open them at the actual shower.  If the bride doesn't, many of the guests will find it rude. 

Another consideration-if the bride doesn't open up gifts, what will the guests do instead of  watching the gift opening? Some guests have said they feel weird if the bride doesn't open up the gifts and thought,  "uhh, what are we supposed to be doing?" If the bride isn't opening up gifts, it's just a lunch with females. 

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

My future daughter in law's bridesmaids have agreed to her request for an open/display bridal shower. Not only am I a first time mother in law but this will be the first open shower I have ever attended. The bride has informed me she will not be opening gifts, so I have decided because of the difficulty of transporting the gift to purchase it at a store near her home (the shower venue is not nearby). At the shower I will present a card notifying the bride where she and my son pick it up. However, I do have a concern for my guests who will be traveling a distance to attend. Should I explain the open shower concept which none are familiar with and give them the opportunity to send a gift or give it to me to bring without attending? Most I know are accustomed to the bride opening the gift in their presence.