Good Questions: Open Wedding Gifts Before the Wedding?

Ann T. writes:

We're not getting married for another four months, but we got our first wedding gift in the mail already, from friends of my parents. I want to open it, and see what we received, but my fiance says no. Are we just supposed to let cardboard boxes pile up, unopened until after the wedding? Can't we start using these things? Who's right, me or my fiance?

Ann, please, go ahead and open that present! But it's not just so you can know what's in it. There's a much more noble purpose, which is that the gift givers are awaiting a thank you note. And the sooner you can let them know that their gift arrived safely and soundly, the better. Plus, you get to start on the gargantuan task of writing thank you notes. You'll kick yourself if you have to get them all done after the wedding.

However, I'm not saying that you can start using the presents. These are gifts meant for your married life. Heaven forbid something happened that prevented you from getting married - you'd have to return all of your gifts. That's a little hard to do when you've already started using them.

But even if you are 125% sure that you are definitely getting married, you still might want to wait. Many people experience the post-wedding blues, sad that there's no longer a big party to plan and look forward to. Having some shiny new toys can help alleviate some of those blues. Hold on to your anticipation a little bit longer.