Q.
Should my fiance and I purchase gifts for our parents, as we did for our wedding party?
A.
Yes. It's such a nice thank-you for all the help they've given you with the wedding -- financial, emotional, and otherwise -- not to mention all the support and love they've given you throughout the years while you were growing up. A personalized photo album of wedding pictures, an amazing picture frame, a gift certificate for a special dinner, a poem you've written, a weekend away -- anything's appropriate, as long as it's personal and within your financial bounds. Take a moment a few days (or hours!) before the wedding to share some private time with your parents and present them with your gift. You might each give your own parents a gift, or you might have the present be from both of you to each set of parents.
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TobeSymes
Yes you are obligated to give them gifts! They are your parents! And now a days it is not an obligation of your parents to shell out the money for your wedding. It is tradition when it is someone young getting married as a thank you to the groom for taking the daughter as his wife. Now adays older couples are getting married and traditions are being tossed out the window. As for inexpensive gifts why not make something like a clutch for your mom or an embrodered hanky.
sayhola
Trinityann, I have the same question. My parents said they would have paid for EVERYTHING if we had the wedding in my home state and/or in church. I am 33, and we plan to have a beautiful outdoor Colorado wedding near where we live. Due to this, my parents are not paying for anything. Well... they did cough up the money for my dress, but I'd be shocked to see another cent. Are we obligated to get them gifts? If we do, like jemps said, it will have to be something pretty inexpensive as we are cutting every corner we can to limit the amount of debt we will incur in shelling out for this wedding ourselves. Thoughts anyone??? Thanks!
jemps
hmm, that's rare, trinityann. then maybe just a simple photo frame with a photo of you, your husband and your parents (if there is such an occasion you were all in the same photo) to remind them that they raised great, thoughtful kids despite their, um, eccentricity.
trinityann
What if the parents aren't helping? My parents are just going to show up to walk me down the aisle but aren't helping or involved in any other way and don't even like to hear me talk about it or ask their opinion?