When a wedding gift arrives before the wedding date, the Etiquette Squad often gets asked, "Do I open the gift? And should I send the thank-you note now, or after the wedding?"
You'll absolutely want to thank people right away, while their generosity is fresh on your mind. Plus, they'll be wondering, did you like it? Do it right away. Not only do you earn Etiquette Points, but that's one less note to worry about later.
One caveat: Don't use the gifts until after the wedding. It's a downer to even say it, but should the wedding be canceled, gifts are supposed to be returned -- unused.
Are you getting wedding gifts early? Do you have a place to stash them? And will you find it hard to not use them?
From: Natasha | 6/21/11 at 12:06 pm
We have sent out thank you cards as soon as we have received gifts. We live in a different state than the wedding so we actually really appreciate people who think to mail the gifts
We do not use the items, we just store them.
From: Hannah | 6/21/11 at 12:10 pm
What if you're already married, and you're just having your reception months afterwards? Then are you allowed to open and use the gifts?
From: Talley Sue Hohlfeld | 6/21/11 at 1:07 pm
@Hannah: Since the gifts are for the life event, and not at all for the party, then you can absolutely use them after the life event occurs. So in your case, definitely use the presents.
(You should open any gift as soon as it arrives, whichever you're doing. Then if something has gone wrong, you can get it replaced, and you can accurately write a prompt thank-you note.)