>I still have a lot of things to do post-wedding.
- Write handwritten thank yous to bridesmaids.
- Create and order photobooks for bridesmaids & groomsmen. I’m thinking 4×6 Snapbooks from Shutterfly.
- Change my name on my driver’s license – doing this Friday.
- Change my name with bank & billers.
- Make Disney honeymoon scrapbook.
- Find pretty wedding album for 250 4×6 photos – any suggestions?
- Formally change my name at work.
- Write a couple more thank you notes for late gifts.
- Figure out what I want to do with my dress.
- Sell some wedding-related items.
- Write more wedding day recaps and start on honeymoon recaps.
What I HAVE done:
- Changed my name at Social Security office.
- Added hubby to health and dental insurance at work.
- Ordered 250 4x6s that came with our photo package.
- Wrote & sent the majority of thank you notes.
- Made a wedding keepsake shadow box. (will take a photo of this tonight!)
- Had my bouquet preserved with Keepsake Floral.
OK, now I have to confess something now re: wedding gifts. A LOT of our friends did not get us anything and I am kind of bummed about it. We’ve gotten some truly great gifts, but honestly not as much as I thought we would. Only 1 out of 5 groomsman (the best man) and 3 out of 5 bridesmaids have bought gifts for us so far… is this normal? Also, a lot of couples that I have bought gifts for over the past couple of years have not sent anything our way. I know the economy is bad, so are my friends just forgetful or putting it off? I don’t know. Yes, even I am the type to buy and send gifts late, but I usually make sure to have them bought no more than 6 weeks after the wedding.
Here’s what’s left on our Macy’s registry. Everything was bought on our Pottery Barn registry and nothing has been bought from our Amazon registry.
I think a few more gifts will trickle in over the coming months, but I think we’ve received the majority of everything. Only 2 out of 8 of our silverware sets have been bought, so I am going to purchase the remaining 6 sets myself directly through Oneida.com …they have some great sales.
As for the fine china we registered for?
Isn’t it gorg? We registered for 8 sets of Kate Spade Bonnabel Place, but we have only received 1 5-piece place setting and 1 pasta bowl…and that’s it! Obviously we don’t have $2,500 laying around to complete the set, so I am agonizing over what to do. I have the 5-piece place setting still in the box but I can’t find the receipt, and the pasta bowl doesn’t even have its box anymore.
So what are y’alls opinions on fine china? We also registered for casual whiteware china from Macy’s The Cellar line, and it is very functional and I think it can be easily dressed up with my new Oneida silverware and nice linens. We also have a vintage set of 8 blue Wedgwood place settings that we bought from our neighbors for $35!
So should I just use the Wedgwood as our “fine china” and forget about the Kate Spade? Hubby says yes — he doesn’t think we would ever use the Kate Spade. My sister also says yes — hers is still packed away in boxes after getting married in 2002. But I LOVE this china! Seriously the paisley on it drives me mad because it’s so beautiful and whimsical. Bonnabel Place is really the ONLY set of china that has ever really jumped out at me and said, “Buy me! use me! Love me!”
Ack! The agony!
Digital Kristen 
>Wow, that is pretty crappy of your bridal party. Yuck.As far as the china, china is timeless and most patterns are still sold for years. Tell your mama and MIL that you want a place setting for Christmas! My grandma never knows what to buy me, so having something specific like that would be GREAT!
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>wow I agree… that is REALLY crappy of ALL of your guests who did not send a gift. I like d.a.r. suggestion of passing the china idea onto relatives for christmas, but only if you REALLY think you're going to use it. Otherwise it sounds like you could do just fine with what you've got.
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>Did those bridal party members buy you anything for your showers? Or you mean they got you nothing at all?I obviously don't know your bridal party personally (other than meeting your MOH at your shower and I know you're not talking about her) but it's possible (probable) that they think "I bought a dress, pd for a hotel, went to a bachelorette party, etc that's her gift" I would NEVER do that and I don't excuse it or think what's right, but I'm thinking of conversations I have heard from others in their bitchiest moments and they sounded pretty similar…As for the china, it's a PERSONAL decision. For ME, I am a proponent of the white dinnerware dressed up with linens, silverware, etc. SO VERSATILE. And I have my great-grandmother's china coming to me and even though it's not my first choice in terms of pattern, the sentiment will be enough to satisfy. But like I said…totally personal.
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>My parents never received a full China set and my mom is trying to complete it bit by bit using eBay. Kudos to you on getting your name changed with SS already many girls have posted on their blogs that they did not change their names until they had babies so go you!
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>i think a lot of the non-gift giving has to do with the fact that a lot of our friends are in grad school or otherwise wasting away in Collegetown . A lot of them haven't been to a ton of weddings and maybe don't know the proper etiquette.As for the 2 bridesmaids who didn't get us a wedding gift — one of them did give me a gift for my lingerie shower and the other is still in college and I don't necessarily expect anything from her. And the groomsmen, well…who knows? I think they just don't know the etiquette.I think I will hold on to what I have and build on it slowly over time. Even if I could have just 4 5-piece place settings that would be great.
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>I do think the non-gift giving is rampant these days with people under the age of approx 25. Both girls and guys are bad about it… I've seen that some people give a shower gift (bridal shower) and count it as their wedding gift… guys just don't buy gifts. I know my husband didn't until we got married (and now of course, I do it).As far as the china- I would collect it over time. I have had mine for 5 years and used it for the first time two weeks ago- but I LOVE it. I received all of my china and silver- but not my crystal… so it's something fun to collect over time!
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>Ugh, that stinks about your bridal party! I'm so sorry!
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>The china is absolutely amazing…. and there is absolutely no excuse for any guest to not bring a gift. That's just ridiculous. The economy is icky, but I am assuming they had plenty of notice that there was a, you know, wedding coming up.
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>I have a comment on your complaint that not enough of your wedding party have sent gifts. It is very expensive to be in a wedding-especially a destination wedding at a resort. Added to the other expenses-shower gifts, dresses,parties etc. that are required, I think that you expect lot from your friends who may be on a budget. Perhaps you should focus on the fact that so many of your close friends made the financial commitment to share this special time with you and focus a little less on receipt counting. The pleasure of having your friends share your wedding should be much more important to you than how many gifts you receive.
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