Buying Wedding Gifts Online

We’ve been invited to four weddings this year.  We can’t attend a few of them because we are out of state, but always send a gift whether we attend or not.  In these instances, shopping for wedding gifts online seems obvious since the gifts would need to be shipped anyway; however, shopping online is my preferred method for all wedding gifts.  Here’s why:

1.  Proper etiquette.  Although it’s become acceptable to bring gifts to the wedding reception (what modern reception doesn’t have a specified gift table?), wedding etiquette still recommends that all gifts be sent to the couple even if you are attending the wedding. 

2.  Makes it easier on the couple.  As a recent bride, I can attest to this!  The bride and groom already have to worry about so many details of the wedding day without having to stress over arranging for a friend or family member to pack up and deliver the gifts after the wedding.  I’ve heard stories of presents being forgotten or lost while the couple was on their honeymoon.  Thankfully this doesn’t happen often, but is something to consider.  Also, it’s common for couples to have a destination wedding or move shortly afterward.  By sending the gift directly to the couples’ home, they don’t have to worry about getting it there themselves.

3.  Prevents mix-ups.  Nearly every bride has a story of a wedding gift with an unidentifiable giver.  Unfortunately, when all the gifts are packed up after the reception, it seems that at least one card gets separated from its gift. If you send your gift, you eliminate this kind of mix-up

4. Travel. In our mobile society, it’s not unusual to travel out of state for a wedding.  Sending the wedding present separately gives you more space in your suitcase, which is especially important now that most airlines charge for checked bags. 

5. Convenience.  Above are the reasons why you should send a gift, but not necessarily why you should buy it online.  However, online shopping is a convenient way to do the shopping and shipping all in one!  Also, shipping prices from an online retailer are often less than the cost to send it yourself and many online stores have free shipping if you purchase over a certain amount or free shipping discount codes (more on this below).

6. Saving money.  This is my top reason to buy wedding gifts online. I always set a certain amount of money to spend on gifts and try to make it go as far as possible. There are two main ways I save money online:

• Compare prices: It’s easy to compare prices online.  When you find an item on a couple’s registry you’re interested in purchasing, use search engines to find the cheapest price for that item.  If you find it cheaper at a different online retailer, you can usually call the store where the registry is and ask them to manually take the product off the registry for you (do this immediately so someone else doesn’t purchase it for the couple in the meantime).
•  Use promotion codes: I’ve find it easier to find promotion codes for online retailers than it is to find coupons for purchasing items in-store.  Promotioncode.org has codes for free shipping and other discounts from the most popular wedding registry retailers including Macy’s, Target, and Crate & Barrel.  I discovered discount codes a few years ago and now I check for them every time I buy something online.  I don’t always find an applicable code, but when I do, I often save $20 or more. 

 

This post is a paid post written by me and sponsored by Promotioncode.org.  All opinions are 100% my own.