Gift-Giving Guidelines To Stay Wedded To (NAPSA)—Before saying “I do” to a wedding, engagement party or bridal shower invitation, you may want to read up on somegiftgiving dos and don'ts. Here are some tips from the experts at WeddingChannel.com. * Do send a gift if you have been invited to attend a wedding ceremony and reception—whether you attend or not. A wedding announcement carries no gift obligation although it is thoughtful to send a note or card expressing yourbest wishes. Do bring a gift if you are invited to a shower. If an invited guest can’t attend, the gift is not obligatory, but close friends and family can do so. * Do ask the host or hostess of an engagement party whether you should bring a gift. Engagement gifts have never been obligatory but are becoming customary in some parts of the country, usually given to the couple by family membersandclose friends. * Don’t feel a wedding gift should equal the amount the bride and groom spend on each guest. The amount spent on a gift should be based on yourrelationship with the couple—ortheir families—as well as your budget. Do find out where the bride and groom are registered. Registry information is sometimes inserted in shower invitations but it’s never appropriate to include in weddinginvitations. To find out where a coupleis registered, some people call the bride, mother of the bride or maid of honor. Often, the fastest and G hl Via iy r tf 4b a Tis i dh fed a % ‘iy H WEL Online sites have made it easier to find out where a bride and groom are registered. easiest way is to search for the couple on www.weddingchannel.com. With about 1.5 million registries available in its database, searching for a couple has never beeneasier. Thesite is partnered with 18 of the nation’s top retailers to make wedding registries available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Whetherthe bride and groom register in a store or online, the registry is available on thesite. According to Rosanna McCollough, the site’s editor-in-chief, people use thesite to find gifts, but many “take the opportunity to check up on ex-boyfriends and celebrities too.” * Don’t believe the old myth about having a year to send a wedding gift. Gifts should be sent before the wedding and may be sent as soon as a guest receives an invitation. Thank-you notes should be written within three months of the wedding.
