Tips On Handling The Wedding Gift Table
When you're planning a wedding, you don't want to forget the
gift table. Not only will this be covered with your presents and
money gifts, but it will also be out in the open. And although
you don't want to think that anything could happen, you might
want to put a few precautions in place.
Better to be safe
The gift table is best kept safe by being out in the open, where
everyone can see it. You might want the deejay next to it, or at
least nearby, because people will be going up that way all
evening.
However, you also want to keep the gift table somewhere where
your guests can find it to deposit their gifts or cards. A nice
slit top box works well for cards (maybe you could put a locked
tin inside so that no one can peek except you) and a card table
with a table cloth is fine for the wrapped gifts.
You may also want to have the guest registry next to the gift
table so that you have an idea of how many presents should be
there when you finally get to opening them. If there seems to be
a discrepancy, then you will be able to find out if something
was lost or stolen.
What to do with the gifts at the end of the night
You will need to have a plan or someone in place to take care of
the gifts once the reception is over. You may want to enlist one
of the members of your bridal party to load them into their car
and drive them to the hotel, or perhaps, a parent can take them
in order to have a brunch the next morning--where you open the
gifts for everyone.
Either way, you will want to store them somewhere safe. It's
generally not a good idea to leave them in a car overnight.
First of all, a car is easily broken into and two, you don't
know if the gifts are sensitive to temperature changes. You
don't want to ruin anything.
The gift table is just another detail that you want to be aware
of. Most of the time, there are no problems with people
upsetting the gifts or raiding the envelopes, but if it makes
you feel better to have a back up plan in place, go right ahead.