Wedding called off, what do you do?
June 27, 2009 by Christine Gooding
Filed under Wedding Gifts: Tips and Ideas
In February of this year, I raised a question on what you’d do if the wedding was cancelled. Would you return the gifts or not. I received several feedback on this question and one of them was from an anonymous reader. She asks:
Image: photoxpress
I think the gifts should be returned. I personally spent close to $700.00 on a friend’s wedding gifts. When the wedding was called off, the couple sold many of the gifts. They split the remaining gifts and cash. Neither of them are in any financial hardship.
Here is a question from the other side, how do you approach a friend who has done this? I am very insulted. Can someone help?
If I was in her situation, I’d be insulted too considering the couple wasn’t in any financial hardship. The right thing would have been to write to all the guests and ask if they want their presents back. If I was this reader, I’d invite her for coffee and broach the subject gently. I’ll tell my friend (the bride or groom) that I am very sorry about their cancelled wedding but I would’ve appreciated to have been asked whether I want my gift back rather than being sold to benefit them.
Your friendship could survive this ‘confrontation’ (if you call it that) if it means to both of you. If it doesn’t survive then perhaps the friendship is not important in the first place.
The problem if you don’t say anything though is that ‘feeling insulted’ would turn to resentment and if not addressed could fester that you might stop being a friend to the bride or groom anyway.
What about you? What do you think our reader should do in this situation?
