engagement present?

brians_daughter

barbie_babe wrote: »

your idea of a night in a hotel split between family members sounds fab.

I think i break from the children would do them good as well, as they never have a full night without them. So even if we paid for 1 night and they paid for another and we were have the children for the full weekend... dunno where we would put their 4 along with our 3 tho... i fear my living room may end up looking like a refugee camp some weekend soon :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

jcr16

when hubby and i got engaged we were just buying our first home together ( been together 4 months) we were given so much even tho we didn't have a party and certainly wasn't expecting anything.

WE generally only give an engagement pressie to close friend's.

a close work mate of hubby got engaged last yr, they had a big party and were all good friends. we gave them money . they had a home together already but were just buying their own family home . so we felt money was the best gift to give them. they were very grateful.

But i'd say never feel pressured into giving. you should only give if you want to, not because u feel you have to.

Person_one

brians_daughter wrote: »

'well, i have only told you then you can get sorted with a card and present - i think they would like money'

I bet they would, so would I and probably most people here!

Doesn't mean we get it though, wedding presents are traditional, engagement presents are usually just if someone goes to the expense and effort of throwing a party therefore feeding and entertaining you for the evening. They're still just a token though usually, about a tenner's worth of photo frame or something similar.

Send them a card, if they have the nerve to act anything other than thrilled that you care enough to do that then they're just greedy.

Kate78

I've only bought a present if the couple in question were having a party.

Got engaged earlier this year, no gifts received or expected for that matter. We're getting married abroad (see sig) and think it's a big enough ask for family to attend the wedding, thus no gift list. Plus we both have houses of our own so have 2x everything already.

Why does every occasion have to be a gift occasion? Maybe I'm just being tight, but for my DF's nephew it was baby shower/newborn gift/xmas/christening/birthday - it's just silly imo and creates unneccesary pressure.

Person_one

Kate78 wrote: »

I've only bought a present if the couple in question were having a party.

Got engaged earlier this year, no gifts received or expected for that matter. We're getting married abroad (see sig) and think it's a big enough ask for family to attend the wedding, thus no gift list. Plus we both have houses of our own so have 2x everything already.

Why does every occasion have to be a gift occasion? Maybe I'm just being tight, but for my DF's nephew it was baby shower/newborn gift/xmas/christening/birthday - it's just silly imo and creates unneccesary pressure.

Don't even get me started on baby showers.

pinkteapot

I think it depends on how close you are. I buy engagement gifts for close friends. I have a gift they all get:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Our-Wedding-Journal-Interactive-Journals/dp/1845972848/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1292595351&sr=8-1

When I got engaged, someone bought me this and it is just fab. Has sections for ideas, planning, budget, writing memories afterwards. Pages to fill in on every aspect of the wedding, and pockets to keep momentos in. It's genuinely useful, wedding related and not too expensive.

Threebabes

No I wouldnt, how cheeky of your Mil to tell you to give money. Would get a bottle of wine in a wine bag and a card.

:-)

AlwaysWorking

When I got engaged we had a party in Scotland that his parents held, and one in Northern Ireland that my mum held. I hasten to add that neither was my idea since I loathe being the centre of attention. My family all got us gifts or gift vouchers dispite me saying I didn't want anyone to make a fuss. His family got us nothing...cards but no presents at all....:rotfl:perhaps they knew something I didn't, since he left me for someone else seven weeks after proposing.

I generally only buy for people having a party or close friends/family. but I think when a couple have been together that long, they probably have no need for 'traditional' engagement presents and I wouldn't bother, unless I was feeling very flush!!

minerva_windsong

I've never bought one, because no one I know has had an engagement party (when my sisters got engaged we just had Champagne and cooed over the ring). If I was invited to an engagement party though I might get a small token thing or a voucher for somewhere fairly neutral like Debenhams or John Lewis.

lilian1977

I got a bottle of champagne from one friend but I think that was it?