Problem? Solved!: We Can't Figure Out Who Sent Us This Wedding Gift

by Kathryn Papanek, Posted Jan 27th 2011 10:00AM

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Problem: Some of the guests left presents for us at the reception. I received a lovely vase, but I couldn't find a card or anything else to help me figure out who sent the present. How can I thank the person who sent me the gift?

Solved: First, pat yourself on the back for being a thoughtful bride who wants to thank her guests! You may have to do some detective work to discover the mystery gift giver, but your guests should be appreciative of your desire to thank them for their presents. "If a gift loses its card, I recommend checking in with your gift table attendant to see if he or she remembers who gave you the gift, says wedding planner Beth Helmstetter of Beth Helmstetter Events. "Or go through all of your guests, checking off each person whose gift you can account for. This will leave fewer people to sift through as the giver of the unclaimed gift."

Not having any luck identifying the person who sent the present? "I would then personally reach out to each person whose gift you cannot account for and ask if by any chance the vase was from them," advises Helmstetter. Chances are, one of the people you contact will have sent you the vase.

"To prevent guests leaving gifts without a card, it's best to assign an attendant to the table to accept gifts on your behalf," says Helmstetter. "Once the ceremony begins, have the gifts transferred immediately to the pre-assigned card to ensure everything leaves intact and nothing is lost."

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Tags: Problem Solved, wedding etiquette, wedding gifts, wedding registry