Woman Sparks a Debate After Declaring That Older Newlyweds in their 30s and 40s Shouldn’t Receive Wedding Gifts
Woman Sparks a Debate After Declaring That Older Newlyweds in their 30s and 40s Shouldn’t Receive Wedding Gifts
Wedding etiquette changes a lot as the years go by. Traditional wedding customs like the garter-toss and “giving away” the bride have become outdated as times change and couples prefer more modern ways to celebrate their unions.
The way we pair-up has changed, too. Where once couples met and married in their early twenties, now it is more commonplace to unite later in life, usually after already living together and setting up house.
With this in mind, a woman going by the moniker “KarenWithThatHaircut” has sparked a debate online by declaring that older newlyweds in their 30s and 40s should not receive any wedding gifts at all.
“For couples who are already well-off adults in their 30s/40s+ who have nice homes full of nice stuff (and maybe this isn’t their first marriage), why is there any expectation of a gift to begin with?” she writes on a wedding-shaming sub on Reddit.
“People you presumably care about are taking time out of their lives to celebrate your union. Isn’t their presence enough of a present, especially if they’ve traveled to attend? How does this make sense?”
There was no shortage of opposition to Karen’s bold claims.
“Because people want to celebrate the joy of others by giving them a gift. It’s no different from giving a gift for a milestone adult birthday,” answered one of the first comments.
“I think wedding gift expectations have become ridiculous and that many couples seem absurdly entitled,” began another. “That said, that idea that a couple is more deserving of gifts because they’re marrying before they get their shit together seems crazy to me. Gifts celebrate the couple’s special event, they are really not a charity pool for people who need things or experiences.”
Karen went on to explain that she was inspired to ask her controversial question after perusing her cousin’s “ridiculously expensive” $400-plus wedding gift registry.
Perhaps her main gripe was with the expensive registry rather than whether the couple should receive a gift at all?
What are your thoughts?
Source: Reddit/WeddingShaming
Jill Slater
Jill is a busy wife and mother of four young children. She loves nothing more than making people giggle, and loves to settle in with a glass of wine (or four) and wander about the internet. Feel free to follow her to see all the cool stuff she finds!
