Wedding Gift Opening

We had a day between the wedding and the honeymoon, so we opened them together privately. We didn't want to leave it all in an empty apartment for two weeks, so we put everything in an envelope after we opened them all and dropped it off at my parents. They didn't even want to know how much it was or what was in there. I really think its something that should be done alone, not in front of a bunch of people. Its no one's business.

I can see opening physical gifts, but we really didn't get many because in our area, money is customary.

Apparently it's a thing where I am too. My FMIL wants to make it a "party" where FH's entire (immediate) family comes over they make food and we open our gifts. I agree with the money thing as well, I don't want to hear from anyone on the amount we got. For us it's going to be really difficult to make time to open them. We leave the next morning (sunday) for the honeymoon and come back the following saturday late. The next day is my mother and sister's birthday so I would hate to turn their birthdays into something about my wedding that's already passed. And I don't think I can wait a whole second week to get to that next weekend to open them just bc FMIL insists. If I get my way I think the Monday or Tuesday after the honeymoon where we are back to work we will just both get dinner and do them by ourselves. A nice reward getting back to the real world. Then once they are opened if she wants to know what we got she can come over. I think people are just nosy and they want to know what you get. She also probably wants to know who doesn't bring a gift because she believes that's a huge no-no.

Nope nope nope. I am super close with my FMIL and still won't open anything in front of her after the wedding. FH and I both took the Monday off work and plan to lounge around in our pajamas and open all the cards. I wish families would realize that the wedding isn't all about them...it's about the couple getting married.

In my family/friends in Iowa, it's standard to have brunch the next morning with close family and friends while they watch you open gifts and cards.

I was raised to keep any thing money related anything private. It's rude to ask someone what they make, how much they got on refund taxes... stuff like that. Fw on the other hand has no problem asking anyone/everyone any of these questions! It's embarrassing! I cringe every time I hear it! I would feel uncomfortable also. I REALLY don't want fw's parents to be there because they will actually say to us "Well we need this, or we need that..." hinting to give them money. They do it all the time! Drives me insane!

When I hosted my sister's baby shower people expected it, but I didn't set time aside for it. Plus we ran out of time anyways. A few people came back to our place and watched her open gifts. My sister said how much they were given from a card. She later told me her boyfriend whispered in her ear and told her just say we were given cash, not the amount. His side will take anything they can get their hands on.

I also don't like opening gifts in front of people.

I plan to write my thank you cards after each gift/card, so if someone does insist on watching us, it'll be very long and boring for them. I write long thank yous. lol

I was in a brunch wedding, and after the reception, we went back to his parents' house where we had gotten ready and left our cars. We changed, hung out, and then the bride and groom wanted to open presents. I was put in charge of writing down who gave what. It was super awkward. The brides parents gave $40. (weird family situation.) I was so uncomfortable knowing, but at the same time, the gossip in me was loving it... I think it's pretty tacky though. What someone gives/can afford to give is no one else's business.

I'm from Chicago, and it is customary here to give money for a wedding, not a physical gift. And anyone who I have ever talked to candidly about "the wedding night" told me that they went back to their hotel room and opened up cards and then passed out -- no hanky-panky, LOL! And since I am paying for the wedding, I totally see this as happening on my wedding night as well. So perhaps it is a regional thing to open cards/gifts, and if parents were paying for the wedding, I could see them wanting to know their return on investment. But my personal opinion would be to open in private.

In my area, it seems more common....My family and most friends have had a gift opening. We will be having one just with our parents, siblings and grandmas. I love the idea of saving all the cards for at home and opening just physically gifts in front of everyone.