In this electronic day and age, a number of shops have prepared wedding lists on their websites. The couple to be married tell their guests where to access the list of their chosen shop. Guests go on the internet, choose a gift and pay for it, and the shop delivers it on the wedding day. I don't like this idea because it ties you down to the shop the couple have chosen, and some greedy couples will choose the most expensive shop, whereas I could buy them the same item from a garage sale at a cheaper price. Admittedly it will need cleaning a bit; but who cares. When you get married happiness is above all else; not gifts!
When I got married I did not want to prepare a list; but tradition is tradition after all.
The list proved useless. Not one guest bought us anything from our list. I had asked for a new house, a car, a luxury holiday, jewelleries, and similar small trinkets. But instead we got toasters, ironing boards, kettles, tea pots and similar small items. Let's face it, the price of a toaster is much much less than the guests would have consumed in food and drinks at our wedding. So I was out of pocket from the start. I remember it cost us a fortune getting my favourite hamburger bar to prepare all those meals with French fries and milk shakes.
Now many years later, I have grown older and wiser. I tell friends and family not to give us Christmas presents; but if anyone breaks the agreement and gives us something anyway, I wait until after Christmas and buy them something in the winter sales. Either that, or recycle some present that someone else has given us.
It's surprising how many good things you can buy in the sales. The other day I bought a shirt from the shop. The sign said "20% OFF" so it was a bargain. When I got home I found out they had cut the sleeves off.
What is the most useless present you have received?
PHOTO FROM OUR WEDDING
Ah ... but WERE they strapless dresses or ... ... ...
