Financially Savvy Wedding Gifts
Posted on July 30, 2007 by Her and tagged registry, wedding
Do you know a bride and groom who are financially savvy (or who could use some help in this area)? If so, then the Chicago Tribune has some great wedding gift suggestions. Instead of a stock pot, how about blue chip stocks for the happy couple? Or how about giving financial advice along with your marriage advice? A financial book instead of a cookbook? The article even recommends a favorite book of ours, Smart Couples Finish Rich by David Bach. I think Him and I would be surprised and pleased to receive any of these gifts at our upcoming wedding. What do you think? Would you ever give this kind of wedding gift?
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Sarah | Jul 30, 2007
I agree with anonymous.
If someone knew me very well and gave me that sort of gift, that might be a different story. It would be ackward to get stocks on a company I didn't know anything about. "uh, thanks? I avoid this company at all possible costs".
I dunno, maybe I'm in the minority. I would rather spend wedding money on that sort of thing instead of someone making the decision for me.
Avila | Jul 30, 2007
I would appreciate the gesture of someone trying to look out for my financial well-being.
eloquentdreamer | Jul 30, 2007
I think it all depends on how well you know the bride and/or groom. If I were the bride and the person giving the financial advise is someone who works in that field then I will be open to the present but if it is someone who does not work in the financial industry and is stuck in a rut as well, I will take the present with a grain of salt.
If you read the article, the suggested gift is a gift certificate for a session with a financial planner - not unsolicited financial advice from random wedding guests.
Hi Her,
I would like this kind of gift, because I'm interested in personal finance, as I guess you are! Those who are close to you would know that about you and probably know it would be appreciated.
I think these are great gift ideas for the right couple.
PS: Though I think E could have also said what a fantastic site this is(I check for updates daily and really enjoy both His and Her's posts) I probably would agree that the site is a little bit cluttered. However, this is more than made up for the fact that you guys put yourselves out there honestly and manage to be funny too!
Ariella | Jul 31, 2007
Sorry... I'm gonna go tacky on this one. People will only take control of their finances when they're ready, and you (as a guest) probably don't know whether they have healthy finances or not. I would stay away from this area.
"I think Him and I would be surprised and pleased to receive any of these gifts at our upcoming wedding."
Wait, what did I agree to? =P
JJ | Jul 31, 2007
As someone who will be getting married in the next year, I agree with the above posters. I would be offended to receive a financial planning book, gift certificate with and advisor etc. I'm inviting you to my wedding celebration, and you respond by implying that I don't know how to manage my money? Maybe that isn't the intent, but it can sure be interpreted that way.
Espescially since we're having a fairly big budget wedding - a gift like that would almost seem like a backhanded way of telling me my wedding was wasteful, or implying that I must have gone into debt to throw it.
For a Christmas gift, I gave my sister and her husband Smart Couples Finish Rich. She appreciated it quite a bit and it led to quite a few discussions regarding PF. She knew that I was into it and it opened up discussions between us. For a wedding gift, I would probably give these items only to close friends that know where I stand on money.
Gigi | Aug 1, 2007
Tacky.
It's like a honeymoon fund. I don't feel comfortable giving money to someone to pay for them to go on vacation and have sex.
Ariella | Aug 1, 2007
I agree that using the registry is tacky... but better to have a registry than to get other peoples' ideas of "great" gifts. I was at a wedding where there was no registry recently and there was an abundance of "cut glass" items. Ewwww. (I am aware that some people would love lots of cut glass. I am not one of those people. Hence, why we had a registry.)
MVP | Aug 3, 2007
I would if I knew the couple was open-minded about finances. I especially enjoy financial books that cover a variety of topics, which I can just leave on the shelf for future reference. And I would make sure the couple knows I'm giving the book because I enjoyed it and it was helpful to me, not because I want to preach. Someone gave us a natural family planning book for a wedding gift, and at first I found it a little weird. But I later picked it up and it has become a great reference book for us. To those who think these sorts of gifts are rude, do you also think that when someone gives you a cookbook, they're implying that you're a bad cook? Most people are just trying to help you start your marriage off on the right foot.
Jennifer | Aug 4, 2007
My mom's family is Asian, and cash is an accepted wedding gift. It's not solicited as a gift, you just end up getting envelopes of cash from aunts and uncles and godparents. And while I don't give my friends cash for their weddings, I have given them savings bonds (and I've given the same for baby showers, too). It seems the larger the wedding, the larger the registry, and the more ridiculous the gifts registered for are. I'd much rather give a $100 savings bond that will be worth twice as much in a few years than a vase that costs that much. So far, everyone has appreciated the gift of a savings bond.
I wouldn't give anything related to financial planning, though (unless I knew the couple was really into FP). That does feel tacky.
anonymous | Jul 30, 2007
I think this kind of gift could come across as very rude.
I consider myself very, very financially savvy, but I don't broadcast that to the world. If someone gave me a personal finance book, I would be offended. To me, it would be like buying any other kind of self-help book: weight loss, better sex, etc. Bad wedding gift unless you know it is needed. Even then, I would give something less preachy as a wedding gift and offer the book as "this book I just read and you might like" in a non-wedding context.
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