It’s the day after the wedding. You see it waiting for you, the inevitable. The box is a funny shape, the wrapping paper is kinda wacky or it’s hiding in plain sight – just a normal looking card, but it’s there. A horrible wedding gift! Sometimes it’s not so much horrible as it is repetitive. Did people think you were moving into a mansion and needed 3 toasters? Gah! This frustration begs us to ask, is it ever okay to just… regift?
The answer is a tricky one. It is a little bit of a moral grey area in terms of gifting. But there are some unspoken rules about re-gifting that have come to pass over the last few years, here are the modern day tips on getting it right:
It should be brand new
You can’t just regift an old regifted item! It also can’t be last year’s new, it has to be this year’s new, brand-not-even-out-of-the-box-yet new. Without saying, it should be un opened, not used or tampered with in any way. If the regifted tries to return it, they should not be told that the item hasn’t been sold in shops for months or years!
Do not regift in the same circles
To spare feelings, it might not be a nice idea. Both parties will feel hard done by in some way. Also, if the gift is unique, it will be easy to identify amongst your social circle.
Don’t regift something handmade
Just don’t. Even if it’s very ugly, someone physically put in the effort just for you. At worst, you’ll have to throw it on yourself or the mantel piece when they call around for dinner.
Rewrap your regift
Take that little bit of time to wrap the gift again. We knew someone who regifted a wrapped box of chocolates once that had a note written inside for someone else… Eck! Avoid the awkwardness and double check that no signs of previous life exist on your packaging too!
Don’t regift to just avoid spending money on the regifted or because you hate the item
Not just because it really is a little tacky but because what you give is a reflection of your taste too. It’s also a reflection of how you feel about them. Most would agree that they would rather not have a gift at all over the burden of adding another item “of junk” to their home. If you wouldn’t actually give this person the item anyway, you shouldn’t be giving it to them!
Regifting can add value
A quilt passed down from your grandmother? That locket your future daughter will love? This is when regifting can be a beautiful thing!
