Gilded Age Wedding Gift Etiquette

Array of Gilded Age combination salt cellars and napkin holders, patented in 1877. A set of any of these designs would make a lovely wedding gift for the bride and groom who enjoy entertaining. A salt cellar and napkin, after all, would be the required etiquette for each place setting at a dinner party or luncheon.

A good rule is to send a wedding present a couple of weeks at least before the wedding, as gifts sent early are sure of being much more appreciated than those that come from all quarters at the last moment. By observing this rule the sender will not hear “the salt cellars you so kindly sent were charming"- the third set already received.”

The package should be addressed to the bride if you are intimate with both the prospective bride and groom: and to the bride's house, addressed to the bridegroom if it is he with whom you are best acquainted.

The future circumstances of the recipients should govern the choice of gifts, and if they will not be particularly well off it is only kind to select some useful present instead of something artistic and pretty but of no use to them. – The Social Mirror, 1899

 🍽Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber of The RSVP Institute of Etiquette, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia