Gift Etiquette and Springtime Weddings

If all of the flat silver has been provided, the addition of a “guest set” is extremely helpful. A guest set consists of one each item of silver that belongs in the original set.

Gifts For Easter Brides 

Silver has always been the most popular for gifts to a bride. This may be from the fact that flat silver is the easiest thing to select. Today we do not select silver for the bride according to our own choice, but ascertain the pattern which has been selected by the bride-to-be and the pieces not yet provided. To be sure, we never ask the bride-to-be for this information, but it can readily be obtained from her mother or near relative or her close friend. If all of the flat silver has been provided, the addition of a “guest set” is extremely helpful. A guest set consists of one each item of silver that belongs in the original set. Adding a guest set enables one to serve at once one or more guests. A guest set makes a peculiarly welcome and useful gift to a bride. 

Silver Dishes to Match Flat Silver 

As china dishes for vegetables are often ungraceful, always breakable, and according to the highest authorities in matters of taste and etiquette, now out of fashion for formal meals, a round or oval silver vegetable dish comes next in importance. These deep, round dishes may be used for salads and desserts. They range in size from eight to ten inches. The oval dishes begin with the ten-inch size. The dish known as “the dish of a hundred uses” serves admirably as a fruit salad dish, or for serving creamed chicken, asparagus, baked apples, moulded puddings, ice cream and other desserts, and, in the larger sizes, as a serving dish for chops, cold meats, etc... It is made in sizes ranging from 14 inches in diameter to nine inches. – By Florence Austin Chase, 1929

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

Etiquette for Bidding “Bon Voyage”

Should the gift be given on the boat, or would it be better to give it prior to their leaving?

Q. We are to bid “bon voyage” to friends who are leaving soon for Europe and I wish to know if a fancy box of chocolates, with a “bon voyage” card attached would be a suitable gift, as it is for ladies. Should the gift be given on the boat, or would it be better to give it prior to their leaving?

A. The box of chocolates would be quite all right for the parting gift. It may be given to the steward on the boat, with instructions to place it in their state room, or it may be given to them prior to their leaving, either of which would be correct. The former, perhaps, would afford the greater pleasure, since it would then be received after the excitement of saying “goodbyes” and leaving friends behind- and the surprise “done up in packages” in the state room would be more enjoy able.– By Florence Austin Chase, 1929

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