Wedding gifts worth taking overseas?
July 20, 2013 4:51 PM Subscribe
My wife and I are attending a wedding(ish) event, and are a bit stumped for gift ideas. The couple is currently in the US for the ceremony and attendant celebration, but will soon be heading back to Thailand, where they normally live and work. They didn't do any sort of registry, and obviously won't want to take anything bulky or heavy with them. Any brilliant ideas, other than cash?
Best answer: Can you have a place in Thailand send something to them?
That, imagine you received countless thoughtful, little, non bulky, light weight items at your wedding that you were supposed to fit into standard luggage allowance. Just don't go there.
posted by koahiatamadl at 5:04 PM on July 20, 2013 [3 favorites]
That, imagine you received countless thoughtful, little, non bulky, light weight items at your wedding that you were supposed to fit into standard luggage allowance. Just don't go there.
posted by koahiatamadl at 5:04 PM on July 20, 2013 [3 favorites]
A gift certificate to Kiva.org. They can lend the money, and then when it's paid back they have the choice to cash out and keep the money, or re-lend it.
posted by BlahLaLa at 5:06 PM on July 20, 2013
posted by BlahLaLa at 5:06 PM on July 20, 2013
Best answer: If they haven't specified another person to receive the gifts, such as a relative stateside, I'd be tempted to send whatever I want to their normal home address. While I was grateful for all my wedding gifts at my destination wedding, I was supremely grateful for the people who thought to send their bulky gift to our house instead.
posted by muddgirl at 5:12 PM on July 20, 2013
posted by muddgirl at 5:12 PM on July 20, 2013
(By bulky gifts I really mean that we had to arrange shipment for anything larger than a greeting card.)
posted by muddgirl at 5:23 PM on July 20, 2013
posted by muddgirl at 5:23 PM on July 20, 2013
I was married in the US, live in Canada, and did not have a registry because I absolutely didn't want to deal with schlepping a pile of gifts through customs. Also, we were in a tiny apartment and had enough stuff. Please reconsider just giving cash. I don't understand why people find it so impersonal and distasteful because MAN is it ever useful.
posted by makonan at 5:30 PM on July 20, 2013
posted by makonan at 5:30 PM on July 20, 2013
Response by poster: Okay, I get it. Frankly I wouldn't want a lot of crap to cart around either, and I'm not even going abroad. And, the couple has said as clearly as possible that they don't expect gifts. I guess I fell prey to the anxiety that maybe they didn't really mean it.
posted by jon1270 at 5:38 PM on July 20, 2013
posted by jon1270 at 5:38 PM on July 20, 2013
Let me point out that depending on the exchange rate at the moment, a wedding gift of american dollars would be even awesomer when they got back home and exchanged for baht.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 5:38 PM on July 20, 2013
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 5:38 PM on July 20, 2013
How about gift vouchers for Air Asia or Thai Airways? You could send them over e-mail and then post a printout in a nice card to their home address in Thailand.
posted by mdonley at 7:18 PM on July 20, 2013
posted by mdonley at 7:18 PM on July 20, 2013
Best answer: Gift cards or vouchers for things in Thailand? Central Department Store (chain of department stores), Asia Books (chain of English language bookshops). I can't find whether they do gift vouchers, but a dinner at Nahm in Bangkok would be nice too.
posted by AnnaRat at 7:36 PM on July 20, 2013
posted by AnnaRat at 7:36 PM on July 20, 2013
Ok, so in Asia, deoderant is hard to come by. I know they don't expect gifts, but a few sticks of that would actually be good. Kindle 3's or Touches if they don't have them. My Bose in-ear headphones get so, so, so many compliments (in Beijing), those might be appreciated, and the only place to buy them in Asia I've found is Hong Kong. Gift certificates to shoe stores like Red Wing or other quality leather shoe and boot manufacturers, because shoes in Asia, unfortunately, tend to be crap. Other than that, I can't think of much that wouldn't be available in Thailand, which, when you compare it to Beijing where I live, is kind of an expat paradise...Asian prices, Western goods and clothes generally available, shipping, flights, and media links all pretty solid. Beyond that, I can't think of much they'd lack for over there.
posted by saysthis at 12:38 AM on July 21, 2013
posted by saysthis at 12:38 AM on July 21, 2013
Ok, so in Asia, deoderant is hard to come by.
You're friends live in Thailand, not Motuo County, China. With Thailand’s approximately seven-thousand 7-11’s, they're going to be fine in the deodorant department.
posted by blueberry at 1:20 AM on July 21, 2013 [3 favorites]
You're friends live in Thailand, not Motuo County, China. With Thailand’s approximately seven-thousand 7-11’s, they're going to be fine in the deodorant department.
posted by blueberry at 1:20 AM on July 21, 2013 [3 favorites]
Thailand has really nice salons, often associated with hotels. You could buy them a gift certificate for one of those, especially if they live in Bangkok or a major tourist destination.
posted by Joe in Australia at 2:03 AM on July 21, 2013
posted by Joe in Australia at 2:03 AM on July 21, 2013
What about a US magazine subscription? I'm a US expat living in Ireland, and miss having access to US magazines. Yes, there are expensive international editions, but I really love the familiar magazine in the mailbox experience!
posted by trixie_bee at 4:00 AM on July 21, 2013
posted by trixie_bee at 4:00 AM on July 21, 2013
Cash is king.
posted by Mister Bijou at 4:43 AM on July 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Mister Bijou at 4:43 AM on July 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
I thought that in Asia in general, money was the only appropriate and expected wedding gift. A cursory Googling seems to confirm it.
posted by fingersandtoes at 5:29 AM on July 21, 2013
posted by fingersandtoes at 5:29 AM on July 21, 2013
Response by poster: I'm best-answering AnnaRat's answer primarily because Nahm looks like someplace I'd want to eat. I'm not sure it's quite the happy couple's speed, though; my wife thinks they might be more into street food than the Big Fancy.
I thought that in Asia in general, money was the only appropriate and expected wedding gift.
Interesting, but the ceremony is in Minnesota and the couple is western; they're currently living in Bangkok, but I don't know that it's a permanent thing.
posted by jon1270 at 6:42 AM on July 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
I thought that in Asia in general, money was the only appropriate and expected wedding gift.
Interesting, but the ceremony is in Minnesota and the couple is western; they're currently living in Bangkok, but I don't know that it's a permanent thing.
posted by jon1270 at 6:42 AM on July 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
Interesting, but the ceremony is in Minnesota and the couple is western;
And according to you, said couple "has said as clearly as possible that they don't expect gifts. I guess I fell prey to the anxiety that maybe they didn't really mean it."
Look, I know this wedding-gift business is the done thing in the US, but why not take them at their word? You know, don't do anything.
If that sits too uncomfortable with you, may I suggest you do what is the custom in China and South-east Asia... put some crisp bills in a red envelope and hand -over / send to the couple. Oh, if you give it to the couple personally, offer them the envelope with both hands.
Sure they are getting married in the US, but they live and work in Bangkok. Maybe they would be delighted to know you are culturally aware in such nuptial matters.
A red envelope? Check out a Chinese grocery store. If you can't see a red envelope... ask the store if they know where you can buy a 'lai see' packet.
Good luck.
posted by Mister Bijou at 11:04 AM on July 21, 2013
And according to you, said couple "has said as clearly as possible that they don't expect gifts. I guess I fell prey to the anxiety that maybe they didn't really mean it."
Look, I know this wedding-gift business is the done thing in the US, but why not take them at their word? You know, don't do anything.
If that sits too uncomfortable with you, may I suggest you do what is the custom in China and South-east Asia... put some crisp bills in a red envelope and hand -over / send to the couple. Oh, if you give it to the couple personally, offer them the envelope with both hands.
Sure they are getting married in the US, but they live and work in Bangkok. Maybe they would be delighted to know you are culturally aware in such nuptial matters.
A red envelope? Check out a Chinese grocery store. If you can't see a red envelope... ask the store if they know where you can buy a 'lai see' packet.
Good luck.
posted by Mister Bijou at 11:04 AM on July 21, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by brujita at 4:55 PM on July 20, 2013 [1 favorite]