Small “I’m sorry” gift
April 28, 2019 1:55 AM Subscribe
My cousin is getting married in October in our home state where she lives. I live across the country and won’t be able to make it due to pregnancy (it will be too close to my due date to fly). I don’t see or talk to my cousin often, but I love her and I’m really sad to miss the wedding. She was very understanding when I told her I wouldn’t be able to make it, but I know she’s bummed too - weddings are a really big deal in our family. I’m going to see her in a couple weeks and I’d like to get her a small something to show her that I care about her and about the wedding.
My budget is somewhere around $20 - $50, I’d like to keep it on the lower end of that but have some flexibility. This will be in addition to a regular wedding gift for her and her fiance, which I will purchase off the registry in the future. This gift is more symbolic than anything else - I want her to understand that I really am very sad that I am not to be able to make it!
The flight is around five hours and there’s just no way that it will be possible for me to go.
My cousin is in her late 20s and I’m 6yrs older than she is. We’re both women. She likes to go out, eat good food, go drinking. I don’t know a ton about her hobbies. We’re close in the sense that we saw each other a lot as kids, played together, etc, and we see each other regularly but infrequently as adults - probably 1-2 times a year, always in a group family setting.
My budget is somewhere around $20 - $50, I’d like to keep it on the lower end of that but have some flexibility. This will be in addition to a regular wedding gift for her and her fiance, which I will purchase off the registry in the future. This gift is more symbolic than anything else - I want her to understand that I really am very sad that I am not to be able to make it!
The flight is around five hours and there’s just no way that it will be possible for me to go.
My cousin is in her late 20s and I’m 6yrs older than she is. We’re both women. She likes to go out, eat good food, go drinking. I don’t know a ton about her hobbies. We’re close in the sense that we saw each other a lot as kids, played together, etc, and we see each other regularly but infrequently as adults - probably 1-2 times a year, always in a group family setting.
Champagne flutes and a bottle of nonalcoholic champagne so you guys can toast the engagement together? A set of 4 would take you pretty close to your price limit.
posted by salvia at 10:04 AM on April 28, 2019
posted by salvia at 10:04 AM on April 28, 2019
If cousins would generally give toasts at the wedding, you could record yours on some kind of device for her to play if she wishes or at least listen to on her own.
posted by teremala at 10:57 AM on April 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by teremala at 10:57 AM on April 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
If your cousin is so inclined could you give her something “old”, “new”, “borrowed”, or “blue” to wear? Even better if it’s something you own (possibly from your own wedding) to tick off old, borrowed and blue at once.
posted by like_neon at 1:35 PM on April 28, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by like_neon at 1:35 PM on April 28, 2019 [1 favorite]
This isn't a physical gift, but could you offer to help with some part of the wedding planning from afar? Or talk to her about specific plans to visit her after the baby is born?
posted by Red Desk at 1:37 PM on April 28, 2019
posted by Red Desk at 1:37 PM on April 28, 2019
In my circles (US middle-class), one is expected to buy a wedding gift if you are invited, even if you can't make it. So, I would frame this as a wedding gift, and would buy something off the registry. It should have many gifts at that price level.
If they don't have a wedding registry, standard wedding gifts are things for the home: beautiful serving platters or bowls, a nice throw or dish towels, a pitcher or teapot, etc. Include a gift receipt if possible.
posted by amaire at 9:58 AM on April 29, 2019
If they don't have a wedding registry, standard wedding gifts are things for the home: beautiful serving platters or bowls, a nice throw or dish towels, a pitcher or teapot, etc. Include a gift receipt if possible.
posted by amaire at 9:58 AM on April 29, 2019
How about a gift card for a pre-wedding manicure or pedicure? You could schedule a Skype date during the mani and spend a little time “together” right before the wedding.
posted by rebeccabeagle at 5:20 AM on April 30, 2019
posted by rebeccabeagle at 5:20 AM on April 30, 2019
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by sciencegeek at 2:20 AM on April 28, 2019 [15 favorites]