Engagement Gift Etiquette

The following etiquette rules are from Emily Post's Weddings by Peggy Post (her daughter-in-law), Third Edition (New York, HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 1999): From the following website: http://www.do-it-yourself-gifts.com/wedding-gift-etiquette.html Wedding Gift Etiquette : Engagement Gifts

"Traditionally, engagement presents are given only by close relatives and intimate friends upon the announcement of your engagement and are almost always intended especially for the bride. When the engagement party is a small dinner, cocktail party, or luncheon and a guest wants to give a gift, he or she takes it to the party. If everyone brings a gift, the bride-to-be may open them as part of the festivities. When the party is a large reception or cocktail party, gifts are not generally taken; if they are, they should not be opened during the party, to avoid embarrassing those guests who (correctly) did not bring any. The bride-to-be may decide to give her fiance a small engagement present, such as a pair of cuff links, a watch, or a key chain. These items may be engraved with the date of the engagement."