The tradition of giving wedding gifts to the newlyweds originates from a time when the couple would have spent their lives, prior to marriage, in their parental homes. Marriage was - and often still is - a time of setting up the new marital home from scratch. It was usual for friends or older relatives to contribute items of kitchenware, furniture or money to give the couple a helping hand.
Today, however, the reality is that very few couples start from scratch, often having lived independent of the parental home for some time prior to the marriage. The gift list was introduced to prevent duplication of the same gift. The couple compile their list of required items and then make that list available to anyone who intends to give a gift. This saves guests wasting money and time by giving a gift which is either unsuitable or is a duplication.
Read more
