Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-12-17
Custom Of lndlSoriminate Be-
slowing Of Gifts to Bridal
Couples Questionable.
LONDON is RESPONSIBLE.
Movement Taken Up I'm America
Rule Subject to ENceptions-Closo
Relatives May Give Presents.

The custom Of giving wedding pres
ents Is much less fashionable IN smart
circles than IL used % DE, and London
is largely responsible for the change.
Not long ago an English bride to De.
the daughter OF a NOBLE house, sent
out with the invitations TO her we'd
cling request that no wedding pre-
sents should be given. Previous TO
that several brides socially high up
had verbally expressed themselves In
the same way but as 10 Is not pos
slble to reach In this way the hundreds
OF persons asked 10 "A big wedding.
their sentiments were not known oN-
copt to the few iuumates from whom
gift would probably be received, no
matter what the brides feeling on the
subject might be.
Like every other rule, Of course. this
rule will have exceptions. Just how
many exceptions the bride who sent
out the printed requests has discovered
is not known. Ii rs known that trom
thcn ON fashionable English brides
have set their faces against receiving
wedding presents from any but rela-
uVes and that I'm London the vogue
cf sending wedding presents lndls-
Criminately is dying fast ASK New
Y DIRK silversmith or a dealer ln cut
ELN-r Ut me NINN NlnNNN NANA ANtAf -t--'tAt1
Off in the demand for wedding pres
ents and he viii say. mo, at once
What is more. he viii refuse TO enter
tain so harrassiag a thought.
But when mothers and daughters
who are identified with the very veal
thy class are approached on the same
subject they tell quite another story.
The other day hen young and very
charming widow Identified with the
Newport colony and the Long Island
hunting set announced her approach
ing marriage she also announced that
she didn't want any wedding presents.
That she will go so far as 70 nave
q notice 20 that effect Included IN the
wedding invitations is not likely.
social leader I'm the same set says she
thinks il quite unlikely that Americans
will go so far as that In any case.
In the DAYS when numerically New
York society was below rather than
above the 400 mark the welding pres
ont problem was easy enough.
HOW CUSTOM GREW.
Weddings were comparatively small
then and the guests We're for the most
part well acquainted with one another
and with the bride ana bridegroom.
There was considerable sentiment at
tHched TO wedding gifts, which were
not anything like so costly as lhey
afterwards came 20 be. Handsome gifts
Were then included 90 the array ana
were valued as highly as are pearl
necklaces now. But society didn't stay
at the 800 mark on anywhere near IT,
New sets and cliques were formed as
fortunes and finer houses increased,
and general intimacy was impossible.
In lis private entertainments this and
that clique kept itself pretty much as
they do now. but when 1t came 10 a
wedding there were reasons why II was
Just as well why it was necessary In
fact. TO go outside of ones own partic-
ular circle DOB sending out invitations.
IL was one way Of extending courtesy
of showing an attention TO persons not
exactly intimate. And the bigger the
wedding the larger the the number on
presents was sure TO be.
SPIRIT OF GAMBLING.
Il never knew a young girl yet but
who liked wedding presents social
leader admitted mot for their value
but for the excitement Of getting them,
the unexpectedness OF the arrival OF
this and the other thing. IL Is the
same idea exactly as playing for prizes
or taking part I'm a lottery bargain
sale or in doing anything else which
PROMISES TO give something for nOtn-
ING. Americans are great gamblers, as
everybody who knows them knows
Had not society grown so fast no
change probably would have taken
place IN the etiquette OF bridal gifts.
AS a. was the custom OF giving wedding
presents reached almost a frenzy. Per-
sons known scarcely more than by
name TO either family and who were
invited only 10 church sent valuable
gifts. Friends invited 10 the house
felt that unless they could give pres
emit they really ought to stay away. IN
some social authorities are correct
half dozen years ago that guest az
"A house wedding who did not send a
gift was deemed very peculiar. TO say
the least AT that time brides who
would have been quite shocked II ac-
cused OF bad taste exhibited two or
three hundred wedding gifts with the
cards OF the donors IN plain view and
there was speculation among brides
| to be- as 10 which would get the most
numerous and the most valuable pres
l ents.
REACTION SET IN.
| II was Just about then It seems. that
I q reaction began 10 set in Women %
I good taste were beginning 70 squrm-
+ as one Of them expressed it-at be-
I ing placed under obligations 20 per-
sons with whom they were not lnu-
mate. of having valued friends feel az
I "a disadvantage because not able to give
/ the bride as much as the next one
give ANA of having their daughter
begin married ufe mortgaged to some
extent 20 extend similar courtcsios 10
several hundred persons whether she
rould anord 81 on not This change
/ has become more marked every year
since no was soon the exception for
wedding presents no be shown Go any
but "a favored few. Next when gifts
were displayed to the chosen ones cards
welo removed beforehand II began 10
II