Cancelled Shower bc of Covid19

Sorry, did you cancel or postpone? If postponed, let people know you’ll open at the postponed shower, maybe? Maybe you could do a virtual shower where you setup a google hangout for everyone to join and you open the gifts then?


I think if I had sent a gift in advance for a shower that was canceled I’d want the bride to keep the gifts. Depending upon how close I am to the bride that might just become the wedding gift (if the shower wasn’t rescheduled and then I’d possibly bring just a congrats card to the wedding then). Hard to say, this is all very unusual!

I would just thank them for the gift anyway.

I cancelled because we are very close to the wedding (May 2nd), and I’m not sure if/when I’ll be able to fly home again. Regardless, they will get a thank you card. I’m just not sure if it’s protocol to return them for a cancelled shower. I mean, at this point, it’s possible the wedding will be cancelled too - so I’m just not sure what to do if it’s all cancelled. If we do cancel, we’d just elope bc we spent our wedding budget already.

As long as you're not permanently canceling the wedding (which does not at all seem to be the case here), there's nothing wrong with going ahead and opening the gifts now. Just be sure to send out personal thank you cards so everyone knows you received the gifts and appreciate them.

I would just send them thank you cards. I don't think you need to return them or anything. We had people send us gifts that didn't attend my shower or we the wedding. I didn't return the stuff. I kept it and them sent them a nice thank you card.

The plan seems to have been for you to open the gifts alone (not in front of shower attendees) anyway, right? That’s why they were sent directly to your house and not brought to the shower? So having to cancel the shower doesn’t really have an effect on the gifts. Just treat it has you would have had you gone forward with the shower. I may add a quick phone call to your intended attendees to thank them “in person” since you won’t get that chance, but keep the gifts and send a thank you note as you would have anyway.

View Quoted Comment Thanks everyone... I’m feeling better about the protocol. I appreciate the advice. This is truly a crazy time to be dealing with wedding stuff... a wedding that may not happen if things don’t calm down.

People don't buy gifts as admission tickets to a shower party. They come to the party to give you a second gift, in addition to the wedding gift, sent later . So assume they want you to have the gift. They are only returned if you don't get married. Not if a party is canceled.

View Quoted Comment Frankly, even if you did elope the reason why is common knowledge and I think people would understand you keeping the gifts. I probably wouldn’t return them, just send a thank you note as planned.

Agree with everyone else--keep the gifts and send thank you notes! These are not normal times and people will understand. As another person said, gifts are not an admission ticket to a shower. These are things people want you to have!

I would never expect a bride to return a gift due to her shower being cancelled for reasons beyond your control. It's not like you arbitrarily changed your mind or called it all off, you know? You are dealing with a difficult situation that's 100% beyond your control and I think it would be expected by everyone who sent gifts that you keep them!

I love the idea of FaceTiming each person or doing a group chat as you open the gifts one day. I think that would be a nice option to offer to people and a fun way to connect with everyone and still have a little party

Wow!!! Use precautions