Calling all recent brides - reception question! (Long)

My wedding is in 3 weeks and I`m trying to decide how to handle the cards that guests hand to us. Option 1 - I tried making a bag I could carry but I 'tested' it by putting about 50 of our engagement and shower cards inside and it was HEAVY - and these didn`t even have envelopes! It`s conceivable that we`ll get even more than that, because Fi`s Mom says his side of the family never gives packages, always cards with checks. I don`t want to lug it around all night, or to burden someone else with it. There is no elderly relative to leave it with, who would be stationary most of the night. Option 2 - I bought a pretty, decorative antique looking bird cage on sale at Lord and Taylor today and plan to try decorating it with some ribbon and tulle. The drawback to this is that the wires are about an inch apart, and I`m not sure if this is secure enough. The tulle will block all but one, to slip the cards in. (I suppose I could make it so the cards won`t slip in, can only be put in through the door, which would have a small luggage combination lock and we could just deposit what guests give us.) A decorated box or mailbox is out of the question because there just isn`t time to add one more thing to the list of things to do in the next 3 weeks. So - what did all of you do? How did it work out? Were you worried about security and the possiblity of staff or guests from other parties wandering in and walking off with anything? I don't feel real comfortable leaving the cards in the cage, but I can't imagine having to lug them around and keep track of them either. Thanks in advance for your advice!!! Karen

Calling all recent brides - reception question! (Long)

You can rent a mailbox from Fantasyland. It is not too expensive and it does not take time (except to drive there.) I borrowed a decorated box from a friend.

Just a suggestion

Karen We are decorating a box (cost= almost nothing) and keeping it under the parents table-- I dont like the idea of walking around with a bag 'asking' for cards-- just my opinion--when guests give us cards we can just deposit them in the box and I have seen it numerous times when a guest gives the card to the parents of either the bride or groom so just make sure all those that need to know are aware of where it is-- Good luck Laura

Just a suggestion

My roommate from college used a wrought-iron birdcaged decorated with ivy for the cards. She just left it on the gift table, and it worked fine. I would definitely stay away from the combination lock...it sounds a little too extreme to me. You could always just use a small piece of wire to keep the door shut. Anyone fiddling with a wire would be noticed. Good luck in whatever you decide.

What we're doing

Hi Karen - how excited are you??? We bought a box - medium size (I got it at www.ultimatewedding.com). It is decorated and doesn't lock - people slip cards through the top After the wedding you can close off the top opening and use it to store your keepsakes. For security purposes I think I am keeping it at my parents table or under our front table - I'm not going to leave it out for people unless we are right there. It's a weird dilemma to have isn't it??

Thanks for the suggestions....

Thanks for the suggestions. I may go with the box under the table... I tested the birdcage I got, and it's too easy to slip cards back out. Since we live in Boston, trying to pick up a rental just adds one more complication to our list of things to do the day before... Unfortunately, there is a compulsive gambler in the family, and so I'm a bit more paranoid than I might be otherwise. That was my reasoning for the lock, although it would have been hidden under a big fluffy bow. You're right Lee, it is a wierd dilema to have. I just like to have that kind of stuff figured out beforehand rather than finding out on-site that I need to deal with it and I'm not prepared....

Karen H-Recent bride here

I just decorated a plain box with white paper and some tulle wrapped around it like you would if you were wrapping a gift. I made a bow with the tulle large enough to 'hide' the slot for envelopes. It looked like a gift on the table behind us and actually several people did bring gifts so it wasn`t sitting there alone. No one mistook it as an indication that they should 'deposit' their envelopes in it except for one or two people who sat near it. But it was hardly a big deal at all, it didn`t look tacky or obvious. It took 1/2 hour to make and it really was so much easier than a money bag. You will not want to be carrying that thing around or worry where you put it or encumber a family member with it. Realistically, you need to have somewhere safe to put all your envelopes and you don`t want to have to worry about losing any so your best bet is an entirely enclosed container of sorts. Put it wherever you feel comfortable. If you prefer it out of sight, that was a good suggestion to put it under the parents table.

Calling all recent brides - reception question! (Long)

My mom bought a bag for us and, as we got cards, we gave them over to my father in law, who was watching the bag. You won't be carrying the bag around with you. Most of our cards were given to us at the end of the night so my husband put them in his jacket pocket and we just kept giving them to his Dad, who was watching the bag.

What about a basket?

I never thought about someone taking any of the gift cards. I was thinking of decorating a basket. I would have the basket in the reception room, probably on a gift table next to the seating card table. You guys made me paranoid. any opinions??

caf73 - re: open basket

I`m sorry if my posting created anxiety for you! I`m probably being more worried about this than I need to be because at my brother`s wedding, my best friend had her gold Dunhill lighter taken off the table plus the fact that there is one guest that has had a life-long chronic gambling problem and family members have to hide any cash around the house because it tends to disappear, and our reception site has more than one event at a time, so I worry about some uninvited person wandering in and helping themselves. Hey, stuff happens - you just have to minimize the chances. Just to be safe, you`re probably better off having somewhere to put the cards that is out of site, either a closed box on the gift table, or at the parents table, but don`t let it make you paranoid - I just wanted to have my game-plan in place in advance so I could enjoy the reception and not worry about it then.

Karen H - card holders

Karen, We rented one that looked like a wedding cake, it had a lock on the bottom..it was very cute

MichelleW- Where did you rent it from and $$? *NM*

MichelleW- Where did you rent it from and $$? *NM*

Karen, I live in Yonkers, and rented it locally, they took a deposit of $100 and then gave us back 50 when it was returned

rental

I used a mailbox that had a plastic side opening and in order to get any cards out you had to flip upside down. And if someone was to do that you would see.