What was the strangest wedding gift you received?

louche

Thu, Jun 24 2010, 2:37 pm

shabbatiscoming wrote:

one day when my parents clean out their house they will find a very fancy box with our invitation on it Smile

What a pity it was engraved; you or your folks could have sold it or regifted it, otherwise.
A very considerate friend of mine never writes a dedication on the flyleaf of a book she gives as a gift, just in case you already have the book. She writes the dedication on a card she puts inside the book, so you can exchange it if you like.

solo

Thu, Jun 24 2010, 3:39 pm

MiracleMama wrote:

Someone gave us a puppy.

ooh I would love such a gift
although im quite sure dh would not.
did they know u wanted one?
I once got a baby chick as a gift. it was cute but I had no idea what to do with it.
the pet shop didnt want it either so I kept it arround till it was big enough and then let it go.
dh says it was eaten by a cat before it it could fly away Crying

Raisin

Thu, Jun 24 2010, 3:52 pm

louche wrote:

amother wrote:

We did receive a number of mezuzah cases without kosher scrolls. Please don't give me a gift that I have to spend money on to make it useful.

They're saving you the expense of buying the case. It isn't as if they're giving you a painting you have to frame--which you wouldn't have to do if you didn't have the painting. You's have to buy the scrolls in any event.

actually our minhag is not to use mezuza cases, except for clear plastic ones. But some people would ratehr know where their mezuzos come from, we wouldn't buy a mezuza in a Judaica shop but would get it directly from a trusted sofer.

MiracleMama

Thu, Jun 24 2010, 3:53 pm

The puppy was from a friend who knew I loved dogs but that DH would never in a million years want one or agree to one. So my friend had the idea that if the puppy was gifted to us I would get the dog I really wanted and DH couldn't be upset with me because after all, it was a gift - I didn't bring it home. Well, it worked. We had the dog for nearly 10 years and DH even grew very attached over the years.

OOTBubby

Thu, Jun 24 2010, 4:06 pm

Raisin wrote:

louche wrote:

amother wrote:

We did receive a number of mezuzah cases without kosher scrolls. Please don't give me a gift that I have to spend money on to make it useful.

Excellent point. DD received a klaf in a case as a wedding gift from a relative (who we would have thought would have purchased it in a reliable place. She used it for a few years until it came time to check mezuzahs at which time the sofer told her it was a minhag Sefard mezuzah and was pasul for Askenazim (which we are).

realeez

Thu, Jun 24 2010, 8:36 pm

OOTBubby wrote:

slushiemom wrote:

Yocheved84 wrote:

A card offering myself and DH a free haircut and color. 1) I was going to be covering my hair anyway and 2) DH is bald.

We got a nice kiddush cup with a plate- and on the plate had the name engraved of the people who gave it to us! not as regifted, but it said in hebrew 'from mishpachat X'

we think of them every time we make kiddush Smile

Yes, several of DS received bechers as Bar Mitzvah gifts that were engraved as a gift from X (including from a prominent Rav in our city).

We had that with a mayin acharonim - it had their name (without saying "from") and our wedding date.
as in:

Sara and Avraham Schwartz
June 1, 1950

So to me it always felt like they had their names on it before intending it for us and added our date.

Rodent

Thu, Jun 24 2010, 10:11 pm

A CD of instrumental Jewish wedding songs. Like they were listed with whatever Jewish name. But when you listened to them they were secular songs that had had Hebrew words added. But it was instrumental, they were just the secular melodies. And it had the warning about copying being against halacha. I bet using these tunes without credit was against halacha too! So bizarre but the guy wasn't all there.

sequoia

Thu, Jun 24 2010, 10:45 pm

louche wrote:

shabbatiscoming wrote:

one day when my parents clean out their house they will find a very fancy box with our invitation on it Smile

Do you mean she's the author? If so, very considerate of her indeed, although many people like having their books signed.

If she's not the author, then who on earth would write in a book???

louche

Thu, Jun 24 2010, 11:30 pm

sequoia wrote:

louche wrote:

shabbatiscoming wrote:

one day when my parents clean out their house they will find a very fancy box with our invitation on it Smile

Do you mean she's the author? If so, very considerate of her indeed, although many people like having their books signed.

If she's not the author, then who on earth would write in a book???

No, no, not the author--a signed dedication from the author would make it more valuable some day. Lots of people write a dedication on the flyleaf, as in "to my darling daughter on her bat mitzvah, may this book be your guide and inspiration. love, Mom" or "to a sweet couple, our best wishes on the occasion of your marriage. may the insights in this book serve you well for many many years to come." That guarantees that they won't forget who gave it to them--and it also guarantees that they can't return, exchange or regift. Even if they have it already. Exploding anger

amother

Fri, Jun 25 2010, 3:52 am

A six-piece salad bowl set that only had 5 pieces when we opened it!

A set of cheese knives - we get a very limited number of kosher cheeses in our city! Not lots of fancy blocks of them to put on display with a knife.

A coffee maker - we both don't touch coffee! Shame as would be a nice gift for the right person.

A giant, and I mean giant - nearly 1m long tray in the shape of a fish. The sorts of trays caterers use for displays. Not only did I stare at it blankly thinking that us entertaining on that sort of scale is a while off, but I also hate fish!

A tray with Chinese writing on it - who knows what the words mean - eek?!

sequoia

Fri, Jun 25 2010, 4:03 am

louche wrote:

sequoia wrote:

louche wrote:

shabbatiscoming wrote:

one day when my parents clean out their house they will find a very fancy box with our invitation on it Smile

Do you mean she's the author? If so, very considerate of her indeed, although many people like having their books signed.

If she's not the author, then who on earth would write in a book???

It's not right to write in a book, unless you wrote it. At least that is what I was taught.