HSN Wedding Godmother Annie Gilbar Makes 'Wedding Wishes' Come True During New Gift-Giving Event on May 10

PRNewswire-FirstCall
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.

Spring marks the high point of wedding season and that means it’s time to shop for gifts for the special couple. While wedding advice and how to’s are plentiful for brides and grooms, many gift-giving guests are still left with lingering questions about what to buy and wedding day etiquette. On May 10, TV shopping network HSN and http://www.hsn.com/ will answer those questions with the launch of “Wedding Wishes,” a comprehensive new gift-giving show featuring HSN’s wedding Godmother, Annie Gilbar.

A best-selling author of 18 books, including the wedding advice book “Wedding Sanity Savers: How to Handle the Stickiest Dilemmas,” “Scrapes,” and “Questions That Arise on the Road to Your Perfect Day,” Annie is uniquely qualified to help viewers make wedding wishes come true for the special people in their lives. During the live HSN broadcast she will give an insider’s viewpoint on the best gifts to buy and practical advice on the etiquette involved in gift giving.

“HSN is excited to be offering new wedding gift options to our millions of viewers,” states Rob Gruen, HSN’s Executive Vice President of Merchandising. “Our vast assortment of products, ranging from classic jewelry to high-quality Wolfgang Puck cookware to hard-to-find gifts for the home, provides our viewers the ability to find that perfect wedding gift from the comfort of their own living room. Having someone with Annie Gilbar’s credentials to share advice, while presenting her favorite gift picks, makes for an informative and fun shopping experience that’s exclusive to the network.”

“Although it is an honor to be included in a couple’s special day, it can be challenging trying to decide what is enough or finding that unique wedding gift that will always remind the couple of you,” says Annie. “As HSN’s wedding Godmother, I can’t wait to help everyone involved in the wedding process make their wedding wishes come true by providing choices I know will delight the lucky couple.”

As one of the founding editors of InStyle magazine, Annie is well suited to answer questions, dispel gift-giving myths and present her general rules to keep in mind when giving gifts during the wedding and pre-wedding festivities. Some of her tips include:

* Don’t Wait a Year to Send A Wedding Gift! Many people still believe in the age-old myth that you have up to a year after a wedding to give a gift, but according to Annie, even three months is too long. She feels if you wait a year to send a gift, you shouldn’t have gone to the wedding. Not only is it not nice, it’s almost unacceptable … and not worth the guilt you’ll endure.

* How Much Do I Spend? There is no special formula to determine the appropriate amount to spend on a wedding gift. This all depends on how close you are to the couple, the kind of gift you think they would love, and the price of gifts usually given within your circle of friends and family. Annie advises to first choose something you know she or he would love, and then spend whatever you can. Price should be a secondary consideration, as long as you are within your own limits.

* Do I Have to Stick to a Wedding Registry? Absolutely not, according to Annie. You can use a gift registry to get an idea of what the couple wants, and then choose a gift elsewhere that is in the same vein or that has more creativity or variety than the ones they chose. Imagine the appreciation and happiness a gift gives when it is a surprise, like a personalized picture frame (HSN.com item #718-536) filled with warm wishes from all of the couple’s dearest friends.

* Gift Cards: The Gift That Keeps Giving. The idea that gift certificates or gift cards are not personal is so outdated. In today’s world, gift cards, like those offered at HSN.com are everywhere because you can’t go wrong as a gift giver and the recipient has fun and looks forward to spending it. Including a kind comment in the note like “Saw so many things here that reminded me of you … enjoy!” makes it all the more personal and thoughtful.

* Arrive Empty Handed. You have been invited to the wedding, not your gift. Unless otherwise requested, it is always best not to bring your wedding gift to the wedding itself. Sending your present to the recipients in advance or immediately following the wedding (not months or even weeks after) is the most thoughtful thing you can do as a guest. No bride, groom, mother or father wants to be packing up a car with large platters or fragile frames after an emotional late night or long day.

* Wrap Up Those Wedding Cards. If you do bring your gift, include the card inside the gift box before it’s wrapped to ensure it doesn’t get lost in the shuffle from the reception hall to the couple’s home. With dozens, sometimes hundreds of gifts, it’s easy for a card taped to the outside of a package to get separated, leaving the couple with the difficult task of trying to figure out who to send a thank you card.

For more gift-giving tips and advice, tune in to HSN’s Wedding Wishes on Wednesday, May 10 at 1 AM, 7 AM, 1 PM and 7 PM (all times EDT) or by logging on to http://www.hsn.com/ . A special preview will be available on HSN’s sister network, America’s Store, on May 9 at 8 AM and 9 PM (EDT).