Show wedding gifts once held legal obligation by a wedding custom common in the british isles until the early part of the century the couple ent out invitations in which presents were solicited from those alio accepted the bidding more istranec these solicited gifts were regarded in the light of debts to be paid back by the couple on the eve of the wed daig the groom received at his house presents of money cheese butter and cattle from his friends and the bride received similar gifts at her house from her friends an account of each gift and the giver was kept in writing by the clerk of the wedding and the presents then became debts which in some cases were transfer rable or as to other persons in other words these wedding gift debts were repayable upon demand at any time and upon refusal recoverable at law it was in scotland however where a wedding became a real business event at their penny weddings of the last century the expense of the carriage was defrayed not by the couple or their friends but by the guests all of whom paid something or stayed away detroit news |