Not That I’m Planning on Divorcing My Fiance, But Does the Couple Keep or Return Their Wedding Gifts If the Marriage Lasts Less Than a Few Months?

While I hope you are not going into marriage with the though that divorce is on the horizon – calling off a wedding is a much better idea than going through with it and then calling divorce lawyers a few weeks later - but in the instance that you and your new husband decide you made a mistake, it’s only appropriate to return all of your wedding gifts.

Etiquette dictates that if the marriage lasts for less than six months, though some will say less than a year, it’s appropriate for the couple to return the gifts they received – cash and products – unless the product has been used.

Each returned gift should be accompanied by a personal note stating why you are returning the item to the gift giver (ex: you’ve separated).

It’s important to remember that there will be life (with your fiancé) after the wedding, and you should be focused on your married life plans as well as your reception details during your engagement.  It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of planning a wedding, but you want to make sure the person you're marrying is right for you.

If We Decide Not to Get Married Who Gets the Engagement Ring?

The engagement ring goes back to the person who owned it originally.  Here's a list of who gets it:

• If the groom bought the ring and proposed with it, it’s his. 
• If the bride bought the ring, she keeps it. 
• If the ring was a family heirloom it goes back to the family. 
• And if the groom tells his former fiance to keep it, then the bride can keep it, but to avoid a lawsuit I’d get that in writing.