My interest was whetted. I had to explore more about "cup towels." People are able to tell where I was raised by the way I refer to that cloth that I use to wipe dishes. Until now I thought it was only by the sound of the words coming out of my mouth.

There was interesting comment at www.victoriaadvocate.com.

Favorite gift was an iron skillet. Its 50 years later and it is used every day. No worst gift, grew up in a textile town and lots of towels and sheets. Those were stored in the cedar chest and lasted many years. Still have one set of sheets that I was "saving", the edges are trimmed with homemade tatting. Think its time I get them out and start using.

Patti43, I'm confused. What happened to your gifts?

I don't think I got any bad gifts. One of the best things I got was a laundry basket overflowing with pantry and kitchen items. That was nice and spared me from doing a lot of shopping for staples. I was 18 and had little knowledge of what I would need in a pantry.

I do remember having to exchange a set of sheets, though as we were given Kings and needed Queens.

My favorite was a very simple set of salt and pepper shakers I got from a cousin. I used them every single day.
My worst had to have been the electric hot dog cooker. We never did use it. Probably gave it to Goodwill or some such.

Not my favorite or worse but definitely my most surprising. When we opened our gifts, we received what we thought was a window fan (one of the square types.) The boxed looked new and never opened. We were married in the winter and so we put it away until summer. Imagine our surprise when we opened it to pull out the fan and instead found 2 feather pillows. Here when I wrote out the thank yous, I thanked them for a fan. That night that I was going to use the fan was so very hot. We lived in a trailer house at that time. Years later when I spoke to the aunt that gave me these she said she laughed so hard when she got my thank you and she decided it would just be a surprise because she rememberd how much I loved feather pillows from when I stayed at her house when I was a kid. I didn't have the heart to tell her that it was my sister that loved feather pillows. I hated feather pillows and brought my own when I stayed at her house.

Hm. One that comes to mind is the stainless steel mixing bowls my aunt gave me, I use them all the time. Didn't know I wanted them, but I love having them.

Sentimental value, another aunt made my wedding dress by hand.

Someone gave us a decorative set of bath towels, blue with lace ruffles. They are still on the shelf in the closet, never washed, used or even unfolded. They've been packed, moved and unpacked 3 times. It's been almost 18 years. I guess I could let them go. ;o) Actually, there are two sets, another is white with blue/pink roses on them. Towels for looks are of no use to me. Even if they were, neither set is my style.

I reread my post and it isn't very clear, is it? LOL! Our guess was the repairmen took the gifts since we were at work when the super let them in. Heck, maybe it was the super, who knows.

Oh! Cup towel = dishcloth (what I am used to calling them). Ok, got it! Thanks for clarifying. I love some of these stories! Great thread.

We received all our silver, china and crystal as wedding gifts, and a zillion monogramed towels at one shower. (The last two washcloths and a piece of a bath towel are still in the rag bin.)

I have a set of those Revere stainless mixing bowls and a beautiful *aqua* GE hand mixer. The mixer was from my piano and voice teacher; it's still in use, although one beater is slightly bent (hard brown sugar). Only the tall wooden salt shaker remains from a set; pepper grinder broke early on, but the salt has seen daily use in the kitchen. That was a shower gift from the mother of one of my bridesmaids.

The daily use things are more a part of my life than the formal table settings and imported linen cloths.

My MIL gave us our bedroom set -- sent me to the store to choose it. That's still in use.

Oh! How could I have forgotten the multiple fondu sets! (Now you know when we were married!)

I've heard people here in Newfoundland refer to them as cup towels too, I say dish cloths and never hear the term tea towel used.

Gosh, don't remember any bad gifts. We did get an orange enamal colander and I still use it. It reminds me of the gal that gave it to me. Because of the area we live in, we have lots of power outages. I always gave an oil lamp and oil for a shower/wedding gift. We have used our a lot and it was just practical. We got some strange looks, but were always thanked later when it was needed!!

The best gift was a set of Rada knives that I still use daily and have added MANY more to that set. (love those knives!)

The worst was from my Church shower....where all the old laides went to everyone single one..hey, there was lunch there! LOL Anyway, it was a face towel and a wash cloth, and I am positive the towel had been washed! (yes...it was the thought that counted)

We received lots of nice gifts, many of which we still use, like a little metal file box.

Monicapa, you got enough to be able to pool it for the DP on a house? That's amazing to me. I guess times have changed. We got married in 1968 and received mostly gifts and a few checks; the best check was for $7.50! The biggest check was for $50 and we thought we hit the jackpot!

Come to think of it, four of my kids got married from 1996 through 2003. None of them came anywhere near the dp for a house. Even pooling it with other funds, it took a lot more time and saving to get a dp. You were one lucky couple!

We did not get any money when we got married in 1953. When our youngest got married a few years ago, we could not believe the people that came to the wedding that never did give them a gift, not even the best man! They were at the catered reception too.

Sue

Shermann...we were married in 1966, and had a large formal wedding, over 200 people. Our first house cost 17,000...and both parents and my grandparents gave us money, too.
And...we both were working.
The smallest gift was a bag of apples from his GGrandfather, from his own apple tree - he was born on a farm in Italy and a bottle of his homemade wine. Often the smallest gift is given with a big heart and they were appreciated very much.

The worst gift we received was from my husband's parents - they didn't give us anything but instead said "Well let us know what you need." It wasn't a great way to start out a relationship with your in-laws. We never did receive anything and as a newlywed I didn't feel comfortable asking for something. I was working and my husband going to grad school and even a set of towels would have been welcomed. It took me a while to get over that hurt. Yet these were the same people who threw a lavish wedding for their daughter two years earlier and since they were going to be transferred to Texas they decided to give their daughter their home.

We always said "cup towels".

& "icebox"!

Best wedding gift must have been the copper-bottomed Revere Ware pots & pans from my mother-in-law;
I think I still have the Dutch oven, although I no longer have the husband!

worst?

I don't think I got a "worst", everyone was very nice & good-hearted...

We eloped almost 45 years ago. I had recently graduated from college, my friends had scattered to the winds, and my parents were dead, so we did not get much for wedding presents. The family dentist, my dad's friend, took $10 off my bill when I had my teeth cleaned and fixed before I left town to join my DH. DH's high school teacher sent us a carving knife and fork which I still use. The teachers with whom I worked gave me my stainless steel set of eating utensils. An aunt and uncle gave me some beer goblets and a stainless steel casserole. A couple of friends gave me a piece of my every day dishes. And that is all I can remember. I had a use for everything as we had only our separate bachelor pad supplies and no furniture. I still had my mother's collection of S&H stamps and had added some too. I spent those stamps on the stainless steel Revereware pots and pans and still use them to this day.

My best present was a toaster that worked. We used it 15 years until one day, my kids ruined it. They loaded it with pop tarts and went into the other room to watch TV. Come time to pop up, the tarts jammed the toaster and the heat kept pouring on. The first the kids noticed something was wrong was when smoke began to roll into the family room. My oldest child freaked out, but the next youngest had the presence of mind to grab the toaster with a towel and throw both into the back yard.

When I came home from work, there were my 3 kids sitting quietly together with a sheepish look - that wasn't normal! I smelled the smoke and began to look around to see what was wrong. They could have burned the house! The kitchen curtains were singed. And then I spied the darkened toaster in the backyard.

WalMart sells tea towels in bundles of 4 or 5 :-) Doesn't take much to make me happy!!!

Like Wantoretire, I love tea towels too! I get the ones from Costco for Christmas. I like both their tea towels and dish cloths.

I love the regional expressions. Never heard of "cup towels" and I wash my dishes with dish cloths.

The best wedding gift I received (for my "other" wedding, in 1978) was a pair of waterskis! DH had a boat, and some good friends pooled their money to get a great set of skis. They were right--no one duplicated that gift.

Hugs,
SadieSadie

We have one gift that fits both descriptions!

We got a mantle clock that is a bronze Egyptian goddess holding a clock face in her outstretched arms. Full disclosure, neither my DH or I, or any of our family are Egyptian. It was a gift from one of my great aunts, and very much not our taste, or hers for that matter. But it's the thought that counts, right?

Anyway, my husband unwrapped it, took it out and looked at me and said, "Holy cow! We are really getting married, aren't we?" Was a great moment.

The lamp sits on our mantle to this day.

My Good Housekeeping cookbook.

Backing has fallen off, pages missing, still love it.

Have it in a plastic bag to hold it together.

glenda, I saw a neat thing on "She's Crafty" the other day;

she took a falling-apart book & removed front & back covers & "spine".

Then she clamped the book's pages together with woodworking clamps (maybe C clamps?) so the paper wouldn't slip.

She measured & marked 3 spaces on the left side of the top page & drilled through the whole thickness with her handy drill & put the book into a 3-ring binder notebook.

sylviatexas, that's a neat idea! Thanks!

My spine has been gone forever.

My BH&G cookbook binding is held together with duct tape. It tore at the crease between the spine and front and back. That's working pretty good but a lot of my pages are falling apart and the dividers have lost the tabs. I literally learned to cook with this book and it's still my goto for a lot of things. My book is a three ring binder so if the binder was the problem, the holes are already there. I suspect Glendas is the same. Clever idea, though.

I bet Glenda's cook book is hundreds of pages of recipes for 'real food'. Her cook book is falling apart from use, and we've all seen her recipe posts here!

Maybe I can blame my lame cooking on my wedding cook book? It's Betty Crocker's "Dinner for Two" -- nowhere near falling apart from use. It's about a hundred 6 X 8 pages of the basics (one step above "how to boil water"). Some recipes begin, "Open a can of soup..." LOL

Got a nice set of Revere pots from grandparents, ceramic tea pot from Aunt, never used it but the memories are there and one thing I will never forget. One of DH's Aunts asked us if we needed glasses, and at that time we has so many so I said no thanks. But a couple of days later my MIL, which I loved dearly, said I had really had hurt Aunt xx feelings, (cannot even remember who it was now) and she was very upset as it was a very expensive set. I don't think she ever forgave us, but I still feel bad. She was one of the older Aunts. It taught me a good lesson, the rest of the 57 years, I said yes, than went from there.

I got three fondue sets in 1979. I don't remember ever making fondue, yet all three have disappeared. But my real favorite gift was a coffee maker from my parents next-door neighbor. It made the best coffee and I had it over 20 years. I don't recall the brand. I'm now on the third coffeemaker of my lifetime.

My Father In Law still had his jewelry store at the time of our wedding...We got lots of stainless flatware from the store...He got us our rings...My MIL lives in Colonial Williamsburg and we got lots of Silver and Pewter gifts from her friends...we had so many wonderful gifts...the worse...an aunt on my side either regifted or bought a set of towels from a window display...they had never been undone and when I opened them...were severely faded...they went right into the rag bag...

My favorite was/is the quilt my MIL brought back from a trip to PA. A handmade Amish one. We use it still! My least favorite was a set of kitchen canisters. They were cows I think. Horrid things.

Trish

I still have those multitudes of various sized silver trays, nut trays, salt and pepper, sugar and creamer stuff.

Haven't used in many many years.

I DO use the silver trivets!

My favorite is probably a piece of handmade pottery - made by the friend who gave it to us. I guess the worst was from my aunt and uncle (father's sister). One white fitted sheet and a trinket from Mexico where they vacationed at the time - a little painted wooden bowl kind of thing. I ended up using the sheet to make a halloween costume - no not a ghost, but a tube of Crest toothpaste.

32 years later these are at least the most memorable - aside from the usual china and crystal that I rarely use.

Our strangest (not worst) was a set of American Flag metal cannisters. Another strange, but very useful gift, was an ironing board. At the time, we had a 1969 VW bug and had to tie the ironing board to the back to get it home. We were driving home on the interstate from my mom & dad's where the reception was, and the wind caught the board and off it flew. We stopped the car to get it and by that time, a few cars had run over it. It was dented, but we used it for many years.

chisue - I laso had that Dinner for Two cookbook. I didn't like (still don't) to cook, so my mom got me that.

We had two gifts that were "best". One was a toaster that actually worked, and the other was a matched set of a salt shaker and pepper mill. We used the toaster for 20 years and are still using the salt shaker and pepper mill. Our 50th wedding anniversary happens later this year. There were other more expensive gifts as well, but these two stood out as the most useful.

I don't think I had a worse. I must have hit a year when people were more practical and too late for fondue sets - lol.
My best was an oak washstand that came from mom's house to mine. It was unexpected.
I gave a weird shower gift once. A lady I worked with and her hubby to be bought an older house and were repainting walls. I bought her a large picture hanging kit with lots of nails, screws and wires. She thought it odd at the time she told me later - when she called and said that was one of the most useful gifts she received.

Jemdandy -- I got 9 sets of salt & peppers... everything from the kitchen stove type, pottery figurines, and silver ones. And 3 electric skillets - all were avocado. Can you tell I was married in the 70's??

my "best" was an unexpected one...I worked in customer service and a very nice couple I dealt with regularly from
Mamaroneck, NY sent me a beautiful pasta dish...I can't remember the maker right now, but was easily the most expensive gift we were given. ( I hadn't even invited them to the wedding) I think of them fondly every time I use it...he has since passed away.
My "worst" was probably the stuffed bears...dressed as a bride and groom. What can you do with that after the honeymoon??

note to Salgal, re stuffed bears: target practice.

J (lol)

Sometimes I hurry thru long threads like this ,but read all of this one.
I got a lot of very useful gifts almost sixty five years ago. I got a lot of Fostoria pieces in the Americana pattern, which I really liked. I added to it thru the years but . My DIL liked it so as I'm unloading it I gave it to her.
Can't think of anything I didn;t appreciate.

Something that I just realized lately is that in this area brides do not seem to be interested in sterling silver flatware or fine china. I have 3 place settings of a Wallace sterling silver pattern and I explained to my DGD that it would go to her, and that I needed to add at least one more place setting.

She was so ho hum and showed no knowledge of the value. She would probasbly call it her "least favorite" wedding gift.

BarbaraTX: What a story! Made me chuckle!

Worst wedding gift, Favorite wedding gift....I'm starting to hate Freecycle!

ooops, wrong thread! lol

My favorite from my first marriage was a ceramic Quiche dish. I still use it. From my forever marriage we asked no gifts and it was very small. We got gifts but they were respectful of no gifts. We got letters, photos, etc. My favorite is from the in laws. A card with the nicest note. Makes me tear up just typing about it!

We got two gifts in total. A vacuum cleaner and a pressure cooker. Both most welcome and the pc is still in use. No ’shower’ and only 8 wedding guests. Just parents, siblings and their spouses.

DD got married during covid with the permitted 6 guests but a year later we had a party with 100 guests. They requested no gifts, just donations to two charities. The Italian side of the family found this diffcult to grasp and gave a lot of knickknacks they neither want nor need.

I love this thread.

1975: in a loving but improvished community.

i received glorious gifts. I felt so wealthy.

i received enough money to putchase four-place settings of Oneida stainless flatwear and a set of Winter White Correlle dishes.

Old thread, sad that some who posted either quit coming here are have passed away.