DEAR ABBY: In response to "True Story, Palm Beach, Fla." -- the case where a tuxedoed pair of con men made off with the wedding gifts brought to a country club reception -- may I add:
Bringing wedding gifts to a reception is boorish and bad manners. Wedding invitations are always sent a month before the wedding, giving the guests plenty of time to select and send wedding gifts to the bride's home. This not only allows the bride a head start on her thank-you notes (always a headache after the honeymoon), but it frees family members or friends from the irksome job of standing by the gift table at a time when everyone else is having fun. And then there is the massive job of hauling gifts back to the family home.
Let's return to the thoughtful good manners of yesteryear; send the gifts ahead of time. Maybe the following line added to the wedding invitation would help: "Please do not bring gifts to the reception." -- OFF MY CHEST
DEAR OFF: I agree that hand-carrying wedding gifts to the reception places an additional burden on the bride. However, a "line" on the wedding invitation asking that no gifts be brought to the reception would be out of line.