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Format for engraving names on a wedding gift 2021/3/5 12:08
I am wanting to send a wedding gift to a friend who will be getting married. He and his spouse really enjoy cooking and so I wanted to gift them a nice Japanese knife with their names engraved, however I am not sure what the proper format is for engraving their names on a gift such as this. Should I do:
[Surname]
or
[Surname] [Groom's first name], [Bride's first Name]
or
[Groom's first name] and [Bride's first name]
or
[Groom's first name] and [Bride's first name] [Surname]
or something else entirely?

Also, should any honorifics be added to the engraving such as 様?
by Ben (guest)  

Re: Format for engraving names on a wedding gift 2021/3/5 12:55
Ben,
As a custom, we don’t give any cutting tool as wedding gift - the idea behind it is that it “cuts the bond/relationship.” So unless you’ve asked the couple what they want and they brought up the knife, I might suggest avoiding a knife.
by AK rate this post as useful

Re: Format for engraving names on a wedding gift 2021/3/5 13:01
For engraving, I would go for (first name) & (first name), no honorifics.
by AK rate this post as useful

Re: Format for engraving names on a wedding gift 2021/3/5 16:31
WHoops, the above suggestion about name engraving assumes that you have been on first-name basis with the couple, and that it will be written in roman alphabets.
by AK rate this post as useful

Re: Format for engraving names on a wedding gift 2021/3/5 17:13
I agree with the "(first name) & (first name), no honorifics" idea, even if the sender is not yet on first-name basis with the newlyweds.

I think it would be awkward to have, for example, "Taro-kun & Hanako-san" engraved on a tool that Taro and Hanako use regularly. And I wouldn't exactly be comfortable with "Suzuki Taro & Hanako" either, if it was up to me. "Taro & Hanako" would look best.

I also agree that knives aren't suitable as wedding gifts, or as gifts in general for that matter, but I did once receive a pair of quality scissors as a (non-wedding) gift with a note that said, "These scissors can cut anything, except friendship."
by Uco rate this post as useful

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