Life would be so much easier if all your guests just followed the rules and bought you gifts off your registry, right? While your first instinct may be to toss the offending item in the nearest trash bin, try to resist the urge.
A wiser solution: Simply keep the gift tucked away in a closet and set it out when your gift-giver drops by. After a solid year, you can discreetly let it “disappear” (though make sure it’s not on eBay or Craigslist if you know the gift-giver is an online bargain hunter). Most people only notice the items they gave the first few times they swing by -- after that, you’re probably in the clear.
We asked Nesties to reveal their most horrific wedding loot and what they decided to do with it. Get ready to laugh.
“We got a birdhouse shaped like a flip-flop. I put it out on my deck because I felt bad, but it fell down, and when I saw it on the ground, I just left it there. Our dog chewed it up.” --MrsLakos
“A padded toilet seat cover that read ‘Massage Parlor’ on it. What the hell?! We had a good laugh about it, but we ended up giving it away.” --dianetaylor
“A tea set that’s soooo not our style (pink flowers with gold trim). I did what anyone would do in this situation: I gave it away for free on Craigslist.” --Bella.in.CT
“A rusty iron garden stake with our names scratched on it. I dropped it in the trash immediately because I was worried I’d need a tetanus shot.” --nycgirl31
“A regifted bride and groom cookbook from 2002…the same year the person who gave it to us got married (we married in ’05). Coincidence? I think not! When I returned it at Williams-Sonoma, the cashier told me it was worth two bucks.” --kelinjay6
“A heavy silver bowl with raised grapes all over it. We tried selling it at a garage sale, but no one wanted it. It went to Goodwill in the end.” --paith041
“A crystal figurine of a married couple dancing at their wedding. To my surprise, I found it at Walmart. So yes -- I returned that $20 baby.” --jsvb14
-- The Nest Editors
See More: Decor Tricks , Family & In-Laws , Love & Sex , Couple Issues
62835118 
UBSmokie
Our most interesting/"huh?" gift was a crocheted toilet paper cover. For some reason the color selected was brown and the creator decided to put some pom poms on it too, like you'd find on a ski cap. My husband didn't realize what it was and tried to wear it as a hat. We had the BEST laugh out of that!
62674941 
MikesLover1
Something was not quite right with our registry and we ended up with EIGHT sets of pyrex bowls. We were able to return most of them. However, the greatest gift of all was a gray throw blanket with a tiger on it - lots of animal print. Not our style at all.
62422128 
Mrs Bare
I decided not to have a lingerie shower, so as our wedding present, my husband's aunt bought a neon orange and pink swirled see-thru tank top with huge ruffles across the breast area, complete with matching ruffled granny panties; and as a bonus, a can of chocolate cake frosting.
62062692 
c00kie7
My husband and I received a HUGE decorative chocolate brown and lime green plate from his Aunt and the shop that she owns. We had absolutely no idea what to do with it, let alone where to put it, so we regifted it to a couple who got married one month later than us! ha ha It was the worst idea ever! I couldn't believe the guilt we felt or imagine their expression when they saw what they received from us because it is clearly not our taste! We ended up feeling so badly that we gave them another gift because we got two Belgium waffle makers! ha It was the start of a very funny honesty thing and we are all now able to share just about anything between the four of us! :)
61964137 
audrey116@gmail.com
One of our friends offered to play cello during our ceremony and we politely declined. On the day of our wedding (to which she brought a date), she gave us a card with no gift. She later told us, without us asking, that playing the cello was her gift and we had turned it down.
61935701 
lgraff4
so we accidentally invited a guy and his wife (they were on my mom's christmas card list and accidentally got a wedding invite). The guy gave me a hard time in the receiving line, complained that the dj's music was too loud AND the gift from them was a totally cheap pos ice cream scoop (that we did NOT register for) that had "a gift from [so and so]" inscribed on the handle!!! Give me a break!! Dropped that off at the goodwill 2 days later and still hope someone they know finds it ;)
61777627 
ariane1010
One of my good friends got a fruit cart shaped tea-light scent candle burning thing. It was hideious. On top of all that, her now husband HATES anything that smells very strong, so no potpourri or scented candles for them!
61753883 
ncaquabride
a cookbook... titled "the SINGLE girl's guide to fabulous cooking"
61592186 
caragayle
Some friends of mine got married last year and this summer when DH and I tied the knot they regifted some "Authentic Czech Crystal" (bowl and vase). I KNOW it was regifted because it is totally NOT their style (or ours) and it was wrapped in a Macy's box...where it did NOT come from. I have to cut them some slack, though. They are preggers and probably thought it would be better to regift than spend money they don't have. No biggy! Another of our friends is getting married in Oct. Maybe the vase and bowl will make the rounds!
61558741 
cravecase
At my shower, my Mom's aunt couldn't make it but sent her gift with my Grandma. We got three princess house crystal candle stick holders (sure you might think they are nice, even if they are not our style). My Aunt hasn't sold princess house in 20 years, the box that use to be white was now yellow, the corners were all bent and there was water damage to it. When I opened it and took the holders out they were full of dust, with melted wax stuck to the inside, and the bottom of one of them was chipped. I think she was cleaning off her mantle. :)
61440796 
rosa_hdz_808
Ha! I got a couple of bad gifts too! We got a Superman Encyclopedia, Superman's Doom's day Comic BOOK (The size of an encyclopedia) and a The Simpson's Clock that talks EVERY. SINGLE. HOUR... It says dumb things like MMMM... Donuts. Well, my husband acted excited (The gifts were from his brothers) but after he read the Comic book, my 30 year old husband thew both books in the garbage. He didn't even bother to read the encyclopedia and we did hang up our clock but in my walk in closet. I think the batteries on the clock are dead by now.
61354388 
addielyn
One of our groomsman and his wife got us this aweful wedding activity book, as my hubbie likes to call it, that they probably received as a gift for their wedding 5 years ago. We spent more on his grooms gift (which was really nice), then they did on our gift. TACKY!
61304244 
Didican813
We got two plastic battery operated hurricane lamps. And we live in an apartment in NJ...
61189459 
campgirlcs
We recieved a fish shaped platter. Needless to say it is now at the cabin.
61122231 
mari777
We got a handmade blanket with ugly flowers on it, it already looked and smelled like it was used!
60998069 
bhskittykatt
The best man and his girl gave us a DVD of porn...homemade porn. How do you write a Thank You for that?!?
60277092 
snnowhyte
We got a sushi book/set that was so old, with a huge sale sticker on the front. It looked like it cost them $.99 on a clearance sale and yes that was their entire gift! It Just looked TACKY!
60183609 
BarnesBride
So, this HUGE box arrived about 2 months after our wedding, and my husband was SO excited to open this giant box, but waited til i was home from work... so i walk in the door, we immediately open the box, and find this "gift".... It is a GIANT wooden basket that's made from a solid piece of wood, that is misshapen and cracked.... We are STILL racking our brains of what were they thinking!? It's now filled with random stuff in the closet in the guest room... we did get a lot of other random junk that we'll never use, but this one takes the cake!
60175142 
erintayerle
We recieved two red rider bb guns and a box full of packing peanuts so we could "shoot them in the house" Ummm...I think not
60098812 
helloshannon
i think the fall back gift for people who are too dumb to use a registry is a bowl. a tacky bowl. we got no less than 4, random, clashing, useless bowls. the worst had to be at my shower though when my DH's grandmother gave me the ugliest vase i had ever seen, wrapped in a show box. problem is she explained that she had received it as a wedding gift and was passing it down. i have to keep it even though she never comes to our house because my DH feels it has meaning. ew.
59994141 
danapabst
We recieved a very ugly looking picture. Biggest problem is, the person hand sewed it. So well we are keeping it, just hiding it and only putting it out when they come over. And thankfully thats very rare.
59810137 
efkilty
My sister-in-law and brother-in-law got us this silver figurine of a naked man and woman wrapped in each others arms. Sure, it's good in theory, but it's definitely NOT our style!! When I unwrapped it I immediately thought it was an award from the Emmy's or something. When we found out it was from them (they were sitting in front of us when we opened it), we put on a "Oh gosh, thank you" face and pretended it was one of the best. We've stuck it in a back closet and promised to take it out and put it on the mantle whenever they come over. Luckily they don't come over often...!!
59794012 
Schnooks88
My great aunt whom I hardly ever see gave us a wooden clock made of thick polished wood. It's really tacky...it has wedding stickers under the polish.
59517036 
emcee808
For our first bridal shower, I had the honors of attending it alone with my Mom. My fiance was not up for holding his laughter with any of the whole ordeal. Anyway, my style is real easy and specific. I have a website and all to make gifting easier for folks, but no. We still got some silly candle holder that had 80's style prints and some weird poem about love. Well... I drew my Mother-in-law's name for our Christmas gift exchange... I just regifted that lovely candle holder!!
59452815 
basswedding
My husband and I got married in July. We had several showers and plenty of registries and gifts to choose from. One of my families friends told me that she wasn't going to make it to the wedding but really wanted to get us a gift. She asked where we were registered and told me that she would get it to me soon. Well later that same day she called to let me know that she was, in her own words, "de-junking" her house and wanted to give us some of it! Needless to say I was speechless... what do you say!? We ended up with some Christmas body wash that was a scent from about four years ago, a couple of old kitchen utensils and old dishes that were still dirty! My dad said he couldn't wait to see the Thank You card for that gift!! -- ABass
59203578 
jsdunavan
We received an awful set of glasses that was decorated with a gaudy floral design. We tried selling it on eBay, but they didn't even receive a bid! They are currently sitting in a box, in our basement, ready to either be sent to a loving new home or a trift store!