General Etiquette > Life...in general

Opening a card w/ check enclosed... what's proper?

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NewlyMrsP:
I got married yesterday! (Woo hoo!) and at the rehearsal dinner on Saturday evening, my FIL handed us a card and gift and said "Here's your wedding gift, we'd love for you to open it now!"
Inside the gift was a bottle of champagne and a bucket for it; turns out FIL and his wife received it as a wedding gift 25 years ago and were passing it on... a lovely gift!
We opened the card, and there was a handwritten note and a check taped inside... the check was folden is 1/3s, so one could not read the amount without it being obvious.

What's the proper reaction? Is it expected/acceptable to go ahead and open the check to learn the amount, or should that be left until a later (less conspicuous) time? FIL said to DH that he should take a look at it (it turned out to be an astonishingly large sum) but I'm just curious, for future reference, what *should* be done?

Thoughts?

kckgirl:
I would leave it closed until you're back home. If you're in a group setting and they gave you a generous gift of $25 or a generous gift of $25,000, it doesn't make any difference to me. Thank them for their generosity now and find out how generous they were when you're in private. This is my opinion only...I've never seen it addressed in etiquette books or articles, other than not to announce the amount if you're opening gifts in a group situation. Of course, if it was just you and FIL/MIL, I think I'd go ahead and open it, make a verbal thank you right then, and send a note later.

Edit: Duh! Congratulations on the new marriage!

ZipTheWonder:
Congratulations!

What you did was correct -- open it, then acknowledge it with surprise and gratitude, without sharing the amount to others who might be present.

Chocolate Cake:
Since he gave it to you in a public setting, I think he wanted you to look at the amount right away so he could see your reaction.  If, for future gifts, you decide not to look at the amount, you might just say, "Thank you....we'll look at this later!" 

Chocolate Cake:
Since he gave it to you in a public setting, I think he wanted you to look at the amount right away so he could see your reaction.  If, for future gifts, you decide not to look at the amount, you might just say, "Thank you....we'll look at this later!" 

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