After the wedding day, when the time comes to open all the gifts, you'll be grateful for all the unique, practical, and thoughtful presents from your family and friends. However, duplicate wedding gifts are bound to happen, and you may not know what's the right thing to do. A wedding registry usually resolves these worries about unwanted or duplicate gifts, but it's not always used. If you're still unsure of the best solution, don't worry and continue reading to find helpful advice, ideas, or inspiration on how to resolve this problem.

Give your gift to someone

You can choose one occasion and give your duplicate gift to someone who doesn't know the original giver and would actually appreciate the item. It will depend on the item's purpose and value, but you usually don't have to wait for someone else's wedding to regift it. You can use it as a gift for anniversaries, birthdays, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. Regifting duplicates is a convenient way to find a new home for the item while saving time and money on your gift shopping. There is no harm in doing so.

Choose one occasion and give one of your duplicate wedding gifts to someone dear to you.

Sell the duplicate

There are many ways of selling you duplicate wedding gifts. Some of them are a little bit old-fashioned, like garage sales or flea markets. Others are more contemporary, such as selling online. The Internet has given us a way to do it quickly and safely from the comfort of our own homes. You can choose some generic sites, such as e-Bay, Amazon or Craigslist, or specialized sites - depending on the type of item you're selling.

There are many expenses related to the wedding organization, so a couple can easily make one of the budget mistakes and have to deal with financial problems right after the wedding day. In that case, selling some duplicate gifts can prove extremely helpful. Wedding gifts are usually valuable items, so investigate the prices carefully before putting them up for sale.

Selling your duplicate gifts online may be a good solution.

Keep it stored away for later

There is a possibility that you received some items you didn't know you needed but can actually prove to be of great use. If you happen to receive duplicates of such things, save one for later use. Put the duplicate away and store it, assuming you'll eventually use it. It's a safe way to go, and you don't have to worry about offending anyone.

If you receive two identical sets of cups, glassware, chinaware, pots, pans, or any fragile items, it's essential to store and place them in a proper way inside the boxes. By doing so, you can be sure you'll find them in perfect condition right when you need them later. Depending on your home's size, it may be a good idea to rent a storage unit. Here's why:

You avoid cluttering and a messy home
You prevent damage to the fragile gifts and items
Storing items saves you a ton of space
It will be easier to clean and maintain your home
Your items will wait safely for future use

Put away the duplicates and save them for later, being careful to avoid damage if the items are fragile.

Exchange it for another item

If you have a gift receipt, you could return the duplicate item and exchange it for something else practical and useful for you. If there's no receipt included, but there's a tag on the gift, you can still at least try to exchange it. Many stores will try to find a solution and work something out.

If there is no receipt and no tag on the gift, you may want to consider talking to the person who gave you the gift. If you're close, be honest and explain the situation - they won't hold it against you. In all likelihood, they kept the receipt, because these things happen often. Don't hesitate to talk to them as soon as possible. If you wait for too long, let's say a few months, stores may refuse to exchange the item - depending on their return policy.

It's perfectly normal and understandable - wanting to exchange the duplicate gift for something you'll actually use, something you don't already have.

Turn it into something different

What if you still can't bring yourself to give away or sell your duplicate presents? Maybe it's because of how greatly you appreciate the thoughtfulness of the gift, or it holds sentimental or symbolic importance. Fortunately enough, there is another possible solution: finding an alternative use for them or turning them into something else.

If the two of you have moved in together after the wedding, you might have received more than one set of kitchenware. You can try repurposing some into quirky garden accessories, candle holders, or hand-crafted decorations. You can also remake fabrics (bedding, for example) into something else, or dye them in different colors. If, by any chance, you received two similar pieces of jewelry (gold or silver), it can be melted and re-cast differently in almost every jewelry store.

Be honest and open

First off - yes, it's alright to do anything mentioned without ever telling the person who gave you the duplicate gift. However, depending on the person and how close you are, you may want to tell them eventually. It feels good to be honest, and they'll appreciate you for it - not to mention avoiding any awkward situations like being asked, "Hey, how's that gift of mine serving you?".

Enjoy all your gifts and blessings

Whichever method you chose, don't let your duplicate wedding gifts take up unnecessary space and create clutter in your home, which just collects dust. Also, don't let them cause any unease or embarrassment between you and your loved ones.

A wedding should be the happiest event in everyone's life and should be associated only with good feelings and memories. There is no place for anything else, so enjoy all your gifts and blessings and your new married life to the fullest.

This is a guest post. Risa James Events has no financial relationship with any companies mentioned in this post.

About the Author: Amanda West is a marriage counselor, occasionally writing articles with a focus on weddings, marriage, and family issues. In her free time, Amanda goes to yoga classes, meditates, and enjoys long strolls with her husband.