EM & SM gifts

[Peanut]

When is the best time to give a gift to EM & SM? I wasn't planning on giving them a gift until I got home from the wedding and I was going to send them something. I've started to second guess that plan. When is the best time to give a gift? During the wedding or after? Also, what would you give? I have developed a WONDERFUL relationship with my EM. It started off well and then went extremely sour for quite some time! I was thinking of changing EMs. It was that bad! Now we have "kissed and made up" (so to speak) and I swear if I lived in Orlando I would love to be his full time friend! We talked the 2 days ago for an hour and a half on the phone and maybe 20 minutes of it was about the wedding. The rest of the conversation was just talking like he's my best friend. So, what do I get for him? Does Disney have a gift restrcitions? Do they actually know what people give to their SM & EM? Thanks for listening! Any ideas are greatly appreciated!

 

[ellieb]

As for a time to give your gifts to the EM and SM, I found that giving mine to them the day befofe at the rehersal was best. I was able to ask how they liked the gift the following day.
I had a great SM as well as EM so the gifts that I gave were a little pricey from Neimun Marcus however lots of guest give gifts baskets or bottles of champange.
Good luck with your decision.

 

[Kismetdreams]

I sent my SM a givt basket right after I recieved the contract back in the mail and will be giving my EM her gift at our Rehearsal, I think.

As for limitations, they cannot be valued higher then $75 each and cannot be in the form of cash.

HTH

 

[ellieb]

Kismetdreams- As for gifts being not higher than $75 I must state that this is totally untrue.
I game my SM a David Yurman Broach that cost well over 200.00 and for my EM I gave her a pair of Neimus Marcus Exclusive Diamond earrings that were well over 300.00 and they did not state that they could not except them after I asked them the following day at my wedding how they liked them. Actually they both had on the items that I gave them and my SM made a point to come to my ceremony just to say thank you to me for the gift.
So as for the price limit on the gift that is truely false.
Giving money however can not be done.

 

[Kismetdreams]

Ellie, I'm sorry that you think I am wrong, but one of our moderators on the DM list was sending a thank you gift (via Disney floral) to an especially helpful CM and was informed that gifts to any CM, including FTW staff, must be limited to no more then $75. It is entirely possible that your EM/SMs either were disregarding the rules, or were unaware of the value of your gifts.

Peanut, if you feel that your EM/SMs did well, you can also send a letter to the director of the FTW department:

Mr. Jeff Ralls
Weddings and Honeymoons Director
P.O. Box 10,000
Lake Buena vista, FL 32830-1000

These letters are read aloud at the weekly staff meetings.

 

[ellieb]

Kismetdreams- I am 100% positive they were aware of the value of the items I gave them. I wont get into detail but I assure you they did know. It is kind of funny that you said that only because who would not know the value of diamond earrings.LOL!!! Especially from Neimun Marcus!!!
What I am saying is........... They may have this rule of 75.00 or less which I am not totally convince since I have never ever been told this nor ever read anything about it, however no matter what the value of the gift that the CM EM/SM gets they do keep the gift whether or not the value is 75.00 or more.

Do you really think they would have the CM/SM/EM come up to me or any other guest that had given a gift for that fact and say "Im sorry but I cant except these gifts because they are well over the 75.00 allotment??? NO they would not.

You can give anything you like as a gift except for money.

I know other past brides to give full days spa treatments at the GF to the EM. I am sure they know that value of that. Others to give Gift baskets made by Disney with champagne ect. that were well over 75.00. so as for them not knowing the value totally false.

I will second what you said about contacting
Mr. Jeff Ralls
Weddings and Honeymoons Director
P.O. Box 10,000
Lake Buena vista, FL 32830-1000
and giving a good recommendation. This does help them tremendously with evaluations, and does go on file in their records.


This goes for any CM in Disney world that goes above and beyond. If you feel that they did and outstanding job with service for you and have made your stay more magical than you would of thought, all you need to do is tell them "I would love to write a recommendation to your manager, and was wondering how I would go about doing so". Most of them have business type cards on them and they will give you the info needed to recommend them.

I have been going to the World for the past 10 years and have been over 30 times now, so I have done my homework.

 

[ellieb]

Peanut-
Just note that it is not what you give rather it is the thought behind it that counts. So matter what the gift Im sure it will be the perfect gift from you.

 

[Peanut]

Thanks for all your help! But what is the best time to give the gift?
Oh, by the way, my EM is a man and my SM is a woman.