I opened my mailbox Saturday and there it was.

The first wedding invitation of the season.

And while I won't be able to go to all -- or even most -- of the happy events over the next few months, I will be buying them all gifts. I try to look at the newlyweds' registry, but when I'm sending a gift or flying to the ceremony with only a tiny suitcase, I tend to choose something small and easy: a gift card.

Don't want to go that route? Earlier this month the New York Times published an article with tips from etiquette experts about affordable wedding gift-giving. One tip especially caught my eye:

“I always go to a small, unknown antiques shop and buy something very inexpensive,” [etiquette expert Letitia Baldrige] said. “I write a lovely note on the card that this item is very old, perhaps 100 years old, and from Vienna. Just that note makes the gift rise in value. It’s called a gentle white lie.”

I'm all for creative presents, but it seems like this is going a bit too far. Surely you can think of a good gift without resorting to lies, white or not! Thoughts?