Should Kim Kardashian return her wedding gifts? Etiquette experts say ‘absolutely’

Once upon a time, Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries dreamed of getting married and furnishing their home.

We know this because the couple reportedly registered for over $172,000 worth of vases, place settings, gold napkin rings and Baccarat crystal.

Less than three months later, Kim Kardashian is filing for divorce. Should Kim and Kris return the gifts?

Etiquette experts say “absolutely.”

“The rule of thumb is if the marriage ends after just six months, you should return the unused gifts,” said Lizzie Post, author of Emily Post’s Etiquette 18th Edition. “After just 72 days, the gifts must be returned to the wedding guest.”

If Kim and Kris want to keep it classy, they should also include handwritten notes, thanking the guest for his or her support and letting them know the union has been dissolved.

“The guest bought them that gift thinking it would be used in the marriage,” said Post. “It wouldn’t be proper etiquette to keep those gifts.”

It’s not all bad news for the couple. Those monogrammed his and hers towels? Those don’t need to be returned, so they can keep them — if they want to. Anything that has already been used, like a smoothie maker or a waffle iron, can be kept.

Then again, if she wants to, Kim can donate certain gifts to those less fortunate.

“No one wants anything used returned to them, so she can consider donating the gifts to charity,” said Sarah Newell, lifestyle editor at WeddingChannel.com.

What about the guests who gave Kim and Kris cold hard cash to help start them on the road to couplehood?

Newell said that they should fork it back over.

“If you’ve already deposited that hefty check into your account — sorry, etiquette dictates you should return that monetary gift or perhaps consider making a donation to charity.”

She can keep the ring, since it was considered a gift from the groom. She can do what she wants with her Vera Wang dress, either sell it or keep it in her attic.

Beyond gifts, there’s etiquette in announcing a divorce after a 72 day marriage — no celebrating or divorce parties.

“It shows a lack of respect to your guests who have invested time and effort into the idea of your union,” said Post. “It’s best to stay quiet, not bash the groom and to lean on one’s family for support.”

Jo Piazza, celebrity wedding watcher and author of “Celebrity, Inc.,” said that Kim and Kris owe their fans just as much as their wedding guests.

“Fans of the Kardashians and anyone who tuned in to her multimillion wedding extravaganza, which aired numerous times on E!, are right to feel entirely hoodwinked,” said Piazza. Kim Kardashian made a reported $17 million off that wedding.

Piazza doesn t think that Kris and Kim who are likely to make a bundle from appearances, interviews and from selling their divorce story to the tabloids should keep any of their ill-gotten gains.

To make amends to fans who feel betrayed, she should offer to donate the money she made and the lavish gifts she was given to a charity, not just a portion of it, but all of it. nydailynews.com