DEAR ABBY: My daughter was recently married. My niece — a talented artist — hand-painted flowers on wine glasses for the dinner reception following the ceremony. They were intended to be keepsakes for each of the adult guests.
The glasses turned out beautifully, and made each place setting extra special. I knew they’d be treasured by our family for years to come.
At the end of the evening, I gathered four glasses from our family’s table, then glanced at the bridal table of eight — as some guests approached to offer thanks for a fabulous evening. When I turned around, the four glasses were gone. Not only had glasses disappeared from our table, but also from the head table and from my niece’s (the artist). Those of us who had worked hardest on the wedding were left with nothing — and that includes the bride and groom.
The following day, someone mentioned to me that they had seen certain guests leave with four to six glasses each. One woman even had her child, who was loaded down with glasses, make several trips to her car.
We’ve figured out who the culprits were: some out-of-towners who stayed at the home of one of the groom’s relatives. I heard that the glassware covered the entire top of their dining room table. My question: Should we ask these people to return the glasses? Thanks for your input, Abby. — MOTHER OF THE BRIDE IN MESA, ARIZ.

DEAR MOTHER: By all means ask — but there is no guarantee they’ll be returned. People who take more than their share usually feel an inflated sense of entitlement. Although their manners were atrocious, please don’t let this cause in-law problems before the marriage has even begun. Perhaps out of sympathy, the artist will be generous enough to craft another pair of goblets for the bride and groom.