If you’ve been living with your partner for some time before getting married, you probably have all the appliances you need. So, you may prefer gift cards instead of physical gifts in your bridal shower… of course, unless you prefer good old cash money! Is there a polite way to ask for gift cards in a bridal shower?
The most polite way to ask for gift cards for a bridal shower is word of mouth. Tell your close friends and family members to spread the word. Having a small or no registry gives the guests a hint, too. You could throw a gift card shower and add a section to your marriage website for gift cards.
In this post, we’ll show you how to ask politely for gift cards in a bridal shower. We’ll also discuss why asking for gift cards, no matter how tactfully, may or may not be a good idea.
Spread by Word of Mouth
The surefire and politest way to request gift cards from guests is word of mouth. Talk to those you’re comfortable with and ask them to spread the word. They could tell the other guests you already have everything for the new home, so a gift card would be much more helpful than physical gifts.
Have a Small/No Registry
Having no registry is an excellent way to indicate you don’t want boxed gifts. This way, they may ask your parents or close friends for gift ideas, and that’s where they’ll understand what to get.
Even if they ask you directly, tell them you appreciate any gifts, but gift cards would be the best.
A small registry could also let them figure out you don’t want physical gifts. Put five or six items you really need, and they’ll get the hint, hopefully. However, when you have no registry, people may assume you prefer monetary gifts, which is okay since you could use the money to cover many other expenses.
Prepare your parents, siblings, or close friends to have a gracious answer when asked about ideas for your shower gifts. Tell them to explain what you’ll be doing with the gift cards.
Register Where They Return Cash
Registering at big-box retailers is a good idea because most of them have good return policies. They let you return your gifts and get gift cards. More importantly, most have a gift card option at the end of their websites’ gift lists.
For example, Amazon’s registry and gifting section let you add gift cards to your gift list. It also includes a message box where you can write why you prefer gift cards.
You can tell them that you live in a small apartment and don’t have enough space for the gifts. Target, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and BRU are other places where you can add gift cards to the registry.
Although the method doesn’t work for tech-novices, the tech-savvy guests will consider getting gift cards for you on these websites.
Remember, never include the registry information on the invitation cards directly. That’s off-putting because it may mislead the guests that you’re throwing the party only to get their gifts. Instead, put it on your wedding website and mention the URL on the invitation cards.
If you register for one place, you can use several gift cards and get a big-ticket item. However, registering at different stores lets you buy diverse items.
Write a Poem in Your Invitation
It’s acceptable to request gift cards and even cash for your bridal shower on your wedding website. However, you need to be careful with your wording and go about it tastefully. A great way is to write a fun poem explaining why you’d prefer gift cards and how you’ll use them. This way, they’ll feel more emotionally connected to you.
There are many poems on the internet for inspiration. They help you change the wordings to politely put your message across. You could also create a tab on the wedding website as “gifts/registry.” Then, write a poem or a short note saying you’ll appreciate gift cards.
You could also add thin inserts to your bridal shower invitations, reading “gift cards appreciated” or “no boxed gifts, please.”
Throw a Gift Card Shower
A gift card shower is a creative way that, depending on your guests, will hopefully not sound tacky. You could put the “gift card shower” on the invitation list to let people know what to bring. You can use this method to ask for things you consume a lot, or if you need more home improvement objects than home and kitchen supplies, you could use a home-improvement theme.
For example, a man in this forum said that he threw a “pasta and wine” shower for his son and daughter-in-law. They were students and loved pasta, so they ended up having different kinds of wine and lots of pasta to live on.
Why Asking for Gift Cards Is Tacky
Some people think no matter how you ask, there’s no polite way to request gift cards on bridal showers.
- It’s poor manners, and most etiquette experts don’t recommend doing it since it dictates what the guests should do.
- Many people love to buy others gifts and find it offensive to be asked to give cash or gift cards. It’s like putting a price tag on the value of your relationship.
- Giving gift cards may cost some people more than physical gifts. They either can’t afford more than a certain amount or are good at haggling and can get you a decent gift at a lower cost than you would buy with a gift card.
- The whole idea of bridal showers is to “shower” the would-be bride with gifts. There’s no point and excitement in sitting there and watching the bride opening gift card envelopes.
- You can return the gifts and get store credit or a refund or even sell them online if you like. It all depends on you, the culture you come from, and how open you are with your family and friends. You can just hope those who buy gifts for you will include the gift receipt, and you can return them more conveniently.
Why You Should Ask for Gift Cards
Many people may understand that when you move out of your parents’ home and move in with your partner, you’ll eventually buy anything you need for a house. Plus, it’s difficult for most people to buy gifts for others. So, they may like your idea of gift cards without getting offended.
Times have changed, and people understand that their gifts have to be practical and something the bride wants and show love and care. Plus, it’s a great way to avoid receiving re-gifts and ending up with ten gravy boats or six blenders.
Remember, if you choose to tell people that you prefer gift cards, don’t make them the only choice. This way, you give the more traditional guests the option to buy you whatever they find appropriate. Besides, you may get something that you could put to use.
If you live far away from where you have the bridal shower, people will assume you can’t ship all the items and bring gift cards or cash.
Final Thoughts
Some people believe that asking for gift cards on a bridal shower makes you look gauche, no matter what. They think it’s against the very nature of bridal showers, which is gift-giving. Plus, people don’t owe us anything, and they do it out of love and care for us.
However, depending on your culture and circumstances, you can handle it more tastefully through word of mouth. Another way is to have a small or no registry so that people get the hint that you don’t want boxed gifts.
