Choosing your wedding gift list wording
traditional list
This will always be a tricky subject. You will always have an older generation who expect to buy you an ‘actual’ gift and those who feel asking for money is perhaps a little cheeky and can, on occasion, offend. Here, we will hopefully iron out as many of your worries as we can.
If you decide to have a traditional gift list then there are many websites out there that will accommodate most couples ‘wish lists’. Here are just a few of the options, some you may have already heard of:
Zank You (ask for cash!)
Some of these sites also provide the opportunity for your guests to contribute cash towards honeymoons etc. More on that later!
When compiling a gift list, it is worth bearing in mind that some of your guests may have limited budgets and may also have additional expenses such as overnight stays, childcare and travel costs.
It is generally accepted that each couple invited will expect to spend around £50-£75 on a gift. Family members and very close friends will spend more. When choosing items on your gift registry, it is worth remembering this! The number of items on your registry is also important. For example, if you send out 50 invitations, make sure that there are at least 75 items on your list allowing your guests plenty of choice. In addition, it is often worth stating to guests that you would be delighted to accept gift vouchers as an alternative to a physical present.
Many of these companies provide you with a card you can pop in your invitations or a link/password you can print on your details card and enclose with your invitations.
Money/Cash/vouchers
Nowadays, it is accepted that more and more couples have set up home and already have most of the things they need to fill it! So, asking for ‘cash’ is a far more practical solution. Guests do like to know what their hard earnt cash will go towards so it is worth giving this a lot of thought. Some of the sites above have provisions set up for guests to give money ‘virtually’ towards that special honeymoon or perhaps, renovations to your home. This method is, on the whole, easier than guests bringing cash to the wedding but if you want, a posting box at your reception is suitable for cards with cash.
Simple one sentence requests or poems are possible ways to ask your guests for money. Here are just a few of the poems and wordings we have used over the many years of our designing wedding invitations:
It’s your presence, not your presents that are important to us on our special day.
However, if you wish to give a gift, we would be grateful for a contribution towards
our future/house renovations/honeymoon/etc.
***
Gifts would be warmly received either in the form of a contribution to support our honeymoon adventure or (enter shop) vouchers to support our crippling addiction to their wares.
***
We've been together a year or two, we don't really need anything new.
Yet if a gift is your intention, we thought that we would mention.
We'd love some pennies to put together, to save for something that we will treasure.
And just remember, what means the most, is that you are with us to raise a toast!
***
The most important gift to us is to have you share our day
but should you wish to contribute in some other way,
then help us on our honeymoon in our chosen paradise,
a little extra spending money would be really nice.
No gifts
If you are in the position of not wanting gifts, an alternative to a gift list is suggesting that guests contribute to a charity that is important to you on your behalf.
Whatever you decide, our advice is always to ask politely and with gratitude and provide them with several options to make gifting affordable for all.