I am throwing a baby shower for a friend. She already has plenty of baby items and only wants to receive gift cards at the shower. What is the best way to add this to an invitation?
2007-05-16 04:22:04 · 18 answers · asked by acaballr 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
It is not polite to mention gifts on an invitation. What you can do is send those invitations out early and make sure you put your telephone number and ask people to call with any questions. If people call to ask where she is registered or what she needs, then you can tell them that you are giving a gift card as she has many baby items already. Her close friends will already know this and will know what to do (gift cards, cash, etc.).
I went to a wedding about a year ago and friends of the couple just more or less spread it around that they needed no more household items. Only a couple of people brought gifts; everyone else gave cash or gift cards.
One of the people who brought a gift was the grandmother of the groom. She told me she got a silver jam server out of her closet and polished it and gave it to them. In the same conversation she showed me a watch she had bought for herself the day before for $400 so money wasn't the issue. (sorry, this doesn't pertain to your question, I just couldn't resist telling this story)
2007-05-16 04:49:33 · answer #1 · answered by Patti C 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
There's not a best way to phrase that. Although it may be what you want, it will be perceived as being VERY RUDE by many people that you're telling them they can't give you any other gifts. Some people will love the idea, of course. "Yay, we don't have to pick anything out!" But lots of people really take pleasure in carefully selecting their gifts to you-- and some people even handmake wonderful things. Telling them not to is completely overlooking the point of a baby shower. What is the point of a baby shower? For the mom to get presents for the baby. Well.... yes and no. It's a social give and take. Mom gets presents for the baby but ALSO the friends and family get to share in the joy, and they do that in part through their gift choices. Saying you only want diapers and gift cards pretty much strips it down to greedy "Gimme the stuff" and that's all. I would never say that, personally. And I probably would skip out on a baby shower that was so bluntly rude in the invite. Or at least broach the subject directly with the mom-to-be to see if she was on board with the rudeness. If it was done behind her back, I would still go. If the mom-to-be were the greedy one, I wouldn't go nor buy any gift at all.
2016-04-01 04:14:43 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Err, what's the point of having a baby shower if she already has plenty of what she needs? Baby showers are for receiving items for the baby or items that will help the mother with taking care of the baby, IMHO. I don't think there is a good way for that to be asked. About the only way I would put it would be that they already have plenty of items for the baby, and leave it at that. The person receiving gifts doesn't dictate what gifts they receive, IMHO. They can make suggestions, but I don't think asking for money is ever a good suggestion to make.
2007-05-16 05:57:11 · answer #3 · answered by littlevivi 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
If someone invited me to a shower and put, point blank, on the invitation: I need no baby clothes--gift cards only please!" I would be fine with that. However, there are some goobers out there who would be HIGHLY offended. What you have to consider is--if she's inviting these people to her baby shower, she's probably pretty close with them, right? If they're good friends/immediate family members, they should already know that she needs very little in the way of physical baby items. If they don't, tell her to make a registry (Babies 'R Us, Target, etc.) and put nothing but gift cards on the registry.
If people still buy something (and inevitably someone WILL buy some cheap bibs, tacky baby gift basket, etc.) just hope and pray they get a gift receipt! Even if they don't, most places will still allow an exchange as long as when they scan the merchandise, it shows up in their system. She may not need clothes/etc. for the baby now, but she could take her exchanges and buy larger clothes or even diapers. She'll always need diapers. :)
2007-05-16 07:40:16 · answer #4 · answered by brevejunkie 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
If the Mom-to-be already has everything she needs, then that defeats the purpose of having a baby shower at all. Baby showers are meant to "Shower" the mom-to-be with gifts for the baby.
I'm sure she could come up with a few things to put on a registry somewhere. Once she does that, most store registries allow you to add giftcards as a gift option on the registry itself.
Or if there is a college fund opened you could put a note in the invite that says:
Many of you have asked us where "mom-to-be" is registered. "Mom-to-be" thought that she would look toward the future and register for "baby's" education. All gifts will be put into a college fund, so that "baby" will have the opportunity to choose the best school later on.
2007-05-16 04:47:02 · answer #5 · answered by Christy 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
tacky tacky tackyThat's just greed and a supreme materialistic value
I understand why she would want gift cards, but it doesn't make it right. Since she already has everything she needs right now, maybe she should just register for items the baby will need later?
Sorry, but she's just being greedy because she KNEW that there would be a shower, and did not wait to see what she received at the shower before buying or scavenging for items needed.
Even if an educated, sophisticated person did this, I'd still think they were trash. What fun it is to sit around and open cards to see what the monetary price ppl have put on your baby or what they could or couldn't afford to give it?
Hmmm with friends like that I'd kill myself, not really but I wouldn't want to be their friend either.
2007-05-16 05:07:05 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
Around here baby showers are given only for first babies. Or babies who have an older sibling who is a lot older. If the mom has everything she needs, there is no reason for a shower. Shower gifts are baby needs, not money or fringe items.
2007-05-16 05:57:46 · answer #7 · answered by danashelchan 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
There is no tactful way to put that on an invitation... because really whatyour saying is.. YOUR (the attendees) gifts aren't good enough and I jsut want you to give me cash (gift card) so I can buy what I think you obviously can't figure out...
While I'm sure thats not your intention.. that is what people would think...
She should be thrilled at any gift.. and if it is something she already has she could donate it or pass it on to someone less fortunate then herself...
or even return it to the store for return and get store credit for something else.
2007-05-16 04:30:00 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
Hmmm... How to tactfully say... "The mom to be is greedy, has everything, and only wants what she wants, so pony up cash or gift cards"..... Don't know. I can't think of a way to say it politely.
I do know if I got an invitation to ANY party that asked only for cash or gift cards, I would NOT attend it. I'd let the greedy cow do without.
2007-05-16 04:32:44 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
there is no way to ask tactfully and nicely ... 'cause it's tacky and rude! Don't let this "friend" con you into inviting people to a shower, and then telling them what to bring. If mom to be already has what she needs, why throw a shower?
2007-05-16 07:05:56 · answer #10 · answered by georgiagrits1 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋