Etiquette Guide: Wording 'No Gifts' On Wedding Invites

When it comes to wedding invitations, it can be tricky to know how to politely decline gifts. While it may be tempting to simply write no gifts, please, this can come across as rude or entitled. Instead, experts recommend including a note with your invitation that politely expresses your wishes. For example, you could say something like Your presence at our wedding is more important to us than a gift, however, if you would like to contribute, a donation to our favourite charity would be greatly appreciated. This way, you can avoid any confusion or offence, while still conveying your message.

No physical gifts, please

There are many ways to politely inform your wedding guests that you are not expecting physical gifts without causing any offence. Here are some suggestions for wording your invitations to reflect your wishes:

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We are so grateful to be able to share our special day with you and we kindly request that you do not bring any physical gifts. Your presence at our wedding is more important to us than a gift. However, if you wish to give something, then we would be truly grateful for a contribution to our honeymoon fund. We hope that this advance notice will allow you to plan accordingly and we look forward to celebrating with you.

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As many of you know, we have lived together for some time and already have all the home appliances and crockery we need. So, we kindly request no boxed gifts. If you would like to mark the occasion with a gift, we would be most appreciative of a donation to our favourite charity, [Charity Name], which is very close to our hearts. Thank you for your understanding and we can't wait to celebrate with you.

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We are honoured to be able to celebrate our wedding with our loved ones and we ask that you do not bring any physical gifts. We have everything we need for our home and would prefer to focus on creating new memories with you. If you feel inclined to give something, then we kindly ask for a cash contribution towards our future together. We hope that this request does not cause any inconvenience and we look forward to seeing you on our special day.

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Your presence at our wedding means the world to us and we kindly request that you refrain from bringing any physical gifts. We are fortunate to have everything we need and would like to suggest alternative ways to celebrate our union. If you wish to contribute, we would be extremely grateful for a donation to our honeymoon fund or to our favourite charity, [Charity Name]. We appreciate your support and understanding and can't wait to share our happiness with you.

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We are thrilled to be able to celebrate our wedding with our friends and family and we ask that you do not bring any physical gifts. We have a limited amount of space and would prefer to fill it with joyful memories of our special day. If you would like to give a gift, we kindly request a contribution to our house fund or a donation to a charitable cause that is important to you. We understand that this may be unexpected, so please do not feel any obligation. We are excited to celebrate with you and appreciate your presence more than anything.

Monetary gifts preferred

When it comes to wedding invitations, it's important to be clear and upfront about your preferences for gifts. Here are some ideas on how to word your invitations to politely indicate that monetary gifts are preferred:

Paragraph Options for "Monetary Gifts Preferred"

"We are so fortunate to have a home together and we kindly request no physical gifts. However, if you wish to contribute to our future, we would be most grateful for a monetary gift. We hope you understand that your presence at our wedding is the most important gift of all."

"As we start our new life together, we want to focus on creating memories and experiences. If you are thinking of giving a gift, we kindly ask for a monetary contribution towards our future plans. We are saving for a honeymoon to relax and unwind after the wedding, so your generosity would be greatly appreciated."

"We are truly blessed to already have everything we need. If you are considering giving a gift, we would be most appreciative of a monetary gift. We are saving for [specific goal], and your contribution would mean the world to us. Thank you for understanding that your presence is present enough."

"While your presence at our wedding is the most important thing to us, we understand that some of you may wish to give a gift. We kindly request that instead of physical gifts, you contribute to our future together. We are saving for a house, our dream honeymoon, and other experiences. Your generosity and support mean the world to us."

"We are so excited to celebrate this special day with you! We kindly request no physical gifts. If you wish to give a gift, we would be most grateful for a monetary contribution towards our future plans. We are saving for a new home and our honeymoon, so your support would be truly appreciated. Thank you for understanding."

Remember, it is generally advised to include this information on a separate card inserted with your invitation or on your wedding website, rather than on the actual invitation.

Charity donations instead of gifts

When it comes to your wedding, you may decide that you would prefer your guests to donate to a charity of your choice instead of giving gifts. Here are some ideas on how to word this request on your invitations:

"We are blessed with absolutely everything we need for this exciting new chapter! However, for guests who have expressed an interest, we’d love for you to consider a charity donation in lieu of a gift. A wishing well will be set up on the day, with all contributions going to [chosen charity]."

"We’ve recently been asked for gift suggestions by friends and family. Please know that your presence on our day is present enough, but for those who have expressed an interest, we’ve listed the charities below that are closest to our hearts. A contribution would be most appreciated in lieu of a gift."

"We are so incredibly thankful for the effort you’ll be making to join us for our special day in [destination]. Your presence is your present, so please, no gifts! If you do wish to give something, we would be honoured if you would consider donating to [chosen charity]."

"We are lucky enough to have everything we need for this new chapter together, so please, no gifts required! Simply bring yourself and your dancing shoes – we can’t wait to party with you! If you do wish to give something, we would be honoured if you would consider donating to [chosen charity]."

"We have been overwhelmed with generosity since our engagement party, so for this reason, we politely request no gifts. Sharing our special day with our favourite people in the world is the best gift we could ask for! If you do wish to give something, we would be honoured if you would consider donating to [chosen charity]."

No gifts required, but here's our registry

Communicating your wishes about gifts to your wedding guests can be tricky, but it's important to be clear so there isn't any confusion. Here are some ideas for how to word your wedding invitations to say "no gifts required, but here's our registry":

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We're so thrilled and grateful that you're making the trip to [location] to share in our joy. Celebrating with you after we say "I do" is all we could ask for, so your presence is our present! However, if you wish to honour us with a gift, we have a registry at [store name] with items we'd find most useful as we prepare for married life. You can also view our registry online here: [link].

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We've been living together for a few years now and already have everything we need for our home. So, we kindly request no boxed gifts. However, if you would like to get us something, we would be incredibly grateful for contributions to our honeymoon fund. You can find more information about our fund on our wedding website: [link].

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We're looking forward to celebrating with you on our big day, and your attendance is truly the best gift we could ask for. However, if you would like to give us something, we would appreciate donations to our favourite charity, [charity name], which is very dear to us. You can find more information about the charity and how to donate on our wedding website: [link].

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We feel incredibly blessed to have a home together already, so we've decided not to request any wedding gifts. However, if you would like to mark the occasion with a gift, we would be most grateful for a small contribution to our house fund. We're saving up for a down payment on our dream home! You can contribute to our fund here: [link]. But, most importantly, we request that you come to our wedding as our guest.

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We're so excited to celebrate this special day with you, and that's the only gift we want or need. These precious memories will last a lifetime, so no gifts are necessary. However, if you wish to give us something, we would appreciate donations to our honeymoon fund. We're planning an adventure of a lifetime and your contributions would mean the world to us. You can find more information on our wedding website: [link].

We don't need gifts, just your presence

There are many ways to politely communicate that your guests' presence is more important than gifts. Here are some suggestions for wording:

Paragraph Options for "We Don't Need Gifts, Just Your Presence"

"We are honoured to be able to share our wedding day with you. We don't want gifts, just your presence to celebrate with us. We kindly request no boxed gifts, as we already have everything we need for our home."

"We are so excited to be celebrating this special day with our loved ones. We don't need gifts, just your presence to make our day complete. Please don't feel obliged to bring anything, your company is more than enough of a gift for us."

"Your presence at our wedding is more important to us than any gift. We kindly request no gifts, as we are fortunate enough to already have everything we need. If you feel inclined to give something, a donation to our favourite charity, [Charity Name], would be greatly appreciated."

"As we are already blessed to have a home together, we have decided not to request any wedding gifts. We don't need gifts, just your presence to share in our joy. However, if you wish to mark the occasion, we would be grateful for a small contribution towards our future together."

"We can't wait to celebrate this precious time with our family and friends. We don't need gifts, your presence is the best gift we could receive. If you would like to contribute in some other way, we would be happy to receive a donation towards our honeymoon."

Additional Tips

It is recommended to include this information on a separate insert with your invitation suite, or on your wedding website, rather than directly on the invitation itself. You can also spread the word in person or by word of mouth.

Frequently asked questions