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Registry and Gift Forum
lalarochelle
member
Asking/suggesting gift cards only
Is it wrong to have my bridesmaids communicate that I prefer gift cards for my bridal shower?
I'm having a shower in Michigan but live in Philadelphia and we all know what a hassle bags can be. Maybe they can make it a game to include a picture of what they want me to buy with the gift card and best picture wins something???
I don't want to be tacky, but I also don't want to spend more in shipping or checking bags to get everything back!
I'm having a shower in Michigan but live in Philadelphia and we all know what a hassle bags can be. Maybe they can make it a game to include a picture of what they want me to buy with the gift card and best picture wins something???
I don't want to be tacky, but I also don't want to spend more in shipping or checking bags to get everything back!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Asking/suggesting gift cards only
[QUOTE]Is it wrong to have my bridesmaids communicate that I prefer gift cards for my bridal shower? I'm having a shower in Michigan but live in Philadelphia and we all know what a hassle bags can be. Maybe they can make it a game to include a picture of what they want me to buy with the gift card and best picture wins something??? <strong> I don't want to be tacky</strong>, but I also don't want to spend more in shipping or checking bags to get everything back!
Posted by lalarochelle[/QUOTE]
It is tacky. If you don't want gifts then decline the shower. Opening up a bunch of gift cards is awkward and boring. Bring a few large suitcases and take as much as you can back.
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I also think that asking for gift cards is not that far off from asking for cash. I wouldn't do it, but it's somewhat better to have gift cards on your registry with physical items. People know that if you register at a store, you would also appreciate a gift card to that store, so you don't need to tell them that that would be an appropriate gift, just like you don't need to tell people that you're happy to accept cash gifts.
[QUOTE]Is it wrong to have my bridesmaids communicate that I prefer gift cards for my bridal shower? I'm having a shower in Michigan but live in Philadelphia and we all know what a hassle bags can be. Maybe they can make it a game to include a picture of what they want me to buy with the gift card and best picture wins something??? I don't want to be tacky, but I also don't want to spend more in shipping or checking bags to get everything back!
Posted by lalarochelle[/QUOTE]
The point of a shower is to "shower" the bride with gifts. FIL hosted a second reception for us in San Francisco so there were a lot of gifts that we packed up and mailed home.
The other option is to realize that Michigan to Philadelphia isn't an impossible drive. I've made the car trip between Cleveland and here and Cincinnati and here several times. Can you rent an SUV and do this?
ETA- adding GCs to the registry is NOT a good idea. You should never register for cash which is exactly what you'd be doing here.
AKA GoodLuckBear14
I think G.C.'s are okay by word of mouth, if someone wasn't sure what to get you because they knew there was that distance you would have to take the gifts, so they asked what was better for you.
[QUOTE]Is it wrong to have my bridesmaids communicate that I prefer gift cards for my bridal shower? I'm having a shower in Michigan but live in Philadelphia and we all know what a hassle bags can be. <strong> Maybe they can make it a game to include a picture of what they want me to buy with the gift card and best picture wins something???</strong> I don't want to be tacky, but I also don't want to spend more in shipping or checking bags to get everything back!
Posted by lalarochelle[/QUOTE]
I had my shower in Michigan and live out of state. I simply returned the gifts I couldn't take home to Bed Bath and Beyond and had them shipped to my house (which they did for free).
And that game sounds like a terrible idea. The person that plans to give you the best gift wins? um no. let people buy you gifts if you are being thrown a shower. don't dictate what they can/can't buy you. You can make arrangements to return/exchange gifts if need be.
If you're having an out of state shower, it's your responsibility, not that of your guests, to manage the gifts. And that includes not telling them what to buy.
[QUOTE]Well declining the shower is not an option-it's my mother and I think she's been planning on what she would do before I was even engaged. I guess I'll just have to suck up the shipping charges. However, adding G.C's to the registry is a great idea in general
Posted by lalarochelle[/QUOTE]
<div>Nobody said to add gift cards to the registry! In fact, they pointed out that if you register somewhere, people know you would like gift cards there <em>without</em> you putting them on the registry. And ditto PPs who have said showers are for physical gifts. Opening gift cards is boring and no one will bring one to a shower.</div>
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Asking/suggesting gift cards only : Nobody said to add gift cards to the registry! In fact, they pointed out that if you register somewhere, people know you would like gift cards there without you putting them on the registry. And ditto PPs who have said showers are for physical gifts. Opening gift cards is boring and no one will bring one to a shower.
Posted by artbyallie[/QUOTE]
Haha thanks. I think I am the one that put that idea on here first, although I thought I was making it clear I would not do that. Oh, internetz.
And for the record, there have been no gift cards registered for, nor request for specific shower gifts. Just trying to see what ideas are, especially when I'm already out of ideas for registry gifts in general, trying to add enough the "suggested"# of gifts .
[QUOTE]I had no idea they could be returned and might be shipped for free. That seems like the most managable idea so far. And for the record, there have been no gift cards registered for, nor request for specific shower gifts. Just trying to see what ideas are, especially when I'm already out of ideas for registry gifts in general, trying to add enough the "suggested"# of gifts .
Posted by lalarochelle[/QUOTE]
If you're talking about what stores suggest, don't worry about it. They're not trying to be helpful, they're trying to make money. Just make sure you have enough gifts that everyone invited to the shower could get something and you have a variety of price ranges. If your registry is totally picked over after the shower, you can add more things if you want, or people will just give cash or give off-registry. Don't stress about the double the number of guests think.
[QUOTE]My mom and fmil spread the word to shower guests that money would be the best gift for my shower. That's all I got for the shower - cards and money. Worked out well.
Posted by lindsay5432[/QUOTE]
Yuck, you didn't deserve a shower then.
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[QUOTE]Is it wrong to have my bridesmaids communicate that I prefer gift cards for my bridal shower? I'm having a shower in Michigan but live in Philadelphia and we all know what a hassle bags can be. <strong>Maybe they can make it a game to include a picture of what they want me to buy with the gift card and best picture wins something??? </strong>I don't want to be tacky, but I also don't want to spend more in shipping or checking bags to get everything back!
Posted by lalarochelle[/QUOTE]
Wow, no. Best gift should never win anything at a shower.
Planning Bio ~ Updated 9/23/11
D-Day is 11.5.11
The harassment begins on 10.15.11!
Some guests shipped the gifts straight to FL. Sure, that meant less to open, and if everyone did that I suppose it could lead to a lame shower. But if it's the guests decision to do so, that means most of them won't be disappointed by a lack of gift opening (bc it was their decision).
No contests, please. I have actually printed pictures to include with gift certificates/cash for DW or Destination Showers. Again, it's less entertaining, but it was just too practical to pass up. Neither of us had to pay shipping or lug a gift on the train. But I wasn'd directed to do it.
I'd keep the items on your registry, if you have one, small in size. If some of the items are heavier or larger, perhaps they could be the more expensive group gift types.
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Asking/suggesting gift cards only : Yuck, you didn't deserve a shower then.
Posted by jilld82[/QUOTE]
lol JillD i heart u
It's on you to figure out how to get your gifts home. If you have to, store some at your mom's for a while until you can drive up there and get them. I know one of the E ladies still has gifts at her parents house because of distance.
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Asking/suggesting gift cards only : So you got cards and money for your shower? No judgement here (really), but isn't that a boring shower?
Posted by edielaura[/QUOTE]
Probably a little boring, but it was short and sweet -- everyone came in, chatted, ate a lot of good food, the host had me pull numbers from a hat for people to win a bbunch of prizes, had cake, gave away the door prize, I went around to all the tables to thank everyoone and chat with everyone, and then we all went home. No games or anything like that.
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Asking/suggesting gift cards only : Yuck, you didn't deserve a shower then.
Posted by jilld82[/QUOTE]
lol, I'll give you the contact info for all the ladies who hosted and came to the shower for me, and you can let them know I didn;t deserve it. Lemme know how that goes. I do have a small registry as well and people are certainly free to shop on the registry or bring whatever or not come. Everyone knows my fiance and I have been together since highschool (10+ years) and don't need all the little "starter" things. I was a bit suprised that no one brought a gift, but not disappointed.
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Asking/suggesting gift cards only : lol, I'll give you the contact info for all the ladies who hosted and came to the shower for me, and you can let them know I didn;t deserve it. Lemme know how that goes. I do have a small registry as well and people are certainly free to shop on the registry or bring whatever or not come. Everyone knows my fiance and I have been together since highschool (10+ years) and don't need all the little "starter" things. <strong>I was a bit suprised that no one brought a gift, but not disappointed.
</strong>Posted by lindsay5432[/QUOTE]
people sat and watched you open cards & money? sounds boring. what was the point of the shower then? Shouldve just had a money tree.
I completely agree with PP that asking for gift cards is not a good idea for a shower. I have a situation that i would love to get thoughts on...
I am getting married in July and we need to get registered QUICKLY!... problem is, we are selling our (very small) condo and plan to move ASAP. We have already boxed up quite a bit of our belongings and stored them at mom's in order to de-clutter. Since we plan to move upon selling the condo, not sure what kind of things we will want/need. For instance, registering for towels/linens seems silly since we dont even know where we will be moving....
not to mention the storage space... mom was gracious but running out of space!. I'm sure im not the first bride-to-be in this situation.. Thoughts?