Asking For Gift Cards For a Bridal Shower? Here’s What You Should Do
Gift cards are an excellent, versatile gift option that can be adapted to fit into any scenario. Picking out birthday presents? Gift cards. Sending mom a card for Mother’s Day? Gift cards. Making preparations for Christmas festivities? Definitely gift cards. Even graduation parties and baby showers get a fair share of gift cards, sometimes by request of the hosts.
Yes, you read that right – people often specify what types of gifts they’re looking for when organizing some kind of event, from birthday parties to religious ceremonies and so on. It may seem brash to go out of your way to request people bring certain gifts, but it ultimately depends on how you go about asking. The correct words arranged in the right way will go a long way when they are addressed to the right people.
When you communicate appropriately, you never have to feel awkward about asking for gift cards as a preferred present on any invitations you happen to send out. Whether it is a formal occasion or a laid-back event shared with close friends and family members, you deserve to have your desires heard, especially when you are the center of the party. Big events like house warming parties and bridal showers are times where what you want comes first, because the celebration is all about you.
You can learn how to properly ask for gift cards from the various different people in your life right in time for the bridal shower you are organizing. A bridal shower leads up to one of the most special moments in your life and is no small occasion, which is why it’s one hundred percent fine to designate gifting guidelines. Not everybody needs to adhere to them, but you can pretty much guarantee on receiving some gift items that you specified on your invitations.
A bridal shower is meant to be a special occasion that you can look back on with fondness – plan your event accordingly so that it's everything you dreamed it would be.
How Can You Ask For Gift Cards For Your Bridal Shower?
So, you’ve decided to incorporate gift cards into your bridal shower. All the more power to you for it!
Gift cards make for quite the popular present for special occasions and celebrations just like bridal showers, and any bride prepping for her big day knows how troublesome everyday life can be when such an event is around the corner. Receiving gift cards at your bridal shower can help mitigate some of the stress that comes alongside planning the perfect wedding merely by making life a little easier. It’s convenient to have free money you can use to spend on groceries, apparel, dinner dates, home goods, and pretty much anything else you could need just laying around for when you need it.
While the convenience and flexibility offered by gift cards are undeniable qualities, the part where you ask guests for gift cards can be a little tricky. It all boils down to using the right wording and following proper etiquette.
There’s a good chance you’ll be inviting people who you are not particularly close to, and that’s where more formal wording suggestions may come into play. You never want to come across as demanding or presumptuous when sending out invitations, but subtlety and grace go a long way. Let guests know that gift cards, or any type of present at all for that matter, are not expected nor required in order to attend. Something along the lines of “if you wish to give us a gift, we welcome gift cards” works as a polite and direct way of communicating your gift preferences.
Here is a general guideline you can adhere to when you plan on including a request for gift cards as a part of your bridal shower invitations:
- Gradually build up to it. It can be off-putting and even a tad bit rude to come right out of the gate demanding gift cards from your guests. It is best to gently work your way into requesting gift cards for your bridal shower. Give information about the time and place of the event, mention how much it would mean to you for the person you are inviting to attend, and then you can choose to add on any information about bringing gift cards. Outline any prevalent details about the type of bridal shower you want to have in the invitation so that guests can prepare accordingly if you choose to go with a specific theme or style.
- Show appreciation in advance. Before you even receive your first gift, it is vital that you communicate with a grateful attitude in your bridal shower invitations. Remember, the guests of your bridal shower are going out of their way to make sure you have a very special day, and it is not within everybody’s ability to bring a gift. You should always reassure your guests that just them simply being present at the celebration is more than enough, but that anyone who is feeling generous is encouraged to bring gift cards. Sprinkle in little bits of gratitude and appreciation throughout your invitation however you see fit to show guests that while nothing is ever expected, you are always appreciative of kind gestures.
- Allow them to opt out. Perhaps gift cards are an ideal gift for you, but some guests may still insist on going out of their way to personally pick out a gift they think is fitting for your bridal shower. For guests who would prefer to give you something a little more sentimental, it is wise to give them the option of not bringing gift cards. While nobody is obligated to bring any specific sort of gift, it you specify gift cards in your invitation then guests may feel like anything else would be met with disappointment. Make a point to reassure guests that you appreciate any sort of gift they bring, gift card or otherwise. You can say something like “gift cards are preferred for this event, but we will be grateful for anything you decide to bring.”
- Customizing is everything. You can easily accomplish this by connecting gift cards to the theme and style of your bridal shower, such as DIY gift card envelopes for a couple working on home improvement or travel gift cards paired with luggage tags for those preparing to take their honeymoon. Connecting your gift cards to a certain theme will make them even more meaningful and fun for your guests to surprise you with.
You aren’t doing anything wrong by including requests for gift cards as a part of your bridal shower invitations. Yes, you may feel a little apprehensive about doing so in fear of coming off as brash or demanding, but the truth of the matter is that a bridal shower is supposed to be a day about the bride-to-be, you! As long as you are being respectful, kind, and do not shame those who may not be able to bring gift cards, then you really do not have anything to worry about. If anybody does have an issue with being asked to bring a gift card, they can simply choose to ignore the request with no harm done to you or them.
A Custom Visa Gift Card Is Always a Good Idea
A bridal shower is the perfect type of occasion to warrant a custom Visa gift card. Functional and thoughtful, a custom Visa gift card can be personalized with a special photo or brief message that shows just how much you care. It is a gift that goes a long way without coming across as too over the top or eccentric. Soon-to-be wives will love a gift card that they can use on almost anything they please.
Purchase a custom Visa gift card
Thank Guests For Their Gift Card Contributions
Write a Thank-You Note
Thank-you cards, once the epitome of American etiquette and congeniality, have certainly seemed to fall to the wayside in more recent times, particularly among the younger generations. But this doesn’t mean they should be dismissed when planning your bridal shower, especially when you want to thank all of the lovely guests who brought gift cards and anything else you requested. A thank-you note can be the perfect way to wrap up the bridal shower celebrations and to demonstrate your appreciation for the many people in your life.
If you are considering writing thank-you notes for your attendants, you can make the gesture even more meaningful by including personalized touches for each person. In the thank-you card, make sure to specify which gift cards you received from the individual and express your sincere gratitude regarding the gifts. It can also be nice to include how you used the gift cards as a part of your thank-you note, showing guests that their gifts did not go to waste and how helpful they were for you. Thank-you notes do not have to be very long – a few lines that display your appreciation and perhaps a short anecdote about your time shopping are all you need to share the joy with your guests.
Here are some ways you can increase engagement with guests in your thank-you notes:
Choose the right stationery. Whether you are picking out blank stationery or pre-designed cards from the store, it is important to go with an option that feels right for your own style so that the thank-you notes feel genuine.
- Use guests’ names. Addressing guests by their names in thank-you notes definitely comes off as intimate and personal and can be an extra special touch to your note.
- Be specific about the gift. When composing a thank-you note, you want to mention the gift that the recipient got for you as well as what you used (or intend to use) the funds for. You should also include how the gift personally helped you in an effort to make your recipient feel appreciated.
- Add a photo. If this is an option that attracts you or you think your recipient would enjoy, then there’s no harm in including a photo. The picture can be of you and your spouse, the gift you bought, or anything else you think would be appropriate.
- A personal touch. Your thank-you note won’t be truly complete without something that makes your guests smile. Share a memory, tell a funny story, or mention a past moment that’s been on your mind. Personal touches like these will make guests feel honored and appreciated.
It may not be time for the wedding yet, but you deserve to celebrate the joy of marriage with all of the meaningful people in your life with your dream bridal shower.
There is no one outline for a perfect bridal shower, but you can make it something truly special by putting in the work and using effective communication in your invitations. Use the advice in this article to put together bridal shower invitations that clearly and concisely showcase your message so that guests have a good understanding of what you want to receive on your special day.
The guests are there for you, and their mere presence at your event goes a long way to show how much they truly care about you. Many will definitely go out of their way to follow any requests you make and stick to the theme of your bridal shower, so don’t be afraid to be yourself and ask for what your heart really wants!