20 Clever Wording Ideas to Ask for No Gifts on Birthday Invitations

Ask for a non-material gift

Gift-giving is a part of our culture, so some people might feel guilty for not bringing a gift to a party. You could make things a bit easier for your guests if you ask for a non-material gift instead of strictly sticking to “no gifts” policy.

You can, for example, ask for a thoughtful note/card, maybe even a letter or a poem. Anything that’s not a financial burden on the guest can be a nice alternative. You could say that you’re building a time capsule for the birthday boy/girls and that you would be thrilled if the guests could add something (from letter to photographs/drawings).

Charity donations as gifts

It’s becoming very popular to donate to charity in someone’s name as a gift. The act is selfless and generous but you should be careful. With inadequate wording, you could sound self-righteous and not grateful for someone’s gifts.

To avoid this, feel free to explain the reasons why your guest should give charity donations instead of gifts. You could explain how you’ve (or the birthday boy/girl) recently found a cause to support. If you feel the passion to change the world, don’t hesitate to share it and inspire others.

You can put the suggestion of charity donation on invitations next to “no gifts” wording. Add a simple statement that your family recently started volunteering at the local animal shelter (zoo, soup kitchen, etc.) and leave a link to the charity. You don’t even have to ask for monetary contributions. Instead, ask for help with volunteer work as a gift.

Gift cards instead of gifts

Giving gifts cards instead of gifts has become very common. People don’t want to get the “wrong” gift, so they opt for this alternative. It’s also very beneficial with piling up things and decluttering, so you should definitely consider suggesting to your guests to get gift cards instead.

We discussed some of the ways of how you can ask for gift cards on birthday invitations. You’ll find the information you need for polite wording of this simple request. Gift cards have become the new social norm, so you really don’t need to worry about offending anyone. Even more, people are relieved to hear this request because they don’t have to stress about getting the perfect gift.

Monetary presents as an alternative

We’ve also talked about giving money instead of gifts for birthdays. This might not be the most common practice but it’s very convenient to receive monetary presents. Guests also like the idea, although it might seem awkward at first. However, close family members actually like the option to give cash presents because that way, they’ll be sure you’ll get exactly the items you need.

In times of constant financial burden, monetary presents can make your life a bit easier. When people ask questions about your birthday wishes and you say that you need, for example, clothes, you might not get the colors you like or even the right size. With monetary gifts, you can get clothes fit for your taste, right? It’s simple and convenient.

A few tips on throwing gift-free parties

In the end, we’d just like to share a few tips on throwing a gift-free party.

• The ideal scenario is that everyone listens to your suggestion and you actually have a gift-free party. However, the social norm to give gifts is very strong, so some guests might still bring presents. In this case, you should politely thank the guest for the present and put them away in another room or a closet. Get them away from other guests who respected your wishes for no gifts. You don’t want to make an awkward situation of having a pile of gifts in front of everyone when you explicitly said no gifts.
• Don’t make the big deal about the presents. Instead, encourage everyone to enjoy the time spent together and having fun at the party.
• No gifts also means no gift-opening ceremony. Don’t open the presents you received because you’ll just make the guests that didn’t bring a gift feel bad. Stick to your guns and leave the gifts in the other room. Also, kids don’t hide their excitement/disappointment about certain gifts which usually leads to offending the gift-givers. It’s best to let this tradition fade away and leave gift-opening for later.
• Naturally, you shouldn’t give out goodie bags. You wanted to fight receiving too much stuff, right? Then you shouldn’t give excessive stuff either. If you asked your guest to skip giving gifts, you need to follow that rule too. Otherwise, your guests will feel weird to attend a party with no gift, enjoy your food and drinks then leave with a return gift. Party favors would just make everyone feel uncomfortable.
• The sooner you start with “no gifts” policy, the easier it will be for your family and friends to adjust. Your kids will learn about gratitude when they receive 2-3 gifts instead of 20+ gifts they usually get.
• Throw one fun party! Shift the focus from gifts entirely. Fill the time with interesting activities, choose uplifting music, and prepare tasty food. Experiences are remembered for much longer than received presents.

Conclusion

Speaking about experiences, hear this out. Even when you find the perfect wording for no gifts on birthday invitations, you’ll hear a lot of questions from guests about what they can do instead. We already mentioned some alternatives but we have one more. Experiences are very valuable, especially for kids. If close family members ask about a gift, suggest them to give an experience (such as a trip to the zoo, going to the cinema, etc.) instead. Sounds perfect, right?