3 Polite Ways on How to Ask for Presents on Invitations

Direct Approach for the Closest People in Your Life

There’s no straightforward answer on the question of how to say bring gifts on an invitation. Well, you shouldn’t use that very sentence, that’s for sure. As we already mentioned, some people think it’s rude to ask for gifts on invitations, while others think it’s ok to do it. In real life, most people are fine with gift requests as long as you don’t sound bossy or demanding in any way. That might make them feel uncomfortable and obligated, which takes out all the fun of the occasion. Therefore, you should be super careful when asking for gifts.

However, the truth is, you don’t have tons of choices on how you’ll do it. You can either try with subtle hints or ask directly. When it comes to the straightforward approach, there are some things you should keep in mind:

• Write a direct request on invitation only with friends and family. They know you well enough not to misinterpret the wording and get insulted.
• Funny gift requests are only acceptable in the narrow circle of your closest friends and family. Others might find jokes about gifts inappropriate and rude.
• Avoid writing openly about your wishes and needs on the invitations. Except if you’re giving them only to your close friends.
• If you decide on a direct approach, make sure you’re sending the same invitation to everybody. You have to do it in one way or another, and you shouldn’t mix things up. If you have some not-so-close people coming with a lot of your good friends, we still recommend sticking with a subtle approach. You don’t want to give different invitations. That is rude, it can be awkward, and it always comes up in conversations.

Subtle Wording on Invitations

So, once again only with a different method, we are answering the question of how do you politely ask for gifts on an invitation. If you have a lot of guests you don’t know so well, you should opt for a subtle approach. You want them to know that you don’t want to be bossy, demanding, and insensitive. The main goal is to show them what you meant with the entire thing and how you think that will be helpful for them too.

For example, you know that common question that bothers everybody, about what to give for birthdays, Christmas, and other occasions. People often wonder How to Ask Someone What They Want for Their Birthday. Now, you get to make things easier for them and give a hint about a gift, so they don’t even have to ask!

Here’s what you can do:

• Always say how happy you’re about a person coming to the occasion. He or she should feel comfortable with the invitation and don’t get the impression that you’re only interested in the gifts.  
• Write a line or two about how they don’t have to bring you anything. You should always keep in mind that some people work hard for their paychecks and that they don’t always have a lot of money to spend on gifts.
•  Say something like:

If you would, however, like to bring a gift…

I will accept gifts but don’t feel obligated to bring anything…

These are only the bald examples, but they should give you a hint about how the invitation should look like. With these phrases, you will avoid creating pressure on people yet you say how you’ll gladly receive gifts from those who can afford them.

If you follow these steps, you’ll most likely get presents from all of your guests. The only difference is that they won’t think your invitation is rude, and most certainly won’t feel obligated to give you something above their budget.

Taking a Risk

Lastly, a lot of people accept the risk of request-free invitation. They can’t bring themselves to write anything about what they want, afraid of how that might be understood by the guests. We only wanted to say how that’s completely normal, and how it might even work in your favor. 

Even without hints on invitations, people know they are supposed to bring gifts. The only thing that they don’t know is what exactly they should get, so if you want a set of particular gifts, that’s not going to happen without hints. Also, hints are necessary if you want some gift alternatives such as experiences, money, gift cards, and similar stuff. You have to tell people you want these things because they can’t just guess it. 

So, if you don’t want anything special for your birthday, wedding, or another occasion, you might as well try the risky request-free invitations. Who knows, you might even be pleasantly surprised!

Final Thoughts

To sum things up, the question of how to say gifts are welcome is tricky, and it could get you in a lot of trouble with your guests. However, you can avoid any inconvenience by following these simple steps we listed above. Of course, first, you should decide on a gift you want to get, then on the guest list, and think all of that through. Only then you’ll be all set to write a perfect invitation that will sound exactly as you want it to. It shouldn’t be too hard. In the end, you can also think of what type of invitation you would like to get if the roles were the other way around. Lastly, we hope that our tips and suggestions will help you decide how to ask for presents on invitations.