How to Say 'No' to Wedding Gifts

It is a difficult question - how to say 'no' to wedding gifts - and there is no perfect answer. Your friends and loved ones naturally want to give you a token of their love and support as you begin your new life together as man and wife. But what is a couple, such as an older or more affluent couple, to do who has no need for another crystal memory book and matching paperweights to do? How do they say 'no' to wedding gifts?

The most common approach is to simply include a note in the invitation which says, in effect, 'no wedding gifts please' This approach has achieved mixed results. Some newly married couples have found their guests have complied with their requests. Others have been surprised to find how often their request has been ignored.

The problem with this approach to saying 'no' to wedding gifts is that it ignores the felt needs of the guest. As stated earlier, our friends and loved ones naturally want to give a tangible gesture of their support for your new life together. As such, it is wise to seek a way to allow them an outlet without giving in on your principles or making yourself look like a gold digger - like couples who have their wedding guests donate to mortgage funds and the like often end up appearing.

One answer is to give your guests a...

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