There is hardly any person who doesn’t love gifts. Exchanging gifts is a great way to express love and affection for each other. The process of gift-giving can be a nice surprise but many people find it a source of frustration and anxiety.
There are many reasons you may not want any gift like organizing or redecorating your house, get rid of all the clutter, moved in a small place or you want to spend more time with the people you have invited rather than focusing on receiving gifts and unwrapping them.
However, the main problem is to transfer the “no gift required/allowed” message to the people that want to bring you gifts. So if you are wondering about how to tell someone no more gifts then read this article. Here I have discussed how you can tell someone politely not to bring any gift!
How to tell someone you don’t want their Gift?
There are a lot of ways you can let someone know that, you don’t want their gift – such as, mention a “NO GIFT” message on the card if its an invitation-only event. Or call each attendee before the event and politely say not to bring any gift. If it’s your relative or your boy or girlfriend – be honest and let them know that you prefer a charity donation instead.
People can easily misinterpret the words and it can hurt their fillings. So it is very complicated to communicate with the people that might bring you gift and express your “no gift” wish.
So below are a few tips (in detail) that will help you navigate the delicate process of asking for no gifts at all!
“No Gift” Wording in the Invitation
If you are sending an invitation to invite guests to a birthday celebration, an engagement, a wedding, and even an anniversary then you can easily express the “no gift” message. Generally, the invitation contains important information like the date of the occasion, the time, the place, etc. So you can give specific instructions on the invitation card like a request to bring no gifts. You can use no gift wording in the invitation card. There are many different ways to write no more gifts on an invitation. For example:
- Please do not bring any gift
- Gifts are not necessary
- No gifts allowed, only your presence!
- Gift us only with the honor of your presence
- No presents please, just your presence
- Your presence is the only present desired
- Your presence is the best gift you could give us
- Your good wishes are the only gifts that we wish to receive
- The presence of our family and friends will do, no gifts, please
You can add the above request at the bottom of the invitation. But if you have other things to say then you can add a separate insert with the invitation with your message. This is a great way to say that you don’t want any gift. Moreover, the chance of hurting the fillings of your loved ones is zero!
Express the Message in Person or on the Phone
You can tell your guests in person or on the phone that you don’t want any gifts. Though many people consider it difficult but it’s a great option because you will have the chance to explain in detail why you don’t want any gift. Before you start the conversation make sure you remain calm or you might risk your words coming out all wrong. So, your guest will not understand and could misinterpret your message. Make sure, you start your conversation in a casual and fun way. Thanked them for accepting your invitation as well as appreciate all the gifts that they have given in the past. Finally, asked them not to bring any gift this time and clearly explain to them your reasons for not wanting any more gifts this time. They will definitely understand and most likely will honor your wishes.
Be Honest about your Reason
While asking your guests not to bring any gift makes sure you remain as honest as you can. Let them know the reason why you don’t want any gift from them this time. Tell them that you have been focusing on simplifying and de-cluttering this year or you can simply tell them that you are on a tight budget so you can’t participate in the same level of gift exchanging this time. Make sure you express your message in a friendly way with positive words. This way you can avoid miscommunication and hurting your loved ones.
Offer/Suggest Alternatives
If your guests are insisting on bringing gifts then you can offer or suggest alternative rather than saying “no gifts,” and hanging up the phone. Moreover, if your main target of “No Gift” is to avoid wasting resources then suggesting alternatives is an excellent strategy. You can suggest alternatives like movie tickets, restaurant gift cards, theater or concert tickets, etc. You can also offer consumable gift exchange like wine, tea, hot cocoa, bread, baking mixes, soup mixes, cookies, etc. You can also suggest charity and ask for donations on your behalf to organizations you care about. So suggesting alternatives is a great solution for guests who won’t get on board with your request for any more gifts.
Ask for the Gift of Presence
This is another excellent way of telling guests that you don’t want any gifts instead you’d prefer the gift of his or her presence on the occasion. You can ask your guest to exchange warm wishes, a chat, or some other type of celebration. This way you can avoid getting silly or unwanted gifts from the guest. But everything depends on the guest and the circumstance. If your guests are insisting on gifts then you can suggest the alternatives that I have mentioned above.
Notify your Guests in Advance
If you are wishing to avoid getting gifts on your next holiday or other occasions then make sure you notify your guests in advance. There is no point in asking the guests not to bring any gift just a day before the occasion or the ceremony. Most of the time guests buy their presents well in advance. So if the guest has bought the present then there is nothing you can do. Moreover, this will hurt your gust because he has already bought the gift. The best solution is, if you are sending an invitation then include “No Gift” words in it.
Final Thought
I hope the above information has helped you figure out how to tell someone you don’t want their gifts. While approaching the gusts makes sure you don’t hurt their fillings. It’s better to get a gift then hurting the fillings of your beloved one!
