Planning a no-gift bridal shower can be a bit of a nightmare. It goes against everything Miss Manners taught us, after all, about wedding gift etiquette! If you attend a shower, you should bring a gift, right?
If the bride (or brides) specifically requests no gifts, then you have to honor those wishes. However, that doesn’t mean you have to show up totally empty-handed. Keep reading for ideas on what to bring to a gift-free party!
READ MORE: Good Bridal Shower Gifts
What Do You Bring to a No Gifts Bridal Shower
Below are some of the cute ideas you might consider while going to a bridal shower with no gifts:
Cards
A card is a cute idea for a shower gift if you are going to a no-gift shower. Everyone likes to receive these beautiful gift cards, and they’re very low-stress to open. In fact, the bride can do so after the party if she wants. Get the perfect gift card from Amazon here:
- Amazon.com Gift Cards never expire and carry no fees.
- Multiple gift card designs and denominations to choose from.
- Redeemable towards millions of items store-wide at Amazon.com or certain affiliated websites.
A Memory Book
If you are going to your best friend’s wedding shower, a memory book is the best shower gift that’s not a “gifty gift,” if that makes sense.
Include pictures of all the fun times you had together along with personal notes sharing your fondest memories. Add in a few gorgeous quotes about friendship, maybe some movie tickets you have saved…basically anything that shows off how much you value your friendship.
If you want to go the extra mile, you can even coordinate with other friends and family attending the shower. Ask them to put together a page or two to add to the book. That way, it’s a group non-gift gift.
A Bottle of Wine
A bottle of wine is the perfect thing to bring to a friend’s wedding shower with no gifts, especially since you can drink it during the party! Better yet, ask everyone to bring a bottle. Then, you can either turn the shower into a wine-tasting event or as a “stock her liquor cabinet” party.
If you go with the latter, consider asking everyone to bring a different type of liquor. For example, you can bring wine, someone else can bring vodka, etc. Grab a blank book while you’re at it and ask everyone to write down their favorite cocktail recipe.
READ MORE: 35 Epic Last Minute Bridal Shower Gifts
How to Host a No Gift Bridal Shower
People often don’t want to go to no-gift bridal showers, and if they do, they will almost definitely not listen to you and bring a gift with them.
If you want to avoid that, keep reading for some suggestions on how to word the invites and more. We’ve included the basics for ALL showers as well, in case you’ve never planned one before.
1. Bridal Shower Invitation Wording
The design and words written on your invitation cards will decide whether it is going to be a formal or a casual event. Some of the traditional bridal shower invitation cards include:
- Let’s celebrate [bride’s name] bridal shower together.
- Our [bride’s name] deserves a lot of love from us.
- Join in the celebration of our beloved [bride’s name].
For non-traditional shower invitations, the cards include:
- Cheer to the future Mrs.
- It is time for Miss [bride’s name] to become Mrs.
- Join us in celebrating our favorite girl’s bridal shower with music, dance, and toast.
For no-gift showers, add a line stating, “At the bride’s request, please do not bring gifts. your presence is the best present!”
2. Names of the Honorary Guests
If you want people to know that your bridal shower is a co-ed shower, make sure to mention the name of the bride’s partner.
If this awesome party is solely organized for the bride, then there is no need to mention their name on the invitation.
The thought of including them as a part of the celebration is an excellent idea, but it could cause discomfort to many guests.
3. Location, Date, and Time
Make sure to write them big enough so that the date, time, and location can be read by your shower guests easily.
For the ease of the readers, try to spell out the month instead of writing it in numbers. For example, you can write July 9, 2021, instead of 7-9-2021.
Make sure to mention the exact time of dinner, supper, or lunch, depending on whatever you’re arranging.
With the increasing usage of Google maps, if you’re sending e-invitation, you can pinpoint the exact location; otherwise, if you’re planning to send hard copies of invitations, mention the exact address.
4. The Name of the Actual Host
It isn’t necessary to write the name of the host, but it gives a nice gesture to the one who’s arranging the bridal shower by putting his/her energy and dedication. In this way, visitors would know who to congrats on organizing a beautiful function, making it a dream day for the bride.
If mentioning RSVP, you can also provide their cell phone numbers if they are your relatives. In this way, if someone is having difficulty finding the exact location, they can call someone from RSVP’s list to guide themselves.
5. Think Out of the Box: Assign Your No-Gift Bridal Shower Different Names
If you want to make your bridal shower a no-gift bridal show, try to name that event differently.
You can call it bridal tea, a Sunday brunch if you have it on Sunday; it can be luncheon or a spa day as well. Ideas are there, but everything depends on you; give your no-gift bridal shower a unique name.
FAQs
What should I exactly do to make my bridal shower a no-gift bridal shower?
To make your bridal shower a no-gift bridal shower, you can name it differently. Call it a bridal tea, spa day, luncheon, or anything you like apart from calling it a bridal shower.
What should we take at a no-gift bridal shower?
If the bride requests no gifts, then yourself is all you need to bring. However, if you want to give her a small token, consider bringing a bottle of wine or a small “congratulations” card.
How can I write beautiful bridal shower invitation cards?
There are many ways to write indulging bridal shower invitation cards. You can start formally or casually, depending on the theme of your event. Usually, a bridal shower with no gifts is either called a bridal party and a spa-themed bridal shower, luncheon, or a bridal tea day.
Conclusion
Despite your best intentions to throw a no-gifts bridal shower, I can almost guarantee you that someone will bring a present. If that happens, just thank them and move on. It’s not worth stressing over. Better yet, ask the host or hostess to handle it! It is, after all, YOUR day!
References
- “No Gifts Bridal Shower.” n.d. Weddingbee-Boards. Accessed August 2, 2021. https://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/no-gifts-bridal-shower/.
- Schreiber, Sarah. 2015. “How to Word Your Bridal Shower Invitations, according to the Pros.” Martha Stewart. Martha Stewart. March 13, 2015. https://www.marthastewart.com/7872213/bridal-shower-invitation-wording-made-simple.
Have you tried throwing a no-gift bridal shower? Please share your experience below!
I’m a freelance journalist/writer/content marketer with BA Hons in Journalism.
Last update on 2024-12-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
