gift poem!

Sorry, but I find those poems cringe worthy!!!

I personally would leave it blank (we did this & 98% of guests gave money) or simply say that if guests would like to contribute, they can help pay off your home.

I am indifferent towards money poems but I am pretty sure that lots come up on Google. I personally prefer a statement such as "The only present we request is your presence. If guests wish to give a gift then a contribution to our honeymoon/dream home/ new bathroom (etc) would be much apprreciated".

I agree with others - could you just put a short sentence saying about appreciating money if guests wish to give you a gift? I don't think you need to say what the money will be used on.

I hate poems on invites, but each to their own and all that

Don't mention gifts at all, you'll get money anyway. People don't give toasters and tea towels any more.

Nooooo! *Shudder*

I cringe at even the mention of them.

Personally, I don't like the idea of asking for money. I'm just not going to mention anything about gifts on invites. I just want people to come to see me get married & I'd rather they spent their money at the bar :-).

I find them cringe-worthy, too. Glad to hear I'm not alone!

i agree with those that say to say nothing. You will get cash anyways.

If you want to put a poem in with your invites, go for it! Not everyone automatically gives money, especially the older generation. I hate how everyone slates these into the ground. I put one in with mine x

It's just an honest opinion when someone says they don't like them. However, you're right, the OP should use one if she wants to.

As far as the bit about older generation giving gifts, well, a poem isn't going to change the fact that they won't want to give cash. They will buy a gift if they want to and give cash if they want to. I know of quite a few people who are just contrary enough to not give cash simply because it was requested, when they would have given cash in an envelope otherwise. I think it's just the asking that rubs people the wrong way, and asking in rhyme generally doesn't soften the blow.

Honesty is fine I just think the honesty on here is a bit blunt & tactless at times.

I can see what you're saying but it may make them think & possibly change their mind if there is an actual request. I have never felt rubbed up the wrong way by a gift poem/request on a wedding invite!

Another person here not a fan of these poems at all (sorry) but then I don't like the asking for money thing either, and i'm one of these people who probably wouldn't give cash if it was asked of me lol.
however your wedding day & it's whatever floats your boat..have you tried googling it? Usually when I can't find things google saves me, or if you have a rough idea of other ones could try rewording it yourself to go with mortgage? ?

Yep, I'm one of those contrary people who would refuse to give cash if asked for it. They do rub me up the wrong way, especially when disguised as a poem. If you want money be bold enough to ask for it without the frills attached. I rarely give cash gifts but would be more inclined to do so for people who have mentioned nothing at all in their invitations.

I was going to put a gift poem in my invites, but I think I will just leave it. Most people I know would give cash anyway or at least ask what we wanted so I can tell them that way.

We wanted to put something in like this also but didn't like the poem idea, we just put a line in that said "your company is enough, however if you would like to give a gift then a contribution towards our first home and future would be appreciated." We haven't had any complaints about this!

We went to a few in a row who all used the 'it's your presence not your presents that are important to us' before then asking for money so that became a bit of a cliché to me. I can be a contrary person as mentioned before and think that the approach I would respond most favourably to would be a straightforward 'If you would like to get us a gift then we would really appreciate donations towards the honeymoon' (or whatever) rather than something cute-sounding. Or just don't mention it as most people seem to find they get cash then anyway.

Another person not a fan of the money poems, they can be a little cringey but I understand why people use them.

Personally, we're not mentioning gifts whatsoever on our invites. Because we're marrying abroad people are unlikely to bring gifts out there (my auntie will probably cross stitch something which I'm fine with, I love her work) but we really don't need anything whatsoever.

We got lots of vouchers for John Lewis for our engagement - still using them now, a year later.

If you want to use a poem, then this is completely up to you, but it may be an idea to move away from the American versions. They can be a bit bleugh.

I quite like a bit of guidance as to what the couple would like but I think it's a bit crass for it to be on the actual invitation. If it's an invitation with inserts about travel, accommodation, food and so on then that's a good place for a simple straight forward 'most of all we want you to be there but if you'd like to get us a gift we've got a list at X / we'd love a contribution to our house fund / vouchers for Y'. We're having a website for all the extra details and somewhere on there I'll put that we're saving for a once-in-a-lifetime holiday for our honeymoon.

As for the poems - I hate them! In fact I hate that people think it's ever a good way of conveying information, poetry is about emotions, feelings, stories etc. Prose is for conveying information! A poem as a request, whether for money at a wedding or to put the loo seat down, always comes over a little condescending bordering on passive-aggressive to me and I have to admit I'd be tempted to do the opposite of what was being asked. ?

I completely get what everyone is saying about it being the brides' own choice, and certainly Martin Lewis is all for it: he extols the virtues of the money poem every year. It's just that it really does rub some of us up the wrong way. Like Icklefee I get a bit contrary about being asked for a cash gift.

I would not expact to receive a kids party invitation specifying a gift, but will phone the child's parents to ask if there is anything they would particularly like. On receiving a dinner invitation I phone to thanks the host and accept, and ask if there is anything I can bring, but I wouldn't expect a dinner invitation to also include the phrase: 'bring enough cash in an envelope to cover the cost fo your dinner', and I would expect to bring flowers for the hostess and some wine as a matter of course, even if they asked me not to bring anything else. It really isn't the idea of giving I object to, it's the asking.

I usually give cash for weddings, particularly if the couple have lived together for a while, but I generally don't give cash if there's a poem about money in the invitation. I realise that this makes me difficult, particularly giving a gift which has not been solicited and may be a duplicate, but the poems are just more than my etiquette filter can cope with. Still, here are a few you may like. ?

So what do you get
For the bride and groom
Whose house needs things
In every room?
When shopping for a present please don’t be rash
As there is always the option
To just give cash!
We hope you don’t find
Our request to be funny
But we really would appreciate
A gift of money

Our life together has already begun
We have almost everything under the sun
If you should wish to bring a gift
Then cash or vouchers, if you insist
But most of all a gift we'd say
Is for you to share our Wedding Day

We don't want to offend but we have it all,
All household goods and so much more.
To save you shopping, sit back and rest,
A gift of currency is our request.
Don't go overboard or rob any banks,
Any little thing will make us smile with thanks.
We supply the wishing well,
No wrapping, an envelop who can tell.
Now that we have saved you all the fuss,
It would be appreciated if you would come
And celebrate with us.


Here's one about buying a house....

Now we are to be Mr & Mrs
We don’t need a wedding list of dishes
We have two kettles, two toasters, two microwaves
We require a house for which we have to save.
If you would like to give us a gift,
A cheque or vouchers would give us a lift
We like to think of it as our ‘wishing well’
Which will be filled with your love, we can tell

This.

I think this is why I don't like them. They're not personal and I kind of think, if you really want money then ask for money rather than disguise it in a poem.

(Personally I'm not comfortable asking for money but each to your own and if everyone's wedding was the same it'd be boring)