So, you want to let your guests know that gifts are not required at your event.
However, you’re worried that gifts are optional might sound rude or improper.
Well, you’ve come to the right place to learn a bit more about it.
This article will teach you how to politely say gifts are optional when writing an invitation.
6 Alternative Ways to Say “Gifts Are Optional”
Check out these alternatives to learn a polite way to say gifts are optional:
- Your presence is the best present
- Gifts are not required but appreciated
- No gifts are necessary
- Your attendance is all that is required
- Gifts are not expected
- Your being there means more than any gift
1. Your Presence Is the Best Present
One of the best ways to say gifts are optional is your presence is the best present. The wording of this phrase is what makes it most useful to you.
Generally, you can use this in friendly and welcoming invitations. So, it can work well when inviting friends to weddings or baby showers.
For the most part, it’s a cute and friendly way to show someone you care about them.
If you suggest that their presence is good enough for you, it means you’d be happier to see them at your event. So they don’t need to worry about any gifts they might bring.
Also, you can check out this example to learn more about it:
Dear Friends,
You are invited to my baby shower, and I can’t wait to see you there.
Don’t worry about any gifts because your presence is the best present.
Best wishes,
Sammy Altruism
2. Gifts Are Not Required But Appreciated
We also think it’s good to use gifts are not required but appreciated. This is a great choice if you want to let the guests decide whether they bring a gift.
For instance, you can use it when inviting people to your kid’s birthday party. It suggests that they would appreciate a gift, but they aren’t expecting one from any attendees.
Therefore, it’s up to the parents of the other children to decide whether they’d like to bring any gifts.
It’s polite to use something like this. Most of the time, recipients will appreciate the openness and directness of the request.
So, you can check out this invitation sample to learn more:
Dear All,
You are all invited to join Barry for his birthday event this weekend.
Gifts are not required but appreciated, so don’t feel obliged to bring them along.
All the best,
Josie Bennett
3. No Gifts Are Necessary
For something a little simpler, you can say no gifts are necessary. Generally, this is a great choice when inviting coworkers to an event.
It could be your wedding or a birthday party. Whatever the case, if you want to invite work colleagues, this is important to say.
After all, most colleagues might feel like you’re asking them to bring a gift. So, a direct yet polite choice like this will remind them that you expect no gifts, just their company.
We also recommend reviewing this sample to learn a bit more:
Dear Guests,
I would like to invite you to a dinner party at my house this afternoon.
No gifts are necessary, as I’d prefer just to have all of your company.
Best regards,
Jonathan Delonge
4. Your Attendance Is All That Is Required
There’s nothing wrong with your attendance is all that is required instead of gifts are optional.
It’s a bit of a funny way to say gifts are optional because it shows you’re not thinking of gifts at all. Instead, it suggests you’re just happy to be in someone’s company.
You can use it when inviting your boss to a personal event. It shows that you respect them enough to invite them, and you’re only looking for their attendance to make the event better.
So, check out this invitation sample to learn a bit more:
Dear Mr. Murphy,
I really hope you can come to my dinner party on Friday.
Your attendance is all that is required.
Looking forward to seeing you,
Melissa Saunders
5. Gifts Are Not Expected
There’s nothing wrong with trying to avoid gifts at a party. As the host, you’re well within your right to ask people not to give you them.
That’s why gifts are not expected works well. It shows that you do not need gifts, but it’s up to the attendees to decide whether to bring any.
Most attendees will then choose if they think it’s worth bringing a gift. If you’ve made it clear that you’re not looking for them, then this should help to sway people’s decisions.
It’s formal and polite. There’s nothing wrong with asking this when you’d prefer company over material objects.
Check out the following invitation sample if you still need help:
Dear All,
I would like you all to attend this event with me to celebrate.
Gifts are not expected, so please don’t worry about bringing anything but a smile!
All the best,
Jackie Chaser
6. Your Being There Means More Than Any Gift
The last synonym we want to go over is your being there means more than any gift.
This is a kind and caring way to let people know how much you appreciate their company. Therefore, it works best when inviting friends or loved ones.
Of course, it can still relate to a business event. However, this specific invitation wording works best when you care about the recipients more than just on a professional level.
To learn more about it, you can review the following invitation example:
Dear Family,
I would love it if you could attend my party on the weekend to celebrate my promotion.
Your being there means more than any gift, though!
Lots of love,
Greg Johnson
Is It Correct to Say “Gifts Are Optional”?
Gifts are optional is correct to say on invitations.
There’s no reason not to use it if you don’t want guests to buy you gifts. It’s polite and lets guests know that it’s entirely their choice if they still want to bring something.
For the most part, this is great to use when you don’t want to put pressure on your guests. It lets them know that you’d prefer to have their company over anything else.
You can refer to this wedding invitation sample to learn a bit more about it:
Dear Loved Ones,
You are cordially invited to join us for our big day.
Gifts are optional, but we’d very much appreciate your company to celebrate with us.
Best regards,
Mathew Spritz
Of course, there are plenty of contexts that work well when saying gifts are optional. Another common event where people bring gifts is a birthday party.
So, you can refer to this birthday party invitation sample to find out how it works:
Dear Guests,
While I’m happy to invite you to my birthday party, I want you to know that gifts are optional!
I’d be much happier enjoying your company!
Yours,
Georgia Kann
