Buying A Home
JessicaCharles08
member
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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Housewarming invitation wording?
My husband and I just bought our 1st house!! We're totally excited and a little freaked out. We spent our max on the house because it's move in ready, but we don't have a lot of extra to spend to go crazy and make our house "warm". I don't really know housewarming party ettiquette. I've been told it's ok to have a party, but NOT ok to have a registry or wishlist. I'm so frustrated because I don't want people like my mother and mother-n-law buying crap that I wouldn't dare put in my house. Since registries are not ok, would it be ok if we ask for gift cards?? If so, how do I word that on the invitations???
Jessica
Re: Housewarming invitation wording?
I don't think people should ever ask for anything. If you don't want people to bring items you're worried about displaying- and I don't blame you, because different people have different tastes- then just write, "No gifts please."
When we had ours, most people just brought a bottle of wine anyway. I got a few things that were NMS, but it's not a big deal. Just be gracious about whatever people might choose to bring.
Welcome to the nest
At housewarmings, most people don't give major gifts, just small things like a bottle of wine, a houseplant, or a small GC to Lowe's/HD. There's no need to mention gifts at all, since you aren't likely to get major things. It sounds like your mother and MIL will give you something horrific with or without a party
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No - not OK to ask for gift cards and you don't put that information on an invitation.
If you are holding a housewarming party to get gifts - then forget the party altogether.
Since you're married and therefore, I assume, sent out wedding invitations, you should probably know that you cannot ask for gifts. Ever. Or money. Especially not in writing on an invitation.
Having a housewarming is about hosting people in your new home, not the presents.
40/112
I think people have the wrong idea. I'm not having the party to get gifts. But I've always been under the impression that people do bring gifts, and instead of something that I wouldn't use, I thought it would be more beneficial to let them know what we do need. We don't really drink wine, don't need candles, my cat will eat plants.
But I got the idea, it's not ok to bring up gift cards or anything of that matter. Thank you
My advice- don't call it a housewarming. We called ours a "Spring Fling" to get away from the housewarming concept and to keep people from thinking "Oh, we should bring a gift".
Some people still did, which was sweet, but by and large, most people didn't because it wasn't billed as a "housewarming". it was billed as a spring party.
~Benjamin Franklin
DS dx with celiac disease 5/28/10
LOL
Also, that's a fantastic housewarming gift idea! I'm totally stealing it.
A housewarming is merely a way to open your new home to friends and family. Generally, people will show up with SOMETHING, because it can be rude to show up empty handed, but it would be worse to suggest a gift of any sort, as others have already mentioned.
In my circle of friends/family it's not common to give housewarming gifts. If people bring gifts at all, it's usually a house plant or bottle of wine or a similar small gift. People I know would be offended to be told in an invite to bring gift cards.
If you want to avoid people bringing gifts that might not be your style, just call the party something else and they won't bring gifts. It could be a summer BBQ or whatever. We moved into our house in late September and had a holiday party in early December, which essentially was a housewarming party, but we called it a holiday party so people wouldn't feel obligated to bring gifts.
Mr. Sammy Dog