Voila, MORE Etiquette Tips from Monica.
Have you noticed, there’s a growing trend for organizers to say “no gifts” or “in lieu of any gifts please give to charity?” We noticed. We also noticed someone inevitably brings a present anyway! That can lead to a mix up and feelings of confusion. That’s exactly why Inlu.com makes it easy to coordinate the “in lieu of” effort.
We’re tackling a couple common questions surrounding the dynamics of gift-giving and collaborative celebration. Here’s a biggie:
Isn’t it rude to tell people which gift to give?
Not if you introduce the idea in a logical, reasonable way! The etiquette is in the ask. Inlu lets you ‘invite’ your guests to ‘pitch in’ for a special something the gift recipient really, really really loves. Proposing a gift can actually make everyone feel more comfortable and excited to participate. Remember, the pitch-in is optional! Guests can RSVP without contributing. It’s a perfect solution for anyone looking to cut the runaround, keep it meaningful and give an awesome gift. (Nice.) Oh, and it allows you to shop locally and avoid all the wrapping paper. (Double nice.)
Here’s an example:
“In lieu of gifts, there is actually something special Susie has been hoping for: those bright purple boots at the LOCAL Boot Shop. If you’d like to pitch in together she’d love it!”
I’m uncomfortable about the prices range. What is appropriate?
An Inlu gift doesn’t have to be big and expensive. It’s really about coming together to get something special. Some gifts are small, while others are open-ended, big ticket gifts. It really doesn’t matter, as long as it seams reasonable to the celebration! Again, the etiquette is in the ask. It’s how you approach it that will let everyone feel comfortable and welcome. Here’s an example of how a larger Inlu collection might read.
“In lieu of gifts, Susie would love to receive help saving for her European travel plans. If you’d like to pitch in any amount she would be thrilled!“
What if I collect too much money for the gift?
Inlu’s unique collection system is flexible. If your collection is higher than you anticipated (which happens a lot!) you can edit the gift info up to 48 hours prior to its close. Then, you can message all your guests to let them know the good news – it’s really easy. Like this:
“Thanks everyone for pitching in. The colllection for Susie is still open, but we’ve already raised enough to the those boots. So, good news, we can get that matching purse she’s been eyeing! Hooray!”
Another unique option is to ADD A GIFT CAP, then send the rest of the funds to charity of your choice. You can explain this to your guests like right in your Inlu invitation:
“Let’s all pitch in for Susie’s awesome boots, and everything collected above will be donated to her favorite charity in her honor. She’ll be thrilled!”
This is cool because everyone pitching in will feel good knowing there’s no excess and anything extra goes to a great cause the special person/couple cares about. Think it’s a good idea? Try it!
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