No Gifts, Please - does it work?

Well, you really can't control another's generosity. It is customary to purchase gifts (old tradition). Allow your guest room to be expressive.... Who knows, you may get a few dollars out of it. Good luck. (Yes have a gift table)

Nope, it doesn't work. You can have a table that you put gifts down on if there are any, without decorating it or putting the word "gifts" on it. Then if people really don't bring gifts, you don't look double-faced, but if they do, at least you've got a place to put things.

You can't really stop people from bringing a boxed gift-or any gift for that matter. If you truly don't need anything for your household, you won't have a need for a registry and then hopefully people will get it. Like 2d said, still have the table, but don't label it. You also dont want your guests having to walk around with a gift all night bc they have no where to put it.

I would have a table with a card box that can double as a gift table if people bring them. Even if I was instructed not to bring a gift, I would still bring a card with a nice note at the very least.

I'm in the same boat. We made a small registry with some upgrades. Like 8 matching place settings (not fine china, but at least matching!) and some other minor things I would like to have but won't bring myself to buy. If they're going to bring a gift, it might as well be something you could see yourself using. Of course, you'll get a bunch of gifts you did not register for, or have any idea you'd need, because people like picking out gifts.

People will bring gifts no matter what. We had a small engagement party/going away party for FH. We told every guest not to bring gifts that it was really just meant as a get together to celebrate with our close friends/family before FH moved away. About half the people who came brought gifts and that was just an engagement party.

I agree about having a card box. Even if I really believed you didn't want a gift I would still bring a card.

@JENEEN ~ The simple fact is that people WANT to bring gifts to weddings. When I choose to attend a wedding, it's because that couple means something to me ~ I'd feel odd going without some kind of gift to celebrate.

I'd place a card box in an unobtrusive place (as others have already mentioned), and maybe give your DOC a heads up ~ that way if she sees anyone wandering around with a boxed gift, she can take it and put it in the bridal suite, etc.

A month or so ago I posted about doing a Charity Registry and some suggested just not registering (or registering for just a few items) and donating all the cash you get to charity. You can do either one of those. You could even word it like, "Your presence is more than enough but if you would like to make a donation to your favorite charity in our wedding's name, simply let us know which one so we know how to thank you!"

That may not work. I'm really not sure how it's going to work for us but darn it, we're going to try!

We specified on our engagement party invitations that we did not want gifts. The majority of people brought them anyway! I think people will still bring them because it's tradition and most people feel like they do need to bring something to a wedding.