Ok so here's what happened. A friend recently received a wedding invitation where, directly on the invitation was the following poem...
To help us on our way
as husband and wife
gifts of cash are welcome
to start off our new life!
Um, excuse me, I know weddings often involve cash gifts, but seriously? Just because the poem is cute does not mean that the concept is cute. Every single etiquette guide I have ever read has said that under no circumstances may you mention gifts or registries on an invitation, unless you are specifically asking people NOT to bring presents. Because nothing is worse than making people feel like they are being invited to a fundraiser. To make things worse, most people are well aware of the rule and will judge you (severely) for doing it. Sorry guys but as a public service, I simply have to call this out.
But of course, I'm not only about being snarky. Here's a helpful tip- if you want to provide this information in a socially acceptable manner, put your registry information (with absolutely no requests for cash, there are alternative registries that can help you with that) on your wedding website, and the website information can be part of an invitation enclosure. That way your guests can find out gift information if they want to. And don't discount the value of word-of-mouth when it comes to gift giving. You don't need to put it on the invitation, and if you do, you'll just offend pretty much everyone who gets it.
A good cautionary tale though right? Have you ever seen any invitation faux pas? And how about www.tackyweddings.com? That should make every bride-to-be feel pretty good about her wedding choices!
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