S/O No gifts at party

PharmDMom

This is going to be a post and run bc I have to get back to work... For those of you who requested no gifts (either on the invite or by word of mouth or whatever), what are you going to do if/when people show up with gifts?

I am throwing a pretty large bash and politely asked for no gifts on the invite bc the party is more for DH and I to celebrate that we made it through DS's crazy year, so I wanted to invite a lot of people we know, but also didn't want them all to feel like they should bring presents. However my friend asked me this week if I was going to open the presents he gets (bc she days no one will listen) during the party or not. I was like: *crickets chirping*

I suppose I should've thought of this before but now I don't know what to do. I don't want to make people who bring gifts feel like I'm ignoring them but I also don't want to make people who DON'T bring gifts feel bad, and feel like I'm going back on what I said on the invite.

WWO13D? I'll be back to see what the consensus is later.

bkeane619

I wouldn't open in front of people.

jennlin

deft don't open gifts, esp if you requested no gifts.

lefnc82

I'd say don't open them, it would just make those that didn't bring a gift feel awkward.

blueeyedrose86

If everyone ignores my request, I'll open them in front of people. But I'll make a disclaimer, like we weren't going to do this, but you people suck at listening lol. Something nicer than that. If only a few people bring gifts, I'll put them in a room until the partay is over.

PharmDMom

Ok that's what I was leaning towards so thank you all for making me feel confident in my decision.

Edited bc I can't spell

catycate

My DS is 3.5 and has lots of little friends and we've never been to a party where gifts have been open at the party, asked for or not.

psychdoc12

If you're told no gifts, I think it's silly to expect your gift to be opened. 

kelle017

What @psychdoc12‌ said. I did bring a gift to my nephews party even though the invite said no gifts and didn't care that it didn't get opened until later (we were there after guests left helping). Even if I hadn't seen him open it I would have been fine with it.

LetsGoToDisney

We stated no gifts please on the invitation. When the first guests showed up with gifts we spirited them off to a bedroom where no one coming later would see them. By the time the last people arrived with a big wheel and a car, we realized our request was ignored.* So we brought them out and let her open her gifts after cake.

*one person didn't bring a gift, but we didn't realize it until after the gifts were opened and it made an AWKWARD situation