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01-28-2013 at 11:21 AM
Mr&MrsMTA
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Are you having a wishing well?

A friend of mine is hosting a baby shower and wanted to know if people still do wishing wells? If you do... do you ask for specific things or is it left open (to me wishing wells were always optional)? Also how did you communicate the wishing well on the invite?

 We had a mutual friend that did a diper/wipes raffle with prizes. They said (and this was optional) if you brought 1 pk of diapers you get 1 ticket it you brought 2pks of diapers and 1 pk of wipes you got 3 tickets. she had 3 rounds of prizes they were really really nice (not cheap stuff) What do you think of that idea maybe instead of the wishing well....remember she is not telling people what to buy its optional to participate.


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01-28-2013 at 11:23 AM
mommabear1...
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A baby shower is not a charity fundraiser. Don't shake down your guests for extra gifts.

Optional or not, it is tacky as hell.  


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01-28-2013 at 11:24 AM
MandJS
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I dislike BOTH ideas. People are already bringing a gift. Stop hitting them up for more. It's rude and tacky, and even if optional, no one should have to "pay" to participate in a game at a shower, which is what happens when you do something like that. And even if optional, you still have to "pay to play" as it were. 

Oh, and. You should NEVER dictate what people buy you or how they spend their money. 



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01-28-2013 at 11:24 AM
Joy2611
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I have no idea what a wishing well is, but it sounds like a request for cash from your guests at your shower.

Hellz. no.  

 

EDIT: Oh, a diaper raffle instead?  NO NO NO.  Please, just be grateful that people are coming and buying you gifts.  Do not look for ways to get moremoremore from your friends and family.  Please. 

01-28-2013 at 11:26 AM
FemShep
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I'm not sure if it's a regional thing, but I've never been to a shower of any kind with a wishing well.  In fact, I never heard of them until reading about them on this board.

In any event, I think anything that shakes down guests for an extra gift is rude and tacky.  That includes wishing wells, diaper raffles, books instead of cards, etc.  Saying it's optional is a feeble excuse-people will still feel obligated to participate (scroll down a bit to see more posts about this very obligation).  Accept the gifts that people want to give you with a sincere thank you and be grateful. 

 
01-28-2013 at 11:28 AM
cole2144
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Joy2611:

I have no idea what a wishing well is, but it sounds like a request for cash from your guests at your shower.

Hellz. no.  

 

EDIT: Oh, a diaper raffle instead?  NO NO NO.  Please, just be grateful that people are coming and buying you gifts.  Do not look for ways to get moremoremore from your friends and family.  Please. 

A wishing well is for quests to bring small gifts life bottles, shampoo, wipes in addition to their regular gift. I have not actually seen a wishing well at a shower since I was about 10. 


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01-28-2013 at 11:32 AM
Disneygeek...
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:: shakes head ::

No, just...no.  This sounds like a fundraiser for a charity.  Just because someone else did it, that doesn't make it ok.   Stop asking for additional items from your poor guests.  Just let it be.

 
01-28-2013 at 11:34 AM
1026pumpki...
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I agree with PPs that you shouldn't ask guests to bring specific gifts (for wishing well, raffles, or whatever).  A lot of people side-eye being told how to spend their money and it might cut into their budget for the gift they'd like to purchase.

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01-28-2013 at 11:39 AM
Pumpkin_Pr...
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cole2144:

A wishing well is for quests to bring small gifts life bottles, shampoo, wipes in addition to their regular gift. I have not actually seen a wishing well at a shower since I was about 10. 

That explains a lot. When I hear the term "wishing well", I think of a little basket where guests can drop comments or advice for the MTB. OP, both of these ideas are tacky. 


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01-28-2013 at 11:40 AM
Estwd2
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I have friends in NJ and they do wishing wells at bridal and baby showers. I always thought it was obnoxious. If you have a chance to break this stupid tradition, then skip it. Nobody will miss it.

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01-28-2013 at 11:44 AM
blush64
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mommabear17:

A baby shower is not a charity fundraiser. Don't shake down your guests for extra gifts.

Optional or not, it is tacky as hell.  

I agree with this.

 
01-28-2013 at 11:45 AM
Joy2611
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cole2144:

A wishing well is for quests to bring small gifts life bottles, shampoo, wipes in addition to their regular gift. I have not actually seen a wishing well at a shower since I was about 10. 

Ohh... it's not much better than a cash pile then!  :-)

01-28-2013 at 11:46 AM
Helenahhan...
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I think "wishing wells" are still done in some circles. You typically don't ask for specific gifts-- they are usually very small and unwrapped items-- pacifiers, washcloths, butt paste-- think 5.00 and less on the ticket price.

I understand the optional part of the diaper raffle, but IMO, they are not in such good taste.  I know that they are becoming more and more prevalent, but that doesn't make them any less icky.

I think the wishing well is a more tactful way to go-- it's less obvious as to who participates in that.  The raffle might make some people feel like they are being punished for "cheaping out" if they are not eligible for prizes.  To me that's the utmost breech of etiquette-- to make your guest uncomfortable in any way.

May I suggest,  if you really want to do a nice door prize, to number the bottom of each guest's plate and randomly draw maybe 3 or 4 numbers?  This way everyone is included in the drawing and has the same chance of getting a prize.

Good luck.


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01-28-2013 at 11:47 AM
BakerMommy
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I've never seen a wishing well. The only way I'd be okay with it would be if it were a cute well in which people could leave well wishes, as in nice sentiments written on fancy paper for a scrapbook. NOT a place to deposit cash. I have faith that if people truly want to give cash, they'll figure out a way to do it on their own.

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01-28-2013 at 11:47 AM
Mr&MrsMTA
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Thanks everyone....I thought so about the wishing well...I have not see one at a shower for a long time so she wasnt even sure if they still did them.

For those of you who dont know what it is they had what looked like an actual wishing well you would rent from a party store or just make your own but it was for small cheap gifts like a bottle or pacifier a bib nothing that cost more the a few dollars and this was optional to participate in it.

I kinda agree on the diaper raffle I sorta side-eyed it as well when we got the invite but I participated because I didnt want to be the only person not.

 Thanks again!!


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01-28-2013 at 11:50 AM
BallSox
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If you have to ask if people still do something, it is not common enough in your circle to be ok.  If you have to explain it to your guests, it's not common enough to be ok.  I'm going with no, not ok. 

 


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01-28-2013 at 11:53 AM
MandJS
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Mr&MrsMTA:

Thanks everyone....I thought so about the wishing well...I have not see one at a shower for a long time so she wasnt even sure if they still did them.

For those of you who dont know what it is they had what looked like an actual wishing well you would rent from a party store or just make your own but it was for small cheap gifts like a bottle or pacifier a bib nothing that cost more the a few dollars and this was optional to participate in it.

I kinda agree on the diaper raffle I sorta side-eyed it as well when we got the invite but I participated because I didnt want to be the only person not.

 Thanks again!!

And therein lies the problem with "optional" things on invites like this. 



AngelSmitty: This reminds me of something my college Human Sexuality professor used to say in class. "Sex is between the legs. Gender is between the ears."
 
01-28-2013 at 11:55 AM
PunkyBoost...
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Hmm I'm not digging your scenarios. 

I do like the idea of a "wishing well" in the sense that you have a book that guests sign with something to the baby. Or maybe drop off some cute piece of advice to the MTB in a jar and you can read them either after the shower or with each gift opening.

 


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01-28-2013 at 12:29 PM
PrimRoseMa...
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Sweet Jesus, no. That is so tacky it hurts.

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01-28-2013 at 12:40 PM
TheyCalled...
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Personally I don't like things like that at weddings or baby showers. I think it's kind of off to ask your guests for additional gifts or money when they've already brought you a gift to celebrate your wedding or baby.
 
01-28-2013 at 12:44 PM
mabenner1
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But guise, I'm totes mean for telling someone that just because the wishing well isn't a book one, doesn't mean it isn't tacky:

http://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/71597404.aspx


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01-28-2013 at 1:01 PM
Bliss+Berr...
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Absofuckinglutely not.

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01-28-2013 at 2:18 PM
rhubarb123
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There is a huge difference between what I think of as a wishing well and telling people to bring a specific item (diapers).  A wishing well doesn't COST the guest anything.  They just write their wishes (or advice) on a card and put it in a "wishing well".  I've also seen "wishing trees" where the wishes are attached.  A baby shower is not a fundraiser and almost everyone I know (and a lot of people on there) think this is tacky/rude.  If people want to give you diapers as their gift then they will.

Just a note:  I won't say that I have never been asked to do this (give diapers for a prize) but I deduct the amount I spend on the diapers from the amount I spend on the gift.  I do the same if asked to bring a book instead of a card (I still give a card because I refuse to write in a book).

 
01-28-2013 at 3:42 PM
somerandom...
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PunkyBooster:
Hmm I'm not digging your scenarios.nbsp;I do like the idea of a "wishing well" in the sense that you have a book that guests sign with something to the baby. Or maybe drop off some cute piece of advice to the MTB in a jar and you can read them either after the shower or with each gift opening. nbsp;


If you're having like a scrapbook for baby's first year etc, having guests sign it would be awesome! Or you could do a guest book. You could do an activity to create a page for a scrapbook and provide decorating stuff, if you have artsy crafty people. You could do what I did for my wedding guest book and have a picture frame with a wide area of matting or whatever for people to sign. That was my wedding guest book since my wedding had 25 guests which was small to fill am actual book!

But, asking people to buy more stuff other than shower invite, I'm registered at X store, is basically rude and terrible and should never be done. Also buy a book or diapers or small items etc is tacky.
 
01-28-2013 at 5:59 PM
mdesmet20
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FemShep:

I'm not sure if it's a regional thing, but I've never been to a shower of any kind with a wishing well.  In fact, I never heard of them until reading about them on this board.

In any event, I think anything that shakes down guests for an extra gift is rude and tacky.  That includes wishing wells, diaper raffles, books instead of cards, etc.  Saying it's optional is a feeble excuse-people will still feel obligated to participate (scroll down a bit to see more posts about this very obligation).  Accept the gifts that people want to give you with a sincere thank you and be grateful. 

Yes! I always feel this way. Sorry, I don't care to spend the extra $8 on a book for a card just because you think it is a cute idea. But if you are putting it on your darn invitation, I am going to feel obligated to do so.


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01-28-2013 at 11:08 PM
tilsonc
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Both ideas are trashy.
 
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