Even in these modern times of different starter needs and alternative registries, the fun of the traditional wedding or baby shower needn’t be lost. But let’s face it, when you think ’shower’ you think ‘gifts,’ so what’s a shower-thrower to do when the guest of honor has a cash gift registry? We’ve got some tips and tricks to create a gratifying gift-giving experience for guests, and also give the guest of honor what they really want. We get this question a lot, so it is perfectly suited for today’s ‘Ask Dana’ column!

TODAY’S QUESTION: “How do you throw a shower for someone with an alternative registry like Deposit a Gift? Guests want to bring a gift to be opened. Is this possible with a cash gift registry?”

The Basics:

We created Deposit a Gift with showers in mind. During checkout, gift-givers have the option to delay their gift for the date after the shower, so as not to spoil the surprise, and also once the purchase is complete, they can print a gift certificate to bring to the party. Here is an example gift certificate:

The gift certificate can easily be slipped in a card and brought to the party. However we realize that people often want to have something more elaborate to open, so below are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing. But before we get to that, how do you get the guests on board?

It’s All In The Positioning:

As with any new idea, people’s willingness to jump on board and give a gift from an alternative registry is all in how it’s presented to them. If you are throwing a shower for someone with a Deposit a Gift registry, we recommend you:

• Help guests understand why the guest of honor has chosen this type of registry and how it will be helpful to them.
• Tell them that they can print a gift certificate to bring to the party.
• Plan a theme based on some of the below ideas that help guests have fun giving this type of gift.
• Sometimes even a cute invitation poem can get folks in the mood. Here’s a one we recently saw:

Like many young couples these days,
Jack & Jill have most things anyways.
A honeymoon in Fiji is how they’ll start out their life,
In their beautiful journey, as husband and wife!
If you want to give a present we’d like to suggest,
that you make a contribution to their treasure chest.
For without the help of this little pun, their honeymoon would just not be as much fun!

You can find their honeymoon registry at XXX.mydagsite.com. We hope you enjoy picking out something with a romantic sheen, then bring the gift certificate wrapped in something fun like lingerie or sunscreen!

Fun and Inexpensive Ways to “Wrap” a DAG Gift Certificate To Be Opened At The Party:

• Put out art supplies for guests to decorate their cards and envelopes. Then offer a pretty memory board or cork board to hang the gifts — it’s also a nice keepsake for later:

• Wrap the gift certificate in something useful, lightweight and inexpensive, like a onesie, dishtowel or apron:

• More ideas for Wedding Showers:
  • Include the gift certificate in an envelope with a favorite recipe.
  • Wrap the gift certificate in sexy underwear or pretty cloth napkins. A store like TJ Maxx carries nice stuff at low prices.
  • Encase it in a picture frame that can be used for a wedding photo. Target is a reliable place for great finds.
  • Attach the gift certificate to a kitchen gadget or slip into a reusable shopping bag like awesome Envirosax.
  • For a honeymoon to paradise, buy a beach bag with towels, and have the guests fill the beach bag with the gift certificates attached to small tokens that would be perfect for fun in the sun like: sunscreen, chapstick, a frisbee or water bottles.
• More ideas for Baby Showers:
  • Wrap the gift certificate in a swaddle blanket like a supersoft one from Swaddle Designs or if you know it’s a girl, clip hair decorations like the adorable and inexpensive ones you find at Gumdrops Hair Candy.
  • Decorate the envelopes and hang them on a clothesline or fill up an innovative Flexibath Tub that can be used later.
  • Thread the gift certificate through The Mommy Hook, the perfect stroller hanger.
  • Include the gift certificate in an envelope with parenting advice or well wishes to be read during downtime at the hospital.
  • Accompany the gift certificate with a gently loved pre-owned item that your kids have outgrown or that you find on a site like RecycledTyke.

We offer a monthly prize for the most creative shower. So we hope you’ll have fun with the flexibility that a Deposit a Gift registry offers and win the guest of honor an extra gift at the same time. You can find the contest details here.

Happy gift-giving and enjoy the shower!