To give the newly weds exactly what their invite requests?

[BeeFreeForTea]

I've been invited to a wedding (family). They've requested people don't give cash or gifts, but put in a scratch card.

AIBU to just put a £5 scratch card in?

I'm really not sure. They've asked for it, after all. I usually give wedding couples £50 or £100 to close friends and family.

I'm not sure I'm comfortable putting £50 worth of scratch cards in... Says she who religiously plays the lottery twice a week

I actually think it's a great idea too. They clearly don't want or need anything so it makes sense that guests just spend a couple of quid on a present rather than stressing about how much they can/can't afford and the newlyweds have a bit of fun and could actually still make some money out of it. Win win.

Think I might do this for my wedding.

I'd be pleased at this request. Just buy them one decent scratchcard (and pray they don't win )

@KatherineAtkison25 stay classy hun.

I don't think I could even bear to attend the wedding tbh.

Think I might do this for my wedding.

Me too

This is an excellent way to stop people spending a lot of money on yet more stuff or feeling like they should chuck 50-100 into a card in cash. Everyone will then spend between 1 and 5 pounds.

Just got engaged over the weekend, might suggest this to dp!

I wonder how people will feel if the bride and groom win a fortune on one of the scratchcards!

I wouldn't want to do it as I hate gambling. I can't imagine anyone in my social circle ever doing this though, so i think I'm safe.

Thank goodness for that @Trewser! Phew.

I have been to several weddings (not UK) where the couple only gad scratch cards on their wishlist. ,win for life cards = you can win a monthly income of €2000 for 20years.

I wonder how people will feel if the bride and groom win a fortune on one of the scratchcards

I for one would be over the moon. I bought all my family tickets for the Christmas Day lottery draw as part of their Christmas presents and would have been really pleased with any win, large or small.

I think it's a great idea and would probably spend about a tenner on a selection of cards - someone upthread said that the £10 card isn't sold anymore, so I'd get the £5 one and some smaller ones - I buy about 1 scratchcard a month, but only ever the £1 ones. If I win a few quid, I 'rollover' the win by buying the higher value cards, figuring that my original £1 is gone.

If I win more than a tenner, which admittedly isn't very often, I keep most or all of the money. I am fully aware that this is a waste of money, but I spend little or nothing on many of the other things that some people spend hundreds of pounds a month on, so it's just a small affordable part of my discretionary spending.

The couple could probably put all their cards in a bowl and pick a few each day to scratch, while remembering their wedding day.

It makes it clear that they don't want a significant present. People complain that weddings are expensive to attend as a guest, but then insist on spending £50/100+ on a gift, which is madness.

What is the difference between buying £50 worth of scratch cards and giving them £50 which they could then spend on scratch cards?

I think this is a really fun and clever idea. I hate invitations that ask for cash and if they don't want / need more stuff for their home then this is a fun workaround.

I've never done the lottery before so not sure how it works, but I'd buy a couple of scratch cards and pop them in a card. They'll have a good giggle scratching off hundreds of numbers after the wedding with a bottle of fizz, if they win anything then brilliant and if not it'll be a fun memory.

I wonder how people will feel if the bride and groom win a fortune on one of the scratchcards!

Well I’d be delighted for them as they’re my friends and I love them.

But on MN people seem to go to weddings of people they despise, so who knows how they’d feel?

Op - just out of interest....is that a first time wedding for both?

I think it's a great idea, and remember that 25% of the cost of the ticket goes to charity too.

and pray that they don't win
Why?
What a sour reaction to people who would presumably be your friends for you to be going to the wedding in the first place!

Great idea, they clearly don't want anything and are trying to avoid all the angst about 'you must need something', 'have a contribution towards your honeymoon', charity requests never seem to go down well as you always offend someone who doesn't share your own philanthropic beliefs etc etc

It's ridiculous to then suggest adding to the scratch card with a donation to charity or voucher for a meal . Why is it so hard to understand that some people just don't want/ need anything else in their lives?

Just look at all the threads on de-cluttering.

Kinda disappointed I'm already married so can't do this. What a fab idea!

Definitely do it.

As an aside but you seem quite invested in it I’ve seen quite a few people win on the Poundland scratch cards. Most I’ve seen is £8 though.

A girl I went to school with got given scratch cards for her 18th from her mates - she won £10k! I think it's quite a good idea - at least this way they don't end up with umpteen bottles of shit wine or extra toasters.

I think the problem with the request is the uncertainty over how much to spend. At least with a traditional wedding list there is no uncertainty!

don't think I could even bear to attend the wedding tbh.

Why not?

Is this some sort of weird attempt at discrediting Pound Land? Very odd OP.

No. I love Poundland! I get loads of my essential from there, from snacks, cleaning stuff, to phone chargers. All great

Why wouldn’t you gift what they want? I read it as one scratch card, not £50 worth. Don’t go to the wedding, you sound like you don’t like them.

I love them! They're truly lovely people who are great to be around. Nothing to dislike about them at all.

Ooh I think it’s a great idea! I’d assume they are trying to stop people feeling like they should spend loads of money and then there’s the fun of scratching them all off!! I love a scratch card me.
Just put a £5 one in OP 👍