Earned entries for the prize drawing

The prize drawing at a graduation or a retirement can work two ways. By default, every guest who says yes is entered — one entry for their group. Or you can choose earned entries: everyone who comes still gets one, and the things guests add to the keepsake earn more. Same wheel, same prizes, same draw at the party — it just leans toward the people who gave something.

It's one of the prize drawing's entry rules on Graduation Essentials and Retirement Essentials. (A baby shower's diaper raffle and a bridal shower's Stock the bar already have their own ask — a ticket for every pack or bottle — so they don't need it.)

Choosing earned entries

Open the prize drawing and pick earned as the entry rule. Out of the box:

• Coming earns 1 entry — everyone who says yes is always in the draw.
• Leaving a memory or some advice earns 1 entry.
• Recording a message earns 1 entry.
• Filling in the time capsule earns 1 entry.
• Playing the quiz is available, and starts off.
• Nobody can hold more than 5 in total, so a prolific contributor can't turn the draw into a formality.

You can change what each is worth, which ones count, and the ceiling. When you change the rule, everyone who has already replied is recounted straight away.

What guests see

After they reply, guests see what they hold and how to add one: "You have 2 entries: your RSVP, a memory. Leave a memory to add one." Entries recount every time something lands — a memory, a recording, a sealed capsule — so a guest who comes back a week later and adds a second thing has a second entry waiting.

Everything that earns an entry is something we can see

There's no "bring something on the day" option, and that's deliberate: we can't see what walks through the door, so it could never issue an entry. If you'd like to ask for something in person — "in lieu of gifts, please bring a favorite memory" is wording people already use on retirement invitations — put it on your invitation. It just isn't wired to the draw.

People who can't come still earn

A guest who replies no is still asked for a memory, and if they leave one it earns them an entry like anybody else's.

Drawing the winner

The draw is the same one every suite uses: real ticket codes, the wheel on the big screen and on every phone at once, the winner chosen once on our side so every screen lands on the same name. Each household wins one prize unless you switch on Let people win more than once. Before the day, a practice spin doesn't count. See Running the games on the day.

Common questions

Do I have to use this? No. Leave the rule on the default and every guest who says yes holds one entry for their group.

Can I see why a guest holds the entries they hold? Yes. The drawing lists every entrant with their entries itemised.

What happened to the "Earn your entry" switch? It's now the prize drawing's earned rule. An event that had it on keeps working the same way, with the free entry for coming added.

Related articles

• Graduation party games and keepsakes
• Retirement party games and keepsakes
• Keepsake prompts — a real question for every guest
• Running the games on the day