Wedding Gift Budget

[ISUCyclones2015]

How much do you spend on wedding gifts?

Does it change based on family vs friends? Distant family vs immediate family?

Do you always do X amount no matter what?

Do you buy something within your range on the registry or just give money?

 

[ISUCyclones2015]

I ask because I have 6 weddings these next few months starting this weekend and trying to kinda figure out what’s normal. When one of my best friends got married, I didn’t think about a budget.

But the ones coming up aren’t as close to me but still good friends.

 

[3TrueFans]

Everyone vote $500+

 

[CascadiaClone]

I recently attended the wedding of a good friend of my SO. In addition to the wedding we attended, this person had an engagement party, wedding shower, destination bachelorette party, small destination wedding and then a second wedding that was local.

My SO attended the wedding shower and brought a very nice gift, attended the destination bachelorette party (which was quite expensive for her to attend), and then the local wedding as we had a conflict during the destination wedding.

Two days later she gets a text from her friend asking if "she possibly misplaced her card" as she did not see one from us. I was pretty astounded. My SO attended a destination bachelorette party, brought a nice gift(s) to the wedding shower, and even had a friend bring a personalized card to give to her at her destination wedding and she STILL thought she should ask her "just to check" (but really just to call her out for not bringing another gift).

I wanted her to just be honest and say that her first gift was enough and that she should have gotten a card at the destination wedding but she caved and sent her some cash in the mail, saying that we "forgot the card at home".

Is this normal human behavior?

 

[8bitnes]

I recently attended the wedding of a good friend of my SO. In addition to the wedding we attended, this person had an engagement party, wedding shower, destination bachelorette party, small destination wedding and then a second wedding that was local.

And documented it all for their YouTube channel???

 

[ISUCyclones2015]

I recently attended the wedding of a good friend of my SO. In addition to the wedding we attended, this person had an engagement party, wedding shower, destination bachelorette party, small destination wedding and then a second wedding that was local.

One of the 6 is a week long wedding in Cartagena Columbia and that certainly is close to a “my presence is a gift”

 

[JP4CY]

I almost never buy a gift unless a group of us talk about a big gift.
$50 is the basic from me right now for "not a super close" friend/family.
$100 is what I've been doing lately. When we got married I just hoped the money that came in could cover meals, drinks, DJ. I feel like that "should" cover it in today's world for a couple.

 

[gocy444]

Recently married person here. Just give cash. $50 to someone you kind of know and $100 to close friends/family.

 

[bawbie]

I would say we’ve done $50-$100 for friends/ distant family; $200-$300 for close friends/ immediate family- although we haven’t been to a wedding since before Covid.

 

[CascadiaClone]

One of the 6 is a week long wedding in Cartagena Columbia and that certainly is close to a “my presence is a gift”

Ohh yeah. Had a similar situation recently with a destination wedding in Mexico. Spent an ungodly amount of money to get there and stay in a resort. That was my gift.

People who have destination wedding should expect this. Personally, I am anti destination wedding.

 

[I@ST1]

$100 cash and call it good.

 

[Rabbuk]

Heavily dependent on how much I like the couple and how far I've traveled

 

[wxman1]

I think there can be an amount of generational expectations at play with gifts too. My mom complained when my cousin who got married when he was 32 or so didn't have anything "affordable" on their registry. Well they are older and don't need all of the dishes and other junk. They already have it.

 

[MeanDean]

The most I gave was to a good friend that, corrected for inflation, is about $400.00

I did give a nephew the professional video services from a close friend who is a professional. That was $1,400 in 2017. And didn't even receive a thank you card.

Mostly it was kids of coworkers that I didn't actually even know. Depending on how close I was to the co-worker/parent it ranged from $20-$50. Again, these were 20 years ago or so.

 

[DeereClone]

$50-$100 for most situations.

$200 for close family and really close friends (like 3-5 of these in total in my life).

No gifts.

 

[NWICY]

One of the 6 is a week long wedding in Cartagena Columbia and that certainly is close to a “my presence is a gift”

20 yrs ago or so that would have been a hookers and blow experience. Still might be heck I don't know.

 

[pourcyne]

I did give a nephew the professional video services from a close friend who is a professional. That was $1,400 in 2017. And didn't even receive a thank you card.

For graduations, I send a check. If I get a hand-written thank-you from the kid, (not the parent, not the girlfriend), I send more money along with the explanation that common courtesy always makes a person more memorable. (I also state that a second thank-you is not necessary and that it will not be rewarded with more moolah).

It probably seems odd, but I think I would like to be invited to a wedding. Can't remember the last time. Most people I know now are having funerals.

Say, wouldn't it be great to have a destination funeral??

 

[ForbinsAscynt]

$100 is my min but that’s from my both of us.

 

[ISUCyclones2015]

For graduations, I send a check. If I get a hand-written thank-you from the kid, (not the parent, not the girlfriend), I send more money along with the explanation that common courtesy always makes a person more memorable. (I also state that a second thank-you is not necessary and that it will not be rewarded with more moolah).

It probably seems odd, but I think I would like to be invited to a wedding. Can't remember the last time. Most people I know now are having funerals.

Say, wouldn't it be great to have a destination funeral??

Actually not a terrible idea. I bet with my life insurance and savings I could throw a heck of a party for VEISHEA

 

[Cycsk]

It depends on who the person is. $50 on the low end. $200 for most.
If they don't already have tickets, I may give the couple good seats for a game at Jack Trice Stadium or Hilton. Just did this for someone a few weeks ago.