how much for wedding gifts?

[TBH]

How much do you consider an appropriate dollar amount for a gift for a close friend? Not so close friend? Cousin? Sybling? Coworker? What kind of frugal tricks do you have for fulfilling this social obligation without going broke?

I've got a rash of weddings to attend this year and I usually get the couple a gift certificate to the store where they're registered, so they can buy whatever crucial items they didn't get from their registry. Several people have told me I have to spend at least 50 bucks. This is a lot! Especially when I'm paying for airfare, hotel and rental car to attend the wedding. If I get them something that's not on their registry, I can get something much cheaper (like a "meals for two" cookbook from Ross, $10) but it's nicer to get them something they actually need and want.

[PRICEPLUS]

Well, I have a wedding to attend in October and have been told it costs 125 a plate. Gee Whiz! The DW and DD will be coming with me. I expect I will have to give between 400 and 450. This wedding nonsense is really getting out of hand in this part of the country. I'd rather go to a legion hall and have a 6 foot Hoagie/sub/hero/grinder along with beer and soda. You would think the couple getting married would like some cash to set up house. Sadly we have these expensive weddings and what does anyone have to show for it.

I know some folks who don't fill out the checks until halfway through the wedding. I think that that is in poor taste! Oh well. I guess the amount is dictated by couples cost, region, and custom of the area!

Good luck figuring it out!

[cercis]

I don't get the idea that your gift has to cost as much as it cost to invite you. *I* didn't tell them to have an expensive wedding. And why should someone I don't know well expect a more expensive gift than someone I do know well who happened to have a less expensive wedding?

I usually try to shop for something I know they will like. Often many small items I've picked up on sale which I then put in a basket/bag. I think I generally spend about $25 total, but the value of the items is generally $50-100.

[PrincessPerky]

I tend to avoid stuff, cause at my wedding while I loved the fun of opening so many neat and unique gifts I already had a household that I was living in and did not need most of the stuff, and had no room for the rest.

Money was the most appriciated gift, we put it all towards paying off DHs CC bill. Though the thankyous said in a roudabout way we put it towards a house (which is true we just had to pay off the CC first)

The average gift from distant ish people was 20$, We also got a few 5 and 10$ checks or bills and those were VERY much appriciated as well. If you haven't got it don't give it! And since I cannot give the loot back, don't make me feel guilty for taking a huge check you can't afford! But then most of our freinds couldn't afford a 125$ a plate wedding....

If you stick with the giftcard idea (a good one IMO) try to get the gift card at a discount, some people sell them online, I know there is a thread on here about it somewhere.

[Tree0164]

I give $100 at a wedding. That is sort o the expected gift around here. You very rarely see actually gifts these days but envelopes with cash.

Glad that I don't have too many weddings to attend.

[jaksilee]

I tend to go $25 for close friends and $50-$100 for best friends and family. I will also go and check out their registry and then outlet shop for those items to spend less on the actual gift. My mom always said that it is the precived value of the gift not the actual price you paid that people will think you spent. So if something was Reg store price say a $100, and you got it at outlet for $65 then the gift was worth $100.

[cicy33]

I got married last year and we got mostly cash. which was fine it pretty much covered what we spent on the wedding. We had the beer and his mom cooked the food. We had an outdoor "Redneck" wedding. The only cost to the attendants were their clothes and those were in Camo! I think the average gift was around $25. We did get a beautiful frame which I used for our wedding picture. It was very unusual and made of glass.

[TBH]

Originally Posted by cicy33

The only cost to the attendants were their clothes and those were in Camo!

Yeah, being in the wedding is a whole other level of expense. Of course, the brides always claim you'll wear the bridesmaid's dress again, but I've almost never seen a bridesmaid outfit that would work for any other occasion.

[cicy33]

Ours could definitely be used again. the girls were all in different styles and colors of camo pants, 2 were pants , 1 was bibs, they guys wore jeans and camo shirts. I was in an off white dress. my husband wore camo jeans and a really nice dress camo shirt. I tried to find a tux but it was really pricey. I absolutely agree, I totally hate spending a fortune on something you will never wear again.

[Fern]

I wish more people would be willing to break with "convention" and plan a wedding that really is more in line with their own taste and pocketbook, without feeling obligated to shell out tons of $ for a fancy meal, fancy invitations, flowers, wedding gown, etc. etc. none of whcih really make the memories last any longer. It's all incredibly stressful, and i really don'g 'get' why planning all these elaborate details down to the last 't' is so important to (mostly) women. It's just a money-making industry, like a lot of other holiday/events.