How much do you spend on a wedding gift?

satchmosatchmo
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
That time of year again with another group of friends tieing the knot. I'm always at a loss to what to get as a gift (especially if they're not registered).



So the default gift from me is money. Yeah, it's kind of tacky but these days, it's very welcomed by new couples.



The question is how much do you give? Should you give more if the person getting married is a close friend?

Do you give less if you go solo to the reception?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 10
    dviantdviant Posts: 483member
    My good friends and I did $100 for each others gifts... wife and I will usually do $50 most others unless they are really close friends.



    If its a guy friend thats getting married might be cool to get a gift thats geared towards more "guy-oriented" house stuff. My brother-in-law got us this goofy little electric screwdriver set that was such a refreshing changes from oodles of kitchen stuff (appreciated but mostly picked out by the wife) that we received. He figured we should get at least ONE gift that was aimed at the husband.
  • Reply 2 of 10
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    I agree with dviant. $100 sounds about right. If you aint got the money don't kill yourself.
  • Reply 3 of 10
    progmacprogmac Posts: 1,850member
    i'm getting married in a month and the fiancée and i have been through all of the registration hoopla. we basically register for a bunch of gadgets and stuff we don't need. do i need a $50 place setting? i've gotten by fine on garage sale plates for years. we registered...i guess cause that is what you do, but we don't need the stuff and it makes me feel vain to have a $200 blender.



    in conclusion, if someone were to donate $100 to a charity in our name, it would mean a lot more to be than some $100 kitchen gadget or tool from sears.
  • Reply 4 of 10
    playmakerplaymaker Posts: 511member
    Here's an experience that I hope will shed some light on this question: in 1999 when I got married my best man, who for the sake of the question is a very nonchalant type who never goes overboard, got my wife and I matching Movado watches. This was possibly the most awkward thing I have ever experienced. While he was making a nice gesture (over-the-top nice)it overshadowed everyone elses gifts so much it was just very awkward to deal with. I think that $50-100 is plenty and as someone previously said no need to kill yourself. If your friends are dissappointed in your gift there either not your friends or it probably wasnt a smart decision to give them a Dildo as a wedding present.



    As far as the watch went...My buddy and I will always be good friends and I know that his gesture was one of good nature, however I know he was pissed when I divorced the bitch 2 years later. Incidently, My new wife and I are very happy. No watch this time... go figure
  • Reply 5 of 10
    pbg4 dudepbg4 dude Posts: 1,611member
    Somewhere between $50 - 100 is what I give for a wedding gift. Something else to think of (that has come in handy dozens of times for me) is a compact toolkit that has wrenches, a ratchet / socket set, some pliers and allen wrenches. It's great to have an all-purpose toolkit for those times when you need to pull the radiator off the wall to sand/repaint it or replace light fixtures or assemble the kid's new toy . . .
  • Reply 6 of 10
    satchmosatchmo Posts: 2,699member
    I wasn't about to spend more than $100 anyways. However, finding a gift more skewed towards him might be more difficult. He has renovates homes on the side, so he's got more than enough tools to last him a lifetime.

    What about a gift certificate? Is that any less tacky than cash?
  • Reply 7 of 10
    trick falltrick fall Posts: 1,271member
    Wow, in New York you give gifts for the wedding shower, for the wedding itself it's cash all the way. These days most of the wedding factories are charging 80 bucks a plate so I usually give 150.00 - 250.00 depending on who it is. Luckily most of my friends are already married!
  • Reply 8 of 10
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    Of course the right gift can be super cheap. For example one of my wife's coworkers got a huge Lance Armstrong promo poster for free at a bike shop. When my wife opened it everyone else knew they had been beat.
  • Reply 9 of 10
    soulcrushersoulcrusher Posts: 587member
    oh shit.



    a friend of mine is getting married. Actually this is the first time one of my friends does such insanity.



    and i just realized i haven't even thought about the gift.



    she's 20 and will marry one of our high school teachers, in case you want to know.
  • Reply 10 of 10
    fangornfangorn Posts: 323member
    If you don't get them something off their registery or can't come up with some nifty gift that you know they will love (and use), then money is the best way to go. And yeah, I have to agree, between $50 and $100, depending on what you can afford.



    That said, of all the wedding presents we received (and we are talking +10 years ago), there are just a few I am still using. First (and my favorite) are some marble trivets (you know, "trivets" aka fancy hot pads). I would never have thought of those in a million years but they are the best thing since, well, ever. The second best is a round cutting board with grooves for cutting pizza. I have tried to find another for my Mom and can't. Oh, and our espresso machine, although we bought that with some of the money people gave us as wedding gifts.
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