How much money is acceptable amount to give to a friend and his bride as a wedding gift, dont want to appear stingy, but going away on holidays myself soon and money is tight, any help would be appreciated !
2006-10-26 03:29:33 · 25 answers · asked by giltedge69 2 in Family & Relationships ➔ Weddings
They are going off to live in Australia from the UK so they would prefer money rather than gifts, the meal is costing about £40 per head
2006-10-26 03:36:31 · update #1
You give what you can afford to give. That really is the bottom line! The "proper" amount would be approximately double what the meal is. If the meal is $80 (sorry..I'm talking dollars here, not pounds)per person, then the amount to give would be $160.00 per person, IF you can afford that.
Some answers have said that you should not consider your own holiday, however, you have to! You do not give a gift for any occassion if you can not afford it. Your holiday is something that you put on your budget, and you should not deprive yourself of that. To suggest that would be absurd.
Weddings are not supposed to be all about the gifts though. They are supposed to be for the bride and groom to be with family and friends so that you can join in celebrating this very special day with them. So many people get so wrapped up in gift giving (no pun intended LOL), that weddings are no longer a celebration, but a chore.
So, the amount I suggested above is merely a guideline and it can be slightly lower, or much higher and still be acceptable.
I once missed a wedding a long time ago, because I could not afford anything more than a small present and I did not want to attend and have the bride and groom pay for an expensive meal and not get anything in return. That probably was not the right thing to do, even though I was thinking of them.
Best of luck, and have a great holiday.
2006-10-26 04:02:07 · answer #1 · answered by Goddess Kitty 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You shouldn't feel pressurised into giving a certain amount of money. You should give what you can afford. I got different amounts of gift vouchers and some people spent a lot on their gift and others didn't. My cousin gave us £10 and I was really touched cos I knew she couldn't really afford even that. My best friend who earns good money spent nearly £100 on us.
I would say £20 is enough. People don't get married to receive gifts and money and they certainly shouldn't be thinking of recouping the costs of the wedding from their guests. (I don't think your friends are like that I'm referring to the answer about the cost of the meal etc.)
I spend £20/30 on anyone who gets married cos thats what I can afford even if the meal has cost £100/head. And I ain't ashamed of it either.
2006-10-28 15:37:50 · answer #2 · answered by cg1209 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The answer from Tom is the best... Give the gift in Aussie money, that way they can buy a bottle of water or whatever right when they get off the plane so they don't die of dehydration in customs. And usually, the rule of thumb is to give at least 75% of what the couple is paying per head at the reception if you can swing it.
2006-10-26 10:40:22 · answer #3 · answered by Monique M 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I never give money as a gift, and I have never once been told by anyone that I am rude for doing so. If I dont give any gift, I simply send a card with my best wishes. It's the thought that counts. If anyone tells you otherwise, they're full of it and not worth your time.
Since you are set on doing so, give what you can afford. You mentioned that money is tight so giving money may not be the best option.
2006-10-26 11:15:33 · answer #4 · answered by Cinnamon 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Good estimate is how much the meal costs at the reception-per head (usually £50). So £100 from a couple.
2006-10-26 10:33:00 · answer #5 · answered by sircrazydude90 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you're not very rich then $50 would be okay, even for a couple. Your friend will understand that you can't afford more. But if you're pretty well off, $50 will seem cheap (for a couple) and your friend will think you're cheap.
So give what you can afford. This should have nothing to do with you going on vacation.
2006-10-26 10:38:26 · answer #6 · answered by Melody 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They will appreciate any amount of money you give them. If their decent people they could care less about how much they will get as gifts. $50 should be good enough.
2006-10-26 11:16:53 · answer #7 · answered by . 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If they are good friends then they will appreciate a gift from your holiday as it will be more unique and interesting than a toaster! This case, cost is irrelevant - it's the thought that counts!!!!
2006-10-26 10:38:00 · answer #8 · answered by sammi 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Always a tricky one... What would you have bought them if they had a typical wedding list? A toaster? Dinner service? Towel bale? Then give them the equivalent...
In our circle of friends, £30 seems to be the norm. Apart from the rich bloke, that is...
2006-10-28 16:21:53 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well it kind of depends on the type of people they are, if they have a really big family then they will be loaded already the best thing is to giv 100 to each of them that will be more then enough from one person
2006-10-26 10:38:02 · answer #10 · answered by Luke 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋