I am the maid of honor for my sisters wedding, I am planning a bridal shower for her (which means I will be spending some money on food and such), I am also going to another bridal shower for her.
I am spending about 220 on the dress, plus shoes, hair and makeup.
My question is how much should I spend on the two bridal shower gifts?
And how much should I spend on the wedding gift? My boyfriend is attending the wedding and he said we can split the gift (we have been dating 5 years so he knows my sister and her fiance well) .
How much is reasonable??? Also keep in mind that I am still in college and barely getting by on my own, but I am willing to spend quite a bit.
2007-06-05 07:26:12 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
Spend what you can afford. You are already throwing her a shower and buying your own dress and accessories! See if she is registered anywhere for her wedding and if she is, pick out a gift that you can afford! I am sure she appreciates everything you are already doing for her! You are a good sister
2007-06-05 07:31:23 · answer #1 · answered by Michelle M 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Cut the wedding guest list! Let you mother explain that you had to because of your smaller budget. She will look bad, not you. Why put other people's feelings ahead of yours when they so clearly are being ugly to you? Please get the dress you want and keep the original 50 people on your guest list. You deserve a special day and a honeymoon. Even a weekend honeymoon, if that is all you can afford right now. Do NOT feel bad, and do not back down. This is your special day and you can be proud that you made a lovely wedding on a budget that you could afford. Reasonable people will applaud that and certainly will think that is a good start to your new life. Congrats! PS You have been a wonderful person to your sister and mother. If they say anything more, just remind them that you are working with the budget that you have and you are sure happy to have the wedding you wanted in the first place.
2016-05-17 10:48:04 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no appropriate dollar amount for a gift. It is what you can afford. It would be unseemly for a gift receiver to even question how much you paid. And if you were my sister, and as generous and loving as you apparently are - I wouldn't want you skipping meals to buy me a present.
Wedding presents were originally given to give the young couple a start in life. They were often 2 teen aged kids who didn't own anything and they got very practical things like food, cows, maybe a little acreage a couple fo bottle of wine - that sort of stuff. Everyone in the community gave as they were able.
Now it's your turn. Since you are hostessing the shower, I'd get her an inexpensive gift for that. Something sentimental, even. Maybe a Barbie doll in a wedding dress - something fun! And a card that says "Seems like only yesterday, this was our world, now you've found your Ken" (Or GI joe as the preference runs) For the second shower, I'd buy her a place setting or two from her registry or something else and for the wedding I'd spend a little more.
Reasonable is what you can comfortably afford and still keep the roof over your head.
2007-06-05 07:39:01 · answer #3 · answered by Cindy H 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Well my sister is going to be the maid of honor in my wedding and i think that all the money that she is spending on her dress and shoes and all the other stuff she has to buy to be in my wedding is gift enough. If you want to get her a little something for the shower than thats cool but I think you are spending enough already and thats a gift in it's self!!
2007-06-08 18:24:55 · answer #4 · answered by Amanda J 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You aren't exactly expected to buy her two shower gifts... Actually, you're not even expected to give her a shower gift at all - you can coordinate with the other women in the wedding party and get her one gift - usually like the cake knife for the wedding or engraved champagne flutes - something like that. If you each want to give her something on your own, that's fine as well - in which case, go with something you can reasonably afford.
As far as a wedding gift itself - go with money - and since she's your sister give her at least $300 or so from both you and your boyfriend. ($150 each or so)
2007-06-05 08:15:06 · answer #5 · answered by zippythejessi 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, one thing you could do is call the other bridesmaid's and jointly buy her something from her registry. The amount of money probably depends on a number of things:
1. how much you have to spend. (You obviously knew this was coming, did you save money up? ) You shouldn't weenie out of a good gift because you like spending money on yourself... but if you are a full time student and don't have it... then be reasonable.
2. How much is she paying per plate... is your father or someone else paying for the wedding? If she is paying $50 per person, that is the minimum you could spend on her wedding present.
Also, the shower gift. (singular) needs to be something special. I wouldn't suggest sticking to the registry. If you can get creative and scrapbook her and her fiance, or get them a gift certificate to a bed and breakfast for before the wedding, to de-stress.... or something that will mean something to her, you could scrimp a little bit.
I figure what you don't spend with dollars you need to make up for in creativity and sentimental value.
Every single year my younger sister scrap books my kids and family for me. She includes poems that she writes all year long and pictures that she drew herself. She now has a job and the ability to buy a present, but I wouldn't trade my books for the world!
Good luck!
2007-06-05 07:38:39 · answer #6 · answered by Katie C 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Typically spend about 50 on the shower then another 100 for the gift However, if it was my sister i would probably spend a little more than that on the actualy gift, and maybe less on the showers it is a huge contribution as it is to throw her a shower. I'd say 30 on each shower then 150 on the actual, so with your bf splitting it then a total of about 135.
2007-06-05 07:31:10 · answer #7 · answered by Sense&Sensibility 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Since you're already doing so much for her, I would say $40 on each shower gift and $50 on the wedding gift. You can find nice gifts that aren't so expensive. Money isn't everything.
2007-06-05 07:32:32 · answer #8 · answered by Teia 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think what you are doing for her is a GREAT GIFT considering you are still in college. Shouldn't the bridal shower be a big enough gift for her? You dont need to give her 2 gifts. That would be silly. It's like getting a gift for each birthday party someone gives you.
2007-06-06 05:17:41 · answer #9 · answered by SG GAL 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I threw my sister a shower...and it was a pot luck style so that helped me to keep the cost down...
We had a theme: "Wine and Pampering" , and as such this created a focus for all of us!
I think that I spent a total of $180.00 for the whole thing...keep in mind that I was lucky to be working for a party rental company @ the time.
I went to one shower that took place at a nice bistro and we all put $ into a pot to pay for everything the bride ordered and for one big gift for her....we all ended up getting something else to add to the gift giving!
My best advice: be creative and use all the expertise of those involved!
2007-06-05 07:35:36 · answer #10 · answered by thecanmorechick 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋