"Give what you can afford"

emeejeeayen

So, hypothetical:

Let's say you had all the money in the world, how would you then determine how much to spend on a wedding gift? 

ETA: make up your own details in the hypothetical!  

QueerFemme

Depends on who the couple is.  Is it my sister?   or, a college friend?, etc. 

harper0813

Heck, if I had all the money in the world, I'd buy people cars or houses or pay off their debt.

I think people often mistakenly focus on the money value of the gift they give rather than how meaningful a gift is.

emeejeeayen

I think I would pick my favorite item off their registry, regardless of cost. But I like to give physical gifts.

Or if I was being 100% literal, then yeah, I would just be like THE WISH MAKER and be like WHAT DOES YOUR HEART DESIRE and Oprah-style give them massive gifts. 

^ But then word would get out, and I would start getting invited to people's weddings all the time. 

doiexist1987

With the cost of living and socioeconomic climate in this area, probably a $50 gift for friends, $75 for closest friends/family, maybe up to $100 if they were real special to us.  This could be monetary or the item cost of a physical gift.  Then again we believe strongly in modesty and against the frivolous allocation of resources for useless crap. 

lyndausvi

I feel like you should give what you are comfortable giving without going in debt.     Just because I can afford $500 doesn't mean I will give $500.

misshart00

I think I would give them the gift they weren't expecting to get from their registry. It may not be the most expensive, but it would be a fun surprise.

MrsGandthebeag

If I had all the money in the world, I'd probably give everyone $500.  I typically give $150-200 anyway.  

smalfrie19

If I had all the money in the world, I would probably do something for their honeymoon, like upgrade their suite and take care of a night of room service etc. But I like to make sure people are taken care of  

mc4dj13

I would offer something that they would love to do for their wedding but maybe couldn't afford to do, examples:

Fly out a beloved relative and pay for their hotel so they could attend the wedding

Pay for a videographyer instead of only the photographer

Hire their favorite band/singer to sing their "first dance" song

brielleinlove

It varies depending on how close I am to the couple.  Usually I spend somewhere between $50-$100 on friends depending on the nature of the relationship and $75-150 for family depending on how close we are. However, I never give cash or gift cards for weddings I am able to attend, and I only rarely do so in the case of weddings I am not able to attend.  I recently sent a friend a gift card for her wedding, but that was because her registry was pretty picked over and I didn't want to give her a spatula, an apple corer, and three napkin rings.

I usually go the traditional route in terms of what I buy for couples.  Flatware and everyday dishes are my mainstays, but if I like the china pattern enough I'll buy that.  If I had registered for my own wedding, those are the items I would have most wanted to receive - things I'll use on a day to day basis.  I don't think that would change if I had unlimited funds at my disposal - I'm just not a Baccarat-ashtray kind of lady when it comes to gift-giving.  Maybe for a dear friend I'd buy all the pieces of their everyday dishes and flatware they were missing?

Jen4948

It depends on who the couple is and what their interests are.

It also depends on things like if they're registered, how much items cost, and if I can get them on sale or at a bargain price or discount.

If I can get a really nice gift that I have reason to believe the couple will enjoy at a lower price, then I'm certainly willing to save the money it would otherwise cost.

Kate61487

I mean, sure if I had Oprah money I'd buy ridiculous things for everyone.

In reality - $100 is the norm in our circle for people our age (parents friends tend to give more like $200).  Could H and I afford to give more?  sure; it wouldn't break the bank (though this summer with, like, 8 weddings it starts to add up).  But it's our norm and where we're comfortable. 

nycrose2013

I would probably give a really big check, since that would probably make people the happiest. Maybe 10k? If I had all the money in the world I don't see why I wouldn't.

I also love the idea of upgrading people to the nicest suite in their honeymoon hotel, b/c I love hotels and luxurious experiences

CrazyCatLady3

I normally give $200 for a local wedding where I am going as a couple w/ my BF.  If I am going solo, I would give $100.  If it's a destination wedding and/or I am spending a lot on airfaire and hotel to be there, I give a little less.

If I had all the money in the world, I'd give the couple whatever the most expensive thing on their registry was and donate some more to charity.