My husband and I had our wedding about a year and a half ago. We preferred money over gifts like almost any other bride and groom these days, but we still registered for shower purposes and some people are old fashioned and already have their mind made up they are getting you a gift and not cash. Before our wedding, when I would attend other's weddings, I would give everybody $150-200 cash in a card as a gift, following the old rule that if you can, you should give enough to cover your dinner for you and your guest.
For our wedding a few guests didn't give anything or they gave small gifts off the registry ($30-50). (I did spend about $180 a person for food and premium open bar for my wedding, so it’s not like I only served cake and punch). I am thankful for those who gave us even a small gift; however, their weddings are coming up now and I need to give them something either cash or gift. Would it be bitchy to forgo my original rule of giving enough to cover my dinner and my husband’s dinner, or should I give them something similar to what they gave us - nothing from one couple and a $30 registry gift from another? What would you do if you had a similar situation?
Not to mention, I have since gone back to Grad school, so it’s not like we are well off financially at the moment, I am making less at the moment than all of them.