Here’s How to Decide How Much to Spend On a Wedding Gift


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I don’t think we’ll ever see a day when how much they should spend on a wedding gift isn’t something that weighs on people’s minds in the weeks after they receive a wedding invitation.

There’s the old cover-the-costof-your-plate reasoning, which, as we have mentioned, is not a good way to think about it. There’s having a number you stick to no matter the wedding, or whose it is. There’s giving the newly married couple exactly what they gave you. People have all sorts of ways of deciding, in the end, what they give or buy—but from where we sit, it is frequently a stressful journey to arrive at that end.

That’s why it’s a topic we are always happy to dispel advice upon, and we thought this article did a great job of breaking down how you might want to approach this particular kind of gift-giving. Because honestly, in reality, we all know it’s not just about the numbers. It’s about your relationship with the couple, too.

Plus, it contains snippets that serve as good reminders for about-to-be-married couples, which, thanks to stories like the one about the bride who viewed non gift-giving guests as having attended her wedding “for free,” we sadly know are sometimes needed {sic}:

“The No. 1 thing is the people who are getting married to remember is invitations are not invoices,” {etiquette expert Jodi R.R. Smith} said. “This is not a fundraiser.”

RELATED: Ask the Expert: Should a Wedding Gift Cover the Cost of the Guest’s Plate? 

RELATED: Today’s Friendly Wedding PSA: If a Guest Doesn’t Get You a Gift, They Did Not Attend Your Wedding for Free 

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