But after one bride informed her best friend that she was expecting an extravagant gift on her big day, the friend began to wonder if they should attend the celebration at all. Below, you’ll find the full story that was recentlypostedon the “Am I the [Jerk]?” subreddit, as well as some advice readers left the author.
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Guests usually bring a nice gift with them when attending a wedding
Image credits:freepik (not the actual image)
But when a bride revealed that she was expecting extravagant presents, her friend began to wonder if they should attend the celebration at all
Image credits:dang_zoey
On average, guests typically spend about $150 on wedding gifts
image credits:LightFieldStudios / Envato (not the actual photo)
We all know that throwing a wedding can take a huge chunk out of your budget, but what brides and grooms often forget is thatattendingweddings can be quite expensive as well. According toThe Knot, the average cost ofattendinga wedding in 2024 was a whopping $580.
When you factor in the price oftravel, accommodation, attire and gifts, agreeing to go to a wedding requires spending a lot more than just an afternoon and evening on the couple. So how much should we really be shelling out for wedding gifts? Isn’t your presence at the celebration enough of a present?
Experts atZolanote that how much you should spend on a wedding gift depends on your relationship to the bride and groom. For example, if you’re attending a colleague or a distant relative’s wedding, $75 to $100 should be plenty. For a friend or closer relative’s wedding, you might want to spend between $100 to $150.
And if the bride or groom is a close friend, immediate family member or you’re part of the wedding party, you should be prepared to spend at least $150 on a present. You might even want to spend more if you’re bringing a plus one to the occasion.
There’s also a general rule that some guests follow, which is to “cover your plate.” Inotherwords, you may want to gift at least as much as the bride and groom spent per person on their wedding. But another important factor to consider is how much you can actually afford.
But guests can always get creative if they can’t afford an expensive present
Image credits:YuriArcursPeopleimages / Envato (not the actual photo)
The Knotnotes that, even though the bride and groom might be expecting more, $100 is a perfectly fine amount for a wedding gift if that’s all you can afford at the moment. In fact, guests were spending an average of $150 per wedding present in 2023. So asking friends and family members to spend $1,000 on a gift for the happy couple is simply unrealistic.
But what about wedding guests who can’t afford to purchase a present at all? Is it still worth it for them toattend?HuffPostgot in touch with some etiquette experts to get to the bottom of this.
According to Jodi RR Smith, president of Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting, guests should simply ignore the “cover your plate” rule if money is tight. “Your gift budget is not a reflection of the couple’s budget,” she told HuffPost. “Your gift is reflective of your finances.”
And if you don’t want to show up to the wedding empty-handed, don’t hesitate to think outside the box. You can always write a meaningful, heartfelt card to the couple. Or gift them something that can’t be bought at the store, like help planting their first vegetable garden together or freshly baked bread and pastries from your own kitchen. Thrift stores can also be gold mines for anyone in search of a budget-friendly gift.
The majority of readers agreed that the bride was being unreasonable
However, some thought the author was wrong for even considering skipping the event
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