What's the average $$ you received as a wedding gift?

Yules · April 2012

After reading the threads about cash bars, public dances and $50 meals...I'm curious how much your average guest gave as a gift. If the guests are spending less on average, I can justify having a partial cash bar.

Here in NJ, the average middle class wedding gift is $100 per person. We had ONE person give a non-monetary gift. He brought a bottle of scotch that he drank himself, but that's other thread-worthy.

What are customary gifts where you live?

(Tasteless discussion topic, I know. But after the below threads, I'm curious)

scoutkate · April 2012

We may have gotten one or two $100 bills. In my neck of the woods everyone gives fine china as a wedding gift. I have a shitton of that.

ougrad1 · April 2012

The average that I received was about 100 bucks. I generally spend 50 to 100 dollars depending on who it is. Sometimes a little more if it's family. I didn't receive any cash for my wedding. Most of our gifts were fine china and Waterford Crystal.

EVA116 · April 2012

anna karenina:
I only received cash and it about $100 per couple. It's what I usually give too. Where I live, a full open bar is the norm.

Yes

CopperT0p · April 2012

Around here it seems to really vary. The older ladies (my mom's generation) will spend $200+ for a wedding present, plus sometimes another $100+ on bridal shower presents.

I have the first wedding we've ever been invited to coming up, and I have no idea how much we'll spend. It's for F's cousin who he doesn't really like all that much.

Smootchy · April 2012

My best friend from back in the day bought us a $20 picture frame. But she drove in from Chicago so I didn't side eye her twice.

Most people gave *about $200/couple... So $100/person

Some did like $125-150/couple.... Then some ballers gave $300, $400 &$500.

chardonnay24 · April 2012

Average was about $50 - $100 per couple. We did receive some checks for $20 and some for $500, depending on who the gift was from.

LilyRose28 · April 2012

Average was probably $100. I think the highest cash gift was $500. We got very few actual gifts at the wedding.

I'd say depending on the couple we usually give anywhere from $100-150, unless it's immediate family then it's more.

vshadd00 · April 2012

The average was around $50, which is about standard here. We usually spend about the same at other weddings, unless they are a close relative and then we spend about $100.

ASmallWonder · April 2012

I would say the average was $100/couple. One of DH's brothers gave us $30, two of my fab cousins gave us gift cards to their personal online store bwahaha. My brother gave us $1000.01. Yeah, .01 because he lives to be odd. He also wrote a note on it that he'd be over for dinner the next day because he's a mooch so the grand was sort of to cover the fact that he would show up for food all.the.time

wife1014 · April 2012

The norm around here (where open bars are not) is between $100-200.

RayRay007 · April 2012

$100 per couple. That is the norm here for weddings at hotels where the cost per plate is $35+. My general rule of thumb is the cash gift should at least cover the supper.

Kitiara5512 · April 2012

$20

abbieaggie · April 2012

usually a lurker but dropping in to say wow, no monetary gifts for a wedding? in my area registry is for your bridal shower gifts and wedding is cash gifts. maybe because most people pay for their own weddings and you give cash to start them out or help them recoup from wedding costs. we give $150-$200 depending on the couple or if we have more than wedding in a short time, and if one of us are in the wedding we give $300 and that is average. no lie, every person in our wedding party (except my brothers because they were so young) gave us $250 - $300 and that was almost 7 years ago. we pretty much saved up for our wedding and my parents paid for shower and his parents paid for rehearsal dinner. in no way were we looking to make money or expected but its the norm to give monetary gifts so we knew we would get some of it back, we spent about $25,000 total and basically broke even. some of our friends spend way more on their weddings and so we tried to give a little more but $150-$200 is average.

desdemona39 · April 2012

About $150 per person was what we received on average.

abbieaggie · April 2012

wife1014:
The norm around here (where open bars are not) is between $100-200.

sorry not a regular, but i am bored and this thread is interesting. ive never been to a wedding without an open bar. actually every function anyone has from our area that requires/assumes you will bring a gift includes an open bar from the host. this includes bridal showers, baby showers, baptisms, etc. i have only been to one baby shower in the past 10+ years that didn't have an open bar but it had that sherbert punch stuff, one offered in virgin and the other made w/vodka.

JLSmith124 · April 2012

Average was about $100 for us. We had some give $50 and some give $200 or more but they were immediate family.

shortstuff15 · April 2012

Wow I'm glad I don't live where you all live!

We probably averaged about $50 per couple/family from those who gave money. We had a couple $25 cheques/gift cards and a couple $100 (maybe???), but we only got about $1500 cash/gift cards the rest was gifts from our registry. I have never been to a wedding that didn't have a gift table loaded with gifts, so it would be weird to me to see no gifts at a wedding! The average cost of actual gifts was probably around $50 as well, unless people went together then it was probably more like $150-$200.

We haven't been in great financial freedom the last couple of years, so until now we've only done about $25 gifts, but now we are a bit better off so I can see us doing around $40ish to $50 for gifts.

ATMmom324 · April 2012

Average I would say is about 100 per couple. 50 per person. We received very few gifts. Mostly cash or checks. I was taught it was in poor taste to give gifts because no one wants to be responsible for taking them home. That is what the shower is for. The most surprisingly small gift I got was from my cousin and her husband who gave us 10 dollars. A five dollar bill and 5 singles in a plain envelope with out a card. The most shocking was my husbands x-wifes parents who gave us 300. They weren't invited to the wedding but sent a gift anyway.

aldoussnow · April 2012

Dup

aldoussnow · April 2012

$100-200, non family, distant family. Wedding party and immediate family a lot more. I live in NY.

Luckie519 · April 2012

Most friends and coworkers gave $50-$100.

Close friends and family $100-$150.

sact16 · April 2012

Me and my hubby got married last June, we on average recieved about 100-150 per person so 300 a couple. Lowest was like 30 and highest were a few 500. We got I think 3 presents but they ranged from 200-500 in price. All the gifts we recieved were at the shower. I know if we go to a wedding we usually give a gift at the shower around 50-100 depending on who, and again depending on whos wedding and what they gave us at ours 100-150 per person. Also most weddings we go to and ours was an open bar. Im from a european back ground and its really against the norm to have people come to a party your throwing and expect them to pay for drinks. So we spent a lot on booze at our wedding!!

MrsMommyQ · April 2012

aldoussnow:
$100-200, non family, distant family. Wedding party and immediate family a lot more. I live in NY.

Same here. I also live in NY

offbeatmama · April 2012

I had a small wedding (<50 people). We mostly got cash gifts from anyone in the generation older than us. They ranged from $300-500 each. Everyone in our generation was poor (kind of like us). I don't think any of them gave us anything. Not in a bad way. We were just glad to spend time with them. We all love each other and they had to travel so we were stoked they were there. Of course I'm divorced now....

ANJ410 · April 2012

We got a few envelopes with only $50 and many with $400-$500, so I'd say average was $200-$250 per couple.

Cash bars do not exist here.

PunkyBooster · April 2012

anna karenina:
about $100-$150 per couple. It's what I usually give too. Where I live, a full open bar is the norm.

This. (with my edits)

kcl22 · April 2012

lachute:
For us registry gifts are given at the bridal shower. Cash at the wedding average 100pp

This for us, too.

Yules · April 2012

ANJ410:
We got a few envelopes with only $50 and many with $400-$500, so I'd say average was $200-$250 per couple.

Cash bars do not exist here.

Wow Shaolin, that;s balla.

Yules · April 2012

lachute:
For us registry gifts are given at the bridal shower. Cash at he wedding average 100pp

This exactly. Sounds like that's the norm for PA, NJ, NYC and all it's boroughs. I love my state even more now. I would have been an ungrateful wench if I got registry towels for my wedding gift.

ANJ410 · April 2012

Yules:
ANJ410:

We got a few envelopes with only $50 and many with $400-$500, so I'd say average was $200-$250 per couple.

Cash bars do not exist here.

Wow Shaolin, that;s balla.

I am literally LOL!!

Yules · April 2012

ANJ410:
Yules:
ANJ410:

We got a few envelopes with only $50 and many with $400-$500, so I'd say average was $200-$250 per couple.

Cash bars do not exist here.

Wow Shaolin, that;s balla.

I am literally LOL!!

You islanders bring us the best...Wu Tang AND mob wives. Come to find out your peeps are generous too. Love you guys.

ANJ410 · April 2012

Yules:
ANJ410:
Yules:
ANJ410:

We got a few envelopes with only $50 and many with $400-$500, so I'd say average was $200-$250 per couple.

Cash bars do not exist here.

Wow Shaolin, that;s balla.

I am literally LOL!!

You islanders bring us the best...Wu Tang AND mob wives. Come to find out your peeps are generous too. Love you guys.

Don't forget some of the very talented cast members of Jersey Shore. Wink

winomom22 · April 2012

Average back in 2004 at our wedding was $25-50. A few people gave $100 (a few close relatives and close friends). So yeah we had a cash bar, but free beer.

joesbride07 · April 2012

ANJ410:
We got a few envelopes with only $50 and many with $400-$500, so I'd say average was $200-$250 per couple.

Cash bars do not exist here.

ditto

fancynewbeesly · April 2012

In NJ, where I live average was 100 per person. (200 for couple). Or more depending on how well you knew the person---some of them (family and non-family) gave upwards of 500-1000.

Open bar is the norm. Every wedding we went to also had hard liquor at the bar--not just beer and wine

Also, gifts were given at bridal showers. I think we got maybe 4-5 gifts total at the wedding.

kaydee77 · April 2012

On average, I'd say we got $100 per couple. The low end was $50, high end $200 (not including our parents who gave a lot more). DH's stepbrother and wife gave us just a card (they have 4 kids and practically no money), and a few of DH's single friends gave us absolutely nothing, not even a card. I think it's because they're rednecks and have no concept of wedding etiquette.

Jen&Len · April 2012

About 100-200 per couple. Very close friends and family get more.

nygirl07 · April 2012

Another NJ girl....we got all gifts at our shower and all money at the wedding. On average we were given 200-300 per couple with a few random $100 and the highest being $1500 from a family member. We were married on New Years eve and had an open bar...we pretty much made back what we spent

What's the average $$ you received as a wedding gift?

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