How Much Should You Spend On A Wedding Gift?

When deciding how much to spend on a wedding gift there are factors to consider; where the wedding will be held, the budget as a wedding attendee, and the relationship with the bride and/or groom. If the wedding is a destination wedding because there is a heavier cost by each person attending the wedding only a bridal shower gift is usually seemed proper; if the wedding is local it is often deemed proper etiquette to bring a gift to the bridal shower and a wedding gift.

The Wedding Attendant Budget

When attending a wedding either as part of the wedding party or as a friend of the family a person should decide how much they plan on spending on the whole occasion.

This could be broken down for example as $500 dollars total budget: $200 traveling expenses, $200 for the bridesmaid dress, and that would leave $100 as how much that person would have to spend on a wedding gift.

Some Ideas on Proper Wedding Etiquette

Some people believe it is proper etiquette to spend about the same on the wedding gift as the attendee believes was spent on their dinner to somewhat offset the cost of the reception. There are two very strong sides to this thought; some people really believe that this is the most appropriate way to gauge how much to spend on the wedding gift, while others believe it should depend completely on how well the person going to the wedding knows the bride or groom and how much the person attending the wedding can afford to spend.

Where a person lives can also dictate how much a person should spend on a wedding gift. In some areas of the country the weddings tend to be more formal and would in turn require a more expensive gift, especially if the person is not also attending the bridal shower. If someone lives in an area where the wedding would be less formal the popular belief is that spending less is often thought to be appropriate.

Most people today have a gift registry set up to let their attendants know exactly what they would like for their home or a fund to which they would like their attendants to contribute. Also, because many people live together before they are actually married the need for gifts for their homes in less than the need for money could be. Many couples actually prefer to receive money either to save for a big-ticket item for their home, a new home, or even a special honeymoon they’d like to take.

Great Bridesmaid Gift Ideas to Make it Simple

Once you have decided to get married, your wedding involves countless planning and effort. Of course, you would want to express gratitude to all your guests for attending your wedding and for helping you out, particularly the ladies that you choose to be your bridesmaids. Your girlfriends are most likely among your most cherished friends, who have been there for you through good times and bad. Giving them fantastic and unique bridesmaid gifts would remind these women how grateful you are both for their participation in the wedding, as well as for their lasting friendship. Listed below are some tips when you are selecting your bridesmaid gifts:

First, stick to your budget. That budget is there for a reason and that is to ensure that you would not spend excessively on any wedding necessity. Review what your bridesmaids had spent on their dresses, makeup, hair, accommodation and others. It is only proper to give your bridesmaids extravagant gifts if you have assigned them countless tasks to assist you and if they had spent plenty of their personal money to help you out. But if you paid for most things and you did not give them a lot of bridal tasks, it is all right to get them less expensive gifts. Keep in mind that you would need to get a somewhat bigger gift for your maid of honor.

Second, you should determine if you would want to get the bridesmaid similar gifts or if you want to give them various gifts that are in the same price bracket. There are numerous brides who give out personalized gifts to every bridesmaid since it could be a little challenging to find items that everyone would love.

Third, you could give each of the ladies a gift that is based on the bridesmaid’s personality or her hobbies. For instance, if your bridesmaid adores movies, get her a selection of DVDs. If she is into sports, give her some tickets to her favorite games. You could give her a gadget if she is into electronics. And since you’re looking into electronics, they also make fun and cool groomsmen gifts.  When you give personal gifts such as these, it would make your bridesmaids feel that you know them very well and that you have given a lot of thought into what they actually want.

Fourth, you should allot a reasonable period of time for engraving your bridesmaid gifts, or for the guys groomsmen gifts, with their names or their initials. They would cherish your gift more if you make this gift more about them rather than more about you. Plenty of engraving shops could engrave immediately but there those who would need a few weeks.

Lastly, you could surf through the internet and browse through bridal magazines to give you excellent ideas about bridesmaid gifts. It is recommended that you should start looking as early as three months before your wedding day to make sure that you have plenty of time to decide. Remember that these are your best girlfriends and show your appreciation by handing them some well-chosen gifts on your most special day.

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