How much $$$ for wedding gift

[smiles4u]

I started a thread up about this topic about mid last year

DP & i agreed on $70 ... but when i saw the reception venue & could see it was very lavish & luxurious i popped in another $10 without DP knowing ... so total cash gift was $80 (that's for the two of us) ... With family we give between $80 to $100 in cash gift if asked for in the invitation !!

P.S - I put the money in a envelope with the wedding card BUT i didn't seal it just incase there ended up being a wishing well at the reception to put just the money in a seperate envelope, which there didn't end up being so everyone looked ridiculous walking around the reception with the 'envelope' until about 30mins later it was announced that everyone put their Kind Donations as it was expressed into the box sitting on the bridal party table ... felt embarrassing to go up & do with everyone taking turns after each other to put their 'secret amount' of cash gift into what felt like a charity box towards the bills of the grand Wedding, LOL !!

[Winter]

I find it really embarrassing to be asked for cash..I dont know why, its much easier than having to go shopping for a gift, but it still seems cringey to me for some reason

I have happily contributed money for a honeymoon though, where I had to do a payment into a travel agent's account for the couple. I dont know why this didn't bother me.

I guess it might be catching up with the couple who we had given cash to after their honeymoon and having them show us the watch & the new clothes etc they had bought with their wedding money...it all seemed frivolous stuff and nothing that was setting them up for a life together ie house deposit or furniture etc.

[queenbee]

we spent $150 on our good friends recently but they had a bridal registry at myer so we bought them some vue sheets they wanted.

[alioops]

Winter's post explains perfectly what I would want to see. It is not that hard to ask people to put contributions twards say a deposit for a house, or some whitegoods that the couple need, but money for money's sake is a bit rude IMHO.

[luna moth]

What DH and I have decided to do this year is go to the Oxfam shop and buy an "Unwrapped" gift. The wedding specific one costs $78, and is apparently equivalent to buying two goats for a family, and gives info about this. We got four for our wedding and each one brought me to tears, and that's why I give it to other people now. Sometimes we chuck in a little bundle of home baked cookies too.
We have SO much to be thankful for in this country, so I too am offended by people asking for money. How often do you say to a charity collector "Oh, no, I can't afford it..." Well, I'm shouting them a charitable donation :-)

(There's an Oxfam shop at Knox, near borders. Or one at Camberwell)