How much is too much?

[^KK^ 3]

When a friend gets married, how much are you expected to spend?

[Kez/JWolf 6]

Most of my friends have has a gift registry so all I have done is pick something that I feel is what I can afford for that particular friend..... it makes thing so much easier... and they dont end up with 6 toaster ovens..

Kez

[doc_cute 0]

When a friend gets married, how much are you expected to spend?

my frnds are real bad they ask what they want dont think about the money

it is us within the frnds if we r out of budget we just share the gift among frnds

also it really depends on the kind of frndship u share with your frnd

if it is thru close relative etc u can be liberal in giving gift

also u r budget is most important

[Nikita2Charles 32]

I like the registry thing, but $200 is ok for me

[PlatyPius 5]

For my friends, it has typically been whatever a 12 pack of Guinness costs....

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

For a close friend, 200-300.

u r budget is most important

Precisely. Never bust your budget for a gift. A good friend will understand.

[bora bora 1]

I love the registry idea (wish we had done that).

But I guess for when we have a baby....

It depends on people's budget - I agree. I'm a teacher and most people at my wedding are also teachers - can't expect too much . Just kidding.

My friends are wonderful and we received unique gifts and money. But what was the best was that my friends organized EVERYTHING for us. They bought everything, cooked the food, decorated, filmed the wedding, made a DVD, made the cake, flew in/drove in from states and states away.

That was the best gift...

and it was nice that we then had more than enough money to pay for this AOS/EAD process...hahaha.

[BelwinMills 0]

Close friends I spent 100 dollars if I stood up for them in their wedding. I bought them nice glassware everyone seemed pleased to have a nice piece of china. All my friends are teachers too.

[Cassie 8]

I guess I am Cheapy McCheaperson, because I usually spend around $75.

When my best friend gets married I'll break the bank though.

[Rhiannon 0]

I guess I am Cheapy McCheaperson, because I usually spend around $75.

When my best friend gets married I'll break the bank though.

ha, i win on the cheapy front, i guess you could call me ms broke musician - i usually spend between 30 and 50 depending on who they are - But to redeem myself if it's a close friend I'm either singing as my gift, or I make them a piece of bead jewelry which would cost a couple of hundred if I paid myself minimum wage...

[Emancipation 2]

My best friend didn't even get me a card.. but she & hubby are on Unemployment & disability, so it wasn't a big deal.

I personally spend around 100$ for close friends, but as a receiver, I would NEVER begrudge a gift of any value.. it's not cool to look a gift horse in the mouth!

[Marilyn. 340]

an idea is to do a basket of smaller items that they can use.......

one of my friends gave a another friend a basket of cleaning supplies in a bucket .. I thought that was a cool idea.... maybe better suited for a wedding shower though....

[Marilyn. 340]

I just found this article....

The good news is that you can keep costs to a minimum by shopping smart and using a little creativity. To get you started, here are six ways to avoid overspending on wedding gifts:

* Set a budget. As always, the key to life is budgeting, say Denise and Alan Fields, the authors of "Bridal Bargains." Examine your finances to figure out how much you can afford. And avoid the urge to give too much, the Fieldses say. "Just because you are being invited to a fancy, $200-per-person dinner, that doesn't mean your gift must exactly match the entrée price."

* Get creative. Homemade and heartfelt gifts can have a big impact -- at little cost to you. The key to pulling it off, though, is to personalize the gift -- match your homemade gift to the bride or groom's favorite things, the Fieldses say. For example, you could make a scrapbook of a great golf outing you had with the groom or a special vacation you had with the bride. If you're not crafty, consider a DVD photo album. Or pick something for their shared interests, such as a travel magazine subscription and a pair of binoculars for a globe-trotting couple, or a DVD collector's set for film buffs.

* Get a group gift. Go in together to get a big-impact item. Group gifts are a common practice among baby-shower guests, and they work just as well for wedding presents. Ask other friends invited to the ceremony to pitch in so you can give the couple one of the more pricey items on their registry.

* Stick to the registry. If you don't know the couple well, the registry definitely is your best bet. If you try to pick out something on your own but don't know the couple's tastes, your gift might be the butt of jokes for years to come.

More important, by selecting an item from the registry, you know you're going to get them something they really want. Ah, but you're afraid they'll know how much you paid for the gift and think you are cheap because you only sprung for a toaster.

Well, the wedding gifts my husband and I have gotten the most use out of in the seven years since receiving them are a set of glass mixing bowls and an iron. Not very exciting gifts, but I sure am glad people saw them on our registry and got them for us. You can also personalize a registry item to make it more meaningful. Include a couple of your favorite cookie recipes with that mixing bowl set, for example, and toss in a few of the key ingredients.

Think outside the gift box

* Offer your services. "If you can't afford a pricey item off the couple's registry (isn't it great when folks register only for $200 place settings?), then give your skills," the Fieldses say. For example, if you're short on a cash but a whiz at editing home movies, offer to edit any amateur video that's taken at the wedding, they say. Then the couple will have a special keepsake. If you play an instrument or sing well, you could offer your musical talents for the ceremony or reception -- and save the couple the cost of hiring a musician.

* A last resort. So you have no money, no skills to offer and no creativity. Start looking around your apartment or house for gifts you received but don't want. Yes, we're talking about "regifting." The Fieldses say it's OK to do this as long as the item is in its original packaging.

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Colle....aspx?GT1=10122

[homesick_american 1]

When a friend gets married, how much are you expected to spend?

Spend what you think you can reasonably afford. When I got married I did not expect any dollar amount from any of my friends; they mostly bought items off the registry and I did not keep track of who spent what because that's really shallow, though I did keep track of who bought what for the thank-you notes; I was told that mentioning the gift they gave in the note was proper etiquette. I deliberately built our registry with items for every budget.

Six years after my wedding, I can't even remember who gave me what or how much it cost. It's not important to me; I got married for love, not for the presents.

[^KK^ 3]

thanks for the advice.