Perfect Wedding Present?

Agutka

I'm getting married soon and I have just been trying to put a list together. Which is much harder than I thought. Anything costing £20-30, which would be an appropriate present, I already own. I have bought that kettle, towels, hand mixer etc. What we really would like is one of those new fangled TVs, or a Dyson, new Microwave, a KitchenAid - things we will not be able to afford, and would not expect our guests to buy. Which leaves vouchers - but then you're just giving cash, which I think is weird.

It's making my head hurt! Being restricted to one shop as you make a list is horrible and very un-MSE. I will be telling my guests to feel free and hunt out bargains - then tell me to remove said item off list.
In Poland it is expected you should give a gift to the value spent on your place at the wedding. So if the wedding is costing £35 per head, then that's how much you should give. Weird. Thus you have situations when people can't afford to turn up!!

savvy

fsdss wrote:

gosh i think i must be overdoing it, just forked out on 2 presents for 2 weddings this month and we gave them £80 each couple (friends)

WOW I've never been able to afford that much

I think £25 per couple is manageable, especially if you have more weddings to do!

Last wedding I went to a group of us got together and bought a very expensive gift, but we only had to put a tenner in. Only prob was that it was a John Lewis wedding service (all wrapped and delivered to wedding) and we never actually saw the gift first nor last, except for a picture of it online!! I kind of like to actually see what my money has bought!!!! :rolleyes:

Philippa36

We gave £50 to the last couple we knew who got married, but when my little brother got married we spent about £30 in total on wedding gifts, they did have a list but I chose something I knew he and his wife would like.

I think its much more difficult with cash, you don't want to appear mean but then you shouldn't give what you can't afford either...

Counting_Pennies_2

Just to help you get a feel for things. I would personally would say no less than £30 for going to a wedding, say if it is a general invite, £50 for good friends, and if they are very good friends I would go up to £80.

When we were each earning about £20k I would buy £30 gifts all round, but our salaries have risen nicely and we feel £80 is a maximum we are comfortable with and is roughly what we were given in return at our wedding.

across

i'd probably go for £25 that would be comfortable amount and would buy something nice it is personal choice you know how much you can comfortably afford and will do the best you can, have a nice time too!

Felicity

If it is a good friend, I spend about £75 - £100 from their list, if it is evening do only, then about £20.

If it's a good friend, I would also buy a bottle of bubbly or little personal gift to give them too.

jackieb

If they're good friends i'd probably spend about £60-£80.

troll35

There are so many factors to consider. Years ago when we were strapped for cash and had several weddings to go to we put together an average bottle of champagne with two hand decorated champagne glasses (I went to a craft fair where there was a stall selling these beautiful but simply decorated glasses for £10 per pair). All presented nicely in a basket of some kind.

Now that we have more money I tend to estimate how much it had cost the hosts to invite us and spend a similar amount. So usually about £60 to £100. Though that would be for close friends. If any of my rellies get married these days we conveniently go on holiday for that weekend and send a decline with a gift voucher.

I can remember how difficult it was to draw up a gift list. Most of my family were not very well off and so we made sure that most of the gifts didn't exceed £20. We split a royal doulton dinner set into appropriately sized portions (eg 2 dinner plates etc). At the end of the list we put "a colour TV and video for anyone rich enough and mad enough to buy us them" and we were gobsmacked when my uni friends clubbed together to buy them (we had only just graduated so we were all still skint)

If you have lived together then often you have the basics and it is the more expensive things that you need. Maybe you could put for example a Fridge freezer on a list with a witty comment and split it into various parts eg a fridge door, 3 glass shelves etc etc. Ask the right way and you may be surprised who clubs together to get you what you need.

callansdad

I am getting married in June. My very close Aunt (well shes more like a sister, only 2 years between us) is marrying in August. I don't know what to get them. Paying for our own wedding means that we won't be that flush come August. I always said that i would get them a really great present but i don't think i could even compete with some of her partners family. His sister who is a single mum is buying a tumble dryer. His brother is getting them a hoover. Someone else is buying them a tv, others are giving them money. I don't want my present to seem pathetic if you know what i mean. Any ideas? I don't even know how much i would want to spend. Probably between £50-£100.

This is the first wedding i have been to since i was a kid so i have no idea how much people spend.

aurora_borealis_2

If it was good friends i would spend around £50.