Giving cash as a wedding gift...

@ Jessica - LOL that's hilarious

Generally for friends I give between $50 and $100 depending on the relationship. For close friends for family it is more. I gave my brother $1000 because he had shelled out like 15,000 for the wedding and I thought he could use some help, but that was the exception. These days if the bride and groom want cash they can sign up for a cash wedding registry. There are several and they are done pretty tastefully. A few of the biggies include:

http://www.ourwishingwell.com/

http://www.depositagift.com/

http://www.cashweddinggift.com/

No less than $150 per couple!I normally give $200 per couple. Unless you are a poor college kid, in their early 20s...anything less than $150(or $75 if single) is stingy..but still I think it should be $200 per couple(or $100 if single)..and believe me I am NOT wealthy and I am paying for my own wedding with my fiance.

We are in Northern NJ and give at least $300 for my husband and I to attend for a friend's wedding and $400-$500 for a very close friend or relative. I also spend at least $100 on a shower gift if invited. I will say that we can afford that so that is the only reason we do it. I think there should be no "set" gift giving rule, it should be what one can afford. At our wedding, we received gifts from $50 a couple to $500 a couple. I personally think people give what they can and in today's economy, any gift should be appreciated by the bride and groom. I was just happy that our friends and family were there to celebrate with us.

I am shocked at the low amounts mentioned as wedding dinner prices and gifts. Most wedding dinners around my area in decent (not even higher end venues) are $90 pp no frills or open bar… most are $180 pp and up. I give at least $300. Bridal Showers may start at $50 pp. Weddings are so incredibly expensive. I do remember a time when I heard of guests giving registry gifts. Couples now have "Honeymoon" registries and you can get a gift card that pays toward their honeymoon, or you simply call the travel agent. Registries are usually for the shower gifts- I believe. Recently a friend told me that she received a wedding invitation that stated, "We are accepting cash gifts only." I find that distasteful. But… I believe people should be very generous and give the best they can.

I think it makes sense to give about $300.00 as a couple. ( $100.00 each to cover your meal and an extra $100.00 on top as your gift) Weddings are expensive to host and I like to consider it as a night out. If i went out for dinner and show with my date we would probably spend 300.00 or so

$75-$250 depending on how close I am to the wedding couple.

First, cash, money, & checks have almost always been great gifts and that definitely applies to weddings. Today it applies more than ever as,” About half of couples agree … that the gift they’d most like to receive is cash, according to another Amex survey released in April.” Today it is much more common to see, “The gift table also often goes nearly empty.. “It is the social norm now to give gift cards or cash,” said Casey Reese. Nina Vitale in charge of Events at a NY location said, “During the past two years, guests have been bringing mostly envelopes, no gifts, ” and, “When it comes to registering for gifts, a generational sea change has developed.” This is not a fad,” “Jason Dorsey, the chief strategy officer and a millennials researcher at the Center for Generational Kinetics in Austin, Tex., sees this as a change that is continuing to accelerate”

Ok, we got it, money for a wedding gift is not ok but it is the gift most wanted. There are Wedding Registries offering E commerce platforms, you should look at and find the one that fits what you want and need the best that facilitate couples and guests to get & give money. Some even do provide the mechanism for the couple and guests to do this easily with wediquette and taste. Some registries also include charitable donations. Money is freedom to get what you want when you need it.

1. Freedom from wasted time and stress caused by other registries, lack of transparency, or disguising money as actual gifts

2. Freedom from Unpleasant feelings and guilt

3. Freedom for the emergency coming that you are not aware of.

So if you can:

1. Get or give the gift actually wanted

2. Do so in a way that doesn’t cost anyone any extra time, stress, or negativity

3. Fosters love

4. Makes the couples life easier before, during, after their wedding.

5. Gives a gift that is anything on the registry, anything not on it, and anything the couple is not even aware of yet.

The question we want to know is, why would you not give money and use a site like The.Wediquette.com , Newlywish.com, etc.