Poll: What do you usually bring to a wedding, money or physical gift?

I thought I'd also answer my own question. I like to bring a gift, to me it feels a little more personal since I know it's something the couple will use. Sometimes I'm just afraid giving cash will just go toward bills and as much as that helps a couple, I'd rather have them have something physical I know they'll use.

If it's out of state I try to find something small in size within my budget and pack it in my suitcase.

Physical gift. Same as above. Money is impersonal.

I think for destination weddings, more people bring money than physical gifts. I think especially since your guests will know you are flying, this will be true for you.

I usually give a check. Physical gifts for a shower.

We usually buy something off the registry and have it sent directly to the couple

I always give money and try to get a fancy card. Wedding cards are so pretty and fun to shop for!

I usually send money. I understand it not being "personal" but I think most people would prefer some money. Weddings are expensive. We got a few gifts, but mostly money. We didn't have a wedding registry.

I always buy something off the registry for the shower and always a card with money for the wedding.

I usually go $30-50 value depending on the closeness of me and the bride for the shower gift.

As for the wedding, I know this is different everywhere so I'll explain. Planning a wedding in my area, people are not just charged straight up per person. Charge per plate for food usually $10-20 depending on fanciness. Alcohol is either charged item by item or the bride and groom buy their own bottles and have it served (obviously the cheaper option). For this reason I usually give $50 in my card (more if I know the crowd that will be there and plan to drink more). That way it covers the food I eat and the drinks I drink. I don't believe in "covering the cost for you to attend" - like trying to figure how much the whole thing costs and dividing by the amount of people. I am not paying for people's decorations, photobooth and DJ. They would still have all of those things if I weren't there.

@HiH - I agree to a point about people spending the money on bills - I would hate to think that I paid the couple's cable bill. I have to look at it from the other side though. H and I got mostly money for our wedding with only a few boxed gifts. We have not spent a dime of our wedding money. We deposited it all in our account and it has been sitting there since the beginning of November. It will go as part of our down-payment on a house when we find one.

For weddings I would typically give cash in a card. If I was going to a shower I would obviously buy off the registry. The last wedding we were invited to we were going to send both cash and a gift...I don't remember if we did or not. Depending on distance maybe I would tend to do both.

I prefer a gift. They registered for things that they want so why not buy them a gift? Personally there's a lot on our registry tat I really want so I'm hoping for gifts rather than cash.

Money. It's easier, and I'm typically the one buying a card on the way to the reception and getting cash back at the register, because I'm a flaky procrastinator.... so a gift isn't going to happen!

I've never seen a boxed gift at a wedding here. It's just money. Boxed gifts are for the shower as is the registry.

I typically do a gift for the shower and cash for the wedding. People do bring gifts to the wedding in my area though.

Money. If traveling, still money (or I may send a gift ahead of time but I would never bring it)

I like registry but I know it's kind of a pain and make sure if the people getting married leave an address for it to be shipped to, I ship it to their house because I can only imagine not wanting to deal with a hundred boxes after the wedding

I'm italian -- we be always bring cash.

I will usually send the couple something off their registry if they aren't having a shower and we still give a card usually our go to is $150 to make up the cost for our meal.

$$

I don't think I've ever seen regular gifts at a wedding.

If it's a local wedding or somewhere I don't have to travel too far to attend we bring a physical gift. If it required a lot of travel like flights, or just a long car ride for a week away somewhere to attend then we bring cash. I just don't want to hassle with traveling with it, or checking the gift at the airport.

I usually buy something off the couple's registry and have it shipped directly to them, especially if I missed the shower. I will then bring just a card to the wedding.

Cash always. Physical gifts at the shower. I was raised with the "pay your plate" mentality so it kind of stuck. Then I started planning a wedding and I feel like I jipped some people haha.