Do you give gift or gratuity for the bride when you are invited to a wedding?

I often give gifts at a Wedding. Usually the bride and Groom will have a Gift registry. You can take a glance at that and see what it is they need.

I give a gift a gratuity only to very close friends or family, if I know they can really use the money. "The Wedding Gift Etiquette Guide WEDDING GIFTS ARE big business — billions of dollars big. According to research firm The Wedding Report, this year alone guests will spend $6.9 billion on wedding gifts.

Each time an invitation arrives in the mail, wedding guests face a common and sometimes frustrating dilemma: What should I buy the bride and groom, and how much should I spend? Depending on the couple, where they live and their culture, giving cash is either considered apropos or gauche. And then there's always the quandary over the registry, especially when the only two options left are a $200 waffle maker and a $5 garlic press.

After all, there's a fine line between breaking the bank to buy a generous gift and looking like a cheapskate. Read more: The Wedding Gift Etiquette Guide - Spending - Deals - SmartMoney. Com http://www.smartmoney.com/spending/deals/the-wedding-gift-etiquette-guide-23264/#ixzz0m8R0gYq2 The idea behind a wedding gift, according to etiquette doyenne Peggy Post, is indeed a noble one: "It is a tangible representation of love and support, a generous offering to help married couples get a head start in their lives together."

It sounds lovely, but for guests who don't know the bride and groom well enough to conjure up such a representation or are on a tight budget, here's a gift etiquette primer to get you through wedding season: 1. How much should I spend on a gift? The amount you should spend on a gift is one of those gray areas that vary based on the wedding location, your age and your budget.

A typical amount, says Betsy Goldberg, features editor at Modern Bride magazine, is $75. If you bring a date, expect to spend twice that amount. Don't be afraid to ask other attendees how much they plan to spend to get a better sense of what people within your social circle are giving, she says.

Though the gift amount is somewhat arbitrary, Summer Krecke, deputy editor of WeddingChannel. Com, offers a few guidelines based on the guest's relationship to the bride or groom: If it's a co-worker's wedding, you should spend $75 to $100; a relative or friend, $100-$125; and if it's a close friend or close relative, anywhere from $100 to $150 or more is acceptable. 2.

What if I can't afford the $120 five-speed blender because I have four other weddings this month? Read more: The Wedding Gift Etiquette Guide - Spending - Deals - SmartMoney. Com http://www.smartmoney.com/spending/deals/the-wedding-gift-etiquette-guide-23264/#ixzz0m8QtS05G Most brides and grooms don't want you to go broke as a result of their wedding.

Therefore, guests should always consider their budget constraints. If you've been invited to five weddings that take place within three months of one another, you'll need to take into account expenses for all those events (not just the gifts, but any required travel and lodging, as well). At destination weddings, for example, most couples understand that the $500 you shelled out to attend their Bahamas beach wedding doesn't leave you much to spend on a big-ticket gift."They appreciate that people go so far to be with them for their wedding," says Goldberg.

Also keep in mind that your gift obligations don't start and end with the wedding. Factor in surrounding celebrations, like the bridal shower, bachelor/bachelorette party and engagement party. Tally it up and you'll probably feel like you need a second job to afford your loved ones' nuptials, making it all the more important you don't break the bank on one gift.

3. Should the amount I give depend on the price per dinner plate or how posh the venue is? Quite simply, no.

"Never think about it in those terms," says Martha Woodham, author of "The Bride Did What?! Etiquette for the Wedding Impaired. " Instead, think about it this way: You're not expected to pay for your meal at a friend's dinner party, so why should you be expected to pay for a night of dinner and dancing at a wedding?

A gift is separate from the party itself and should not be considered "the admission price to the wedding," says Woodham Read more: The Wedding Gift Etiquette Guide - Spending - Deals - SmartMoney.Com http://www.smartmoney.com/spending/deals/the-wedding-gift-etiquette-guide-23264/#ixzz0m8QkQbLq.

If you're just some person with basically no connection whatsoever to the bride and groom, then don't feel pressured. Maybe you're the boyfriend/girlfriend of a family member, then I would say no. On the other hand, if your cousin or what have you is getting hitched, you should be generous.

Family helps family out, and if you take part in the tradition of marriage, then you should give a little.

If they have a registry, I try to get something from that. If I can't afford anything on the registry, I give cash.

I don't go to very many weddings, but I would say that generally I either bring a gift or visit their gift registry before going there. I don't believe it's very mannerly to come to a wedding empty handed. Although, if you are the date of someone who actually knows the bride or groom, I believe they should bring the gift and not you.

:-).

In Minnesota, where my mom's family lives, there is a tradition called the dollar dance. A bunch of people line up to dance with the bride or the groom. As each partner gets his or her turn, they hand the bride or groom a dollar, which she tucks into her dress somewhere and he decorates himself with.It is quite cute, as almost half the potential partners for the bride are usually little girls.

In this Country a wedding gift is a standard. If you are not that close the minimum gift should be enough to cover the cost of your meals and drinks. The closer they are to you the more the gift.

Again this depends on your financial situation and what the norm is in your social circle.

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