Gifting - Wedding/Graduation (1 Viewer)

[Nugget]

We are hitting wedding/graduation season. Graduation gifts for nieces/nephews - how much cash? Different amounts for high school vs college? Same with weddings - coworkers and cousin's kids?

Gut feeling was $100-$250 for graduation, but I'm trying to get a feeling if college should be more. Should the amount be influenced if there is a pricey party? Leads to wedding - do I double a gift if I bring a date?

 

[Mookie]

$100 for high school. $250 for college. For wedding, buy 1 gift off their registry and base the price off how fancy the reception and dinner were (if a potluck in a field $50 - if a sit down catered dinner $250). You could give cash and tell your niece/nephew to stash it in an offshore account or under the bed if you feel the marriage won't last.

 

[NutterButter]

$100 for graduation. If its some kid that I don't know, $50. $250 for wedding.; $150 if solo. And this is presuming there's a party for each that you're going to.

 

[Gally]

I was always of the mindset that you got a gift for a HS graduation but not really the college graduation depending on the relation with the person graduating. Your own kids or very close friends yes but *cousins/acquaintances/friends of friends not really.

*if you are really close to the cousins where they are like siblings or your own kids then that is different. I am talking about those cousins you see only on holidays (maybe) or very infrequently.

 

[fruity pebbles]

People give gifts for college graduations? Own kid maybe but somebody else?

 

[arrow1]

Graduation open houses= Money grab

 

[NutterButter]

Graduation open houses= Money grab

Its like a wedding. As a guest, I'm paying the host (or in this case the host's kid) to essentially cover some of the costs of putting the event together. Attendance is optional and therefore the cash gift as well.

 

[arrow1]

Graduation open houses= Money grab

Its like a wedding. As a guest, I'm paying the host (or in this case the host's kid) to essentially cover some of the costs of putting the event together. Attendance is optional and therefore the cash gift as well.

I loathe these, however my wife enjoys going.

 

[SFBayDuck]

Graduation open houses= Money grab

Its like a wedding. As a guest, I'm paying the host (or in this case the host's kid) to essentially cover some of the costs of putting the event together. Attendance is optional and therefore the cash gift as well.

What if you can't go to the party?

 

[elguapo07]

Graduation open houses= Money grab

100% agree. I never got Jack Squat for any of my graduations nor did I expect anything other than “congratulations now go get a job”

 

[Terminalxylem]

Graduation open houses= Money grab

Its like a wedding. As a guest, I'm paying the host (or in this case the host's kid) to essentially cover some of the costs of putting the event together. Attendance is optional and therefore the cash gift as well.

I loathe these, however my wife enjoys going.

Weddings are terrible. Only thing worse are baby showers, and first birthdays. Though I’ve never been to one, I assume gender reveal parties suck too.

Not sure how much cash is appropriate as a gift, as it depends on how close you are to the people being celebrated. Regardless, the idea that wedding/graduation/birthday gifts should offset the cost of the event is abhorrent.

 

[fruity pebbles]

Graduation open houses= Money grab

100% agree. I never got Jack Squat for any of my graduations nor did I expect anything other than “congratulations now go get a job”

I can see high school. That’s been a thing for awhile but college? I’m going to take my daughter on a trip when she finishes grad school in a year but I certainly wouldn’t expect other people to send her anything.

 

[NutterButter]

Graduation open houses= Money grab

100% agree. I never got Jack Squat for any of my graduations nor did I expect anything other than “congratulations now go get a job”

Did you have a party?

 

[NutterButter]

Graduation open houses= Money grab

Its like a wedding. As a guest, I'm paying the host (or in this case the host's kid) to essentially cover some of the costs of putting the event together. Attendance is optional and therefore the cash gift as well.

What if you can't go to the party?

Hmmm. Good question. If I'm close, then maybe $50 but in general, I don't give gifts unless there's a party/gathering involved.

 

[Peak]

$100 cash for graduate we know and talk with the families (consistently - daily, weekly)
$50 cash for graduate we know, but don't really talk to their families anymore

We've been a part of many travel baseball families over the years, and most have kept in touch. If we know the graduate and their family really well, I don't mind the $100. But if we haven't talked to you in over 6 months and our kids haven't played together in over a year, I'm fine with sending a card with $50 in it and saying congrats.

 

[NutterButter]

Graduation open houses= Money grab

Its like a wedding. As a guest, I'm paying the host (or in this case the host's kid) to essentially cover some of the costs of putting the event together. Attendance is optional and therefore the cash gift as well.

I loathe these, however my wife enjoys going.

Weddings are terrible. Only thing worse are baby showers, and first birthdays. Though I’ve never been to one, I assume gender reveal parties suck too.

Not sure how much cash is appropriate as a gift, as it depends on how close you are to the people being celebrated. Regardless, the idea that wedding/graduation/birthday gifts should offset the cost of the event is abhorrent.

I love weddings. I'm talking the reception. I wish there was a service where you can just go to people's weddings provided you give a gift of course. Booze, solid food, a nice festive atmosphere where everyone is dressed up and looking good. Music. Dancing. What's not to like.

 

[SFBayDuck]

Weddings are terrible. Only thing worse are baby showers, and first birthdays

I mean weddings are fun, at least. But this is why for my daughter's first birthday, which came within two years of both the wedding and (obviously) the baby shower, we just threw a party with a keg and some food in a park and said "no gifts". Kid doesn't remember it anyway, so we treated it as a celebration for us of surviving that first year.

 

[fruity pebbles]

Graduation open houses= Money grab

Its like a wedding. As a guest, I'm paying the host (or in this case the host's kid) to essentially cover some of the costs of putting the event together. Attendance is optional and therefore the cash gift as well.

I loathe these, however my wife enjoys going.

Weddings are terrible. Only thing worse are baby showers, and first birthdays. Though I’ve never been to one, I assume gender reveal parties suck too.

Not sure how much cash is appropriate as a gift, as it depends on how close you are to the people being celebrated. Regardless, the idea that wedding/graduation/birthday gifts should offset the cost of the event is abhorrent.

I love weddings. I'm talking the reception. I wish there was a service where you can just go to people's weddings provided you give a gift of course. Booze, solid food, a nice festive atmosphere where everyone is dressed up and looking good. Music. Dancing. What's not to like.

People

 

[NutterButter]

Graduation open houses= Money grab

Its like a wedding. As a guest, I'm paying the host (or in this case the host's kid) to essentially cover some of the costs of putting the event together. Attendance is optional and therefore the cash gift as well.

I loathe these, however my wife enjoys going.

Weddings are terrible. Only thing worse are baby showers, and first birthdays. Though I’ve never been to one, I assume gender reveal parties suck too.

Not sure how much cash is appropriate as a gift, as it depends on how close you are to the people being celebrated. Regardless, the idea that wedding/graduation/birthday gifts should offset the cost of the event is abhorrent.

I love weddings. I'm talking the reception. I wish there was a service where you can just go to people's weddings provided you give a gift of course. Booze, solid food, a nice festive atmosphere where everyone is dressed up and looking good. Music. Dancing. What's not to like.

People

Yeah, I'm not a big people person either but I do like weak ties and the atmosphere at a wedding is very festive unlike say other gatherings where there's a lot more conversing. I'd take a good wedding over any other type of gathering.

 

[Terminalxylem]

Weddings are terrible. Only thing worse are baby showers, and first birthdays

I mean weddings are fun, at least. But this is why for my daughter's first birthday, which came within two years of both the wedding and (obviously) the baby shower, we just threw a party with a keg and some food in a park and said "no gifts". Kid doesn't remember it anyway, so we treated it as a celebration for us of surviving that first year.

I’ve been to exactly one fun wedding. People in attendance were grouped into teams, who went on a scavenger hunt in British Columbia, involving hiking/swimming/climbing in a beautiful outdoor environment. You were intentionally grouped with people you didn’t know, and through the process of solving riddles/puzzles in the hunt, you really got to know your teammates well.

The hunt ended in a brewery, and the winning team received some local chocolates. Oh yeah, the actual ceremony took place on a cliff overlooking the Howe Sound, with only a handful of people making the strenuous hike, and a friend acting as officiant.

I’d gladly go to more events like that, but I find dancing/drinking/overeating pretty monotonous in standard weddings/receptions.