Wedding Gifts: How much did you make back?

quirkybride Posted: Apr 02, 2010 01:28 AM

Wedding Gifts: How much did you make back?

This is a question for the married ladies. I'm not yet married, I was just wondering how much people end up getting back in gifts. Thanks.

FutureMrsG Posted: Apr 02, 2010 01:43 AM

Re: Wedding Gifts: How much did you make back?

We made back less than half of what we spent for the wedding.

KerriJohnS Posted: Apr 02, 2010 01:49 AM

Re: Wedding Gifts: How much did you make back?

Posted by FutureMrsG

We made back less than half of what we spent for the wedding.

ditto

quirkybride Posted: Apr 02, 2010 02:04 AM

Re: Wedding Gifts: How much did you make back?

wow. Thanks for responding girls. I hope no one took offense to this. It would be helpful to know what the average is to factor that into what I spend.

lindsay marie Posted: Apr 02, 2010 02:06 AM

Re: Wedding Gifts: How much did you make back?

We made a few thousand less than what we spent but it was worth every penny we would do it again for less!!!

springsandra Posted: Apr 02, 2010 09:04 AM

Re: Wedding Gifts: How much did you make back?

I think we got just about a third of what we spent in pure 'cash' gifts. If you add in presents, it's probably a little closer to half.

Don't budget for your wedding based on what you think you'll recoup. Budget what you can afford.

NellieBellie32 Posted: Apr 02, 2010 10:25 AM

Re: Wedding Gifts: How much did you make back?

thats a good question.....i guess it all depends.....i know my best friend got married 2 years ago had a small wedding, but she got everything sooo cheap and almost made everything back......but we hsave different taste shes a very simple person

NellieBellie32 Posted: Apr 02, 2010 10:26 AM

Re: Wedding Gifts: How much did you make back?

im just hoping for a decent downpayment on a house....haha

FutureMcBride Posted: Apr 02, 2010 11:02 AM

Re: Wedding Gifts: How much did you make back?

Posted by NellieBellie32

im just hoping for a decent downpayment on a house....haha

me too! That's why it's so important to me to not have any debt after this wedding.. I opened a savings account and have been putting money in there regularly.

FH keeps insisting that we will get all the money back, in fact he thinks that certain people will give a certain amount of money etc. but I keep telling him you can't guarantee that and that's not why you invite someone!

I figure my parents are helping us pay so hopefully we will get back what we spent, and then we can use that as a down payment.

bcheryl Posted: Apr 02, 2010 11:05 AM

Re: Wedding Gifts: How much did you make back?

We made about 75% back. But I do agree it was worth every last cent

whispersamethyst Posted: Apr 02, 2010 11:08 AM

Re: Wedding Gifts: How much did you make back?

Posted by FutureMcBride

FH keeps insisting that we will get all the money back, in fact he thinks that certain people will give a certain amount of money etc. but I keep telling him you can't guarantee that and that's not why you invite someone!

FH thinks the same thing too and I told him we shouldn't be thinking that way because I know we're not going to get a red cent out of some of our guests (mostly family).

CloudNine Posted: Apr 02, 2010 11:14 AM

Re: Wedding Gifts: How much did you make back?

we made back 53%

Tessie728 Posted: Apr 02, 2010 11:35 AM

Re: Wedding Gifts: How much did you make back?

FH and I are the 4th to get married of his siblings... so far all 3 have said that they have made a profit on their wedding. Weddings are big in our family and community...you at LEAST cover your head if your a generic guest (min 100pp).... if your family, or a close friend you are at least doubling that. Im not saying I EXPECT that, but im saying that is how I give wedding gifts, and I know many others do too.
On the other hand I had a friend get married in seattle... she said she made a couple thousand... most people give actual gifts, not cash. NY is one of the only states that goes crazy with weddings... but I LOVE IT! hehe. We actually moved into a cheaper apt so we could afford our wedding and not go into debt.

gina409 Posted: Apr 02, 2010 11:37 AM

Re: Wedding Gifts: How much did you make back?

Posted by KerriJohnS

Posted by FutureMrsG

We made back less than half of what we spent for the wedding.

ditto

same here

TessMike621 Posted: Apr 02, 2010 11:38 AM

Re: Wedding Gifts: How much did you make back?

we made back less than half

geegee827 Posted: Apr 02, 2010 11:58 AM

Re: Wedding Gifts: How much did you make back?

we actually made back about 2/3 of what we spent. We made back whatever we spent on the RH and a little bit extra.

But I agree, you cannot plan a wedding thinking you're going to make money - it just doesn't happen.

coldasice217 Posted: Apr 02, 2010 12:02 PM

Re: Wedding Gifts: How much did you make back?

A little less than half...like 47%. What we actually paid for 75%. This includes monetary value of physical gifts though too.

JamDancer Posted: Apr 02, 2010 12:04 PM

Re: Wedding Gifts: How much did you make back?

just in monetary alone we received about $12,000 for about 125 ppl. we got a bunch of actual gifts though too.

quirkybride Posted: Apr 02, 2010 12:21 PM

Re: Wedding Gifts: How much did you make back?

Thank you for your responses girls, this is helpful information.

I wouldn't budget a wedding I couldn't afford based on what I might get back. However, money is a real issue to consider. Weddings are just so expensive, even if I could afford something, it's easier to spend the money knowing around what might be coming back. I'm inviting some friends that I know will probably not cover their way but I still want them there, my mom is insisting on inviting some cousin I barely know who has given each of my siblings 25 dollars or a frying pan for his or her wedding.

I think it's just good to know what the averages are. I hope other people found this information helpful as well.