weddings

"I put $300 in a wedding card. Is that too much?"

Being deep into the depths of wedding season, it’s safe to say most women between the ages of 25 and 35 (even under and beyond) are spending their weekends in cocktail dresses and Spanx attending the lifelong unions of the nearest and dearest family and friends.

This has very much been the story of my life for the last few months. But when I was discussing with a group of colleagues what a bomb these weddings were costing me in cash, their jaws almost hit the floor when I told them how much money I had put in the card for the most recent wedding I had attended (which by the way, had a wishing well).

$300 of cold hard cash.

I was shocked to hear that many of them thought this was far too much. I’d actually spent a long time in the lead up to the wedding questioning whether I was putting in too little. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been working off the understanding that you put in enough money to cover your plate at the reception.

Anyone who has ever been married in Sydney knows that wedding venues don’t come cheap. I reasoned that the couple would be spending at least $120 per head at a total minimum. Considering I was bringing a plus one, I assumed the ‘cost’ of having us there would be at least $240. So my $300 gift would compensate the bride and groom for having us there and they’d get a little bit on top.

Listen: Couples share their wedding regrets on Mamamia Out Loud. (Post continues after audio.)

It’s also worth noting that in recent times, the cost of weddings has exploded. They’re more expensive than ever to hold, so doesn’t it only make sense that the size of a wedding gift from a guest would go up? I know that wedding gifts should be less about the logistics and more about the thought behind them but I was ultra mindful of leaving anyone short.

The bride was also a close friend of mine so I thought the closer you are to the couple getting married, the more money you put into the card. Despite all of these ‘rules’ bouncing around in my head, my colleagues still insisted I was putting in far too much. Some numbers were thrown around and it seemed that most would put $150 in a card, a whopping half of what I was including.

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"The bride was also a close friend of mine so I thought the closer you are to the couple getting married, the more money you put into the card." Image via Getty.

Except there's no hiding in a wishing well. If the couple is requesting money as a gift, what you put in is easily compared to others. It's far easier to hide the cost of what you're buying when it's a real tangible gift. I'd hate to be the owner of the card that the couple opens up and thinks: "Wow, that's a bit cheap".

Am I reading far too much into this or is $300 for a wedding card simply far too much?