Her Best Friend Expects A Wedding Gift Worth $1,000, So Now She’s Considering Skipping The Nuptials Because She Simply Can’t Afford That

Phase4Photography - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only, not the actual people
Phase4Photography - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only, not the actual people

As the price of weddings continues to go up, should wedding present expectations rise with them?

Last year, nuptials across the nation cost an average of between $30,000 and $40,000. Guests, on the other hand, can shell out anywhere from $100 to $500 as a gift – depending on how close they are to the couple and how much they can really afford.

But what if one of your so-called “best friends” expected you to buy a $1,000 wedding present when you just didn’t have that kind of cash in your budget?

One woman is currently in the same boat, and she’s considering skipping her best friend, Sarah’s, big day over it.

For some context, she and Sarah have been close for over 10 years.

“And when Sarah got engaged, she mentioned that she was hoping for a ‘generous’ gift, implying something around $1,000,” she recalled.

However, she just does not have that much money lying around. She is currently dealing with some financial struggles in the wake of unexpected medical bills, and buying such an expensive gift isn’t in the cards for her right now.

That’s why she was honest with Sarah – claiming that she’d be there to celebrate, but she couldn’t contribute more than a “modest” amount of money.

Well, rather than understanding that, her best friend seemed really disappointed.

Phase4Photography – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual people

“Sarah said it would reflect poorly on me if I didn’t contribute significantly, as she’s seen others give expensive gifts,” she revealed.

Her friend’s remark made her feel super uncomfortable, too, which is why she’s actually considering not attending the wedding now to avoid any more awkwardness.

“But I feel torn between wanting to support my friend and being honest about my financial situation,” she vented.

This has since left her wondering if skipping the nuptials simply because she can’t satisfy her friend’s gift expectations would be reasonable or not.

Is it fair to expect presents worth a specific amount from guests, or should people be able to gift whatever they can? How would you feel in her shoes?

You can read the original post on Reddit here.

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Katharina Buczek graduated from Stony Brook University with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Digital Arts. Specializing ... More about Katharina Buczek

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