What is an appropriate wedding gift for a destination wedding?

by William Smith
(Millis, MA, USA)

My wife and I recently attended my forty year old brother's second wedding.

His thirty five year old new wife has never been married before. The wedding was a cruise wedding.

We are under financial strain because we just finished paying for our youngest to go to college and are saving for our other daughter's wedding which is less than a year away. The bottom line is that we didn't have the money.

However, out of five siblings, none were going, because of the cost, and I felt guilty. So we shelled out the $3000. We had a great time. Never-the-less, if we had a diplomatic and guilt free way to have not gone to the wedding we would have taken it.

My elderly parents also attended the wedding. They generously paid for four early teenage nieces to attend. (The bride had asked the girls to be in the wedding party, without having talked to the parents.)

The wedding was two months ago. Now the bride is complaining that my parents did not give a wedding gift. My parents paid over $7000 to attend the wedding. My parents also gave my brother $20,000 as a wedding gift for his first wedding. (My brother has not told this to his new wife.)

What if any, is an appropriate gift from my parents?

What if any, is an appropriate gift from me and my wife?

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Nov 17, 2009

Empathy
by: Absolut Jo

Gosh, that really is a pickle. You already spent far more than the usual wedding but you did get a lovely vacation from it.

I think memories are far more valuable than mere cash or even gifts (not all gifts are useful right?). Perhaps I could suggest making a lovely scrapbook filled with pictures of the cruise and all the happiness you all shared. You can include your parents in on this and share the gift. This will explain also why this gift is given days after the wedding

When time has past, this gift will be remembered far more than a pot or other gifts you might be considering

My 2cents from Singapore =)

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