{"id":17195,"date":"2023-06-02T09:16:27","date_gmt":"2023-06-02T13:16:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/news\/destination-weddings-do-guests-still-have-to-give-gifts-if-they-already-spent-mad-money-to-get-there\/"},"modified":"2023-06-02T09:16:29","modified_gmt":"2023-06-02T13:16:29","slug":"destination-weddings-do-guests-still-have-to-give-gifts-if-they-already-spent-mad-money-to-get-there","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/?p=17195","title":{"rendered":"Destination weddings: Do guests still have to give gifts if they already spent \u2018mad money\u2019 to get there?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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We\u2019re headed into the busy summer wedding season, which means many folks will likely be traveling to attend those ceremonies \u2014 and in some cases, jetting across the globe. <\/p>\n

After all, destination weddings are becoming an ever-more popular way to celebrate that special day. One report says the worldwide market for these events is expected to increase from $23.31 billion in 2022 to $78.90 billion by 2027.<\/p>\n

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But all that begs the question: If you\u2019re attending such a wedding \u2014 and paying hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on airfare and a hotel stay \u2014 are you still obligated to buy the lucky couple a gift?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a question that\u2019s often asked on social media, with many guests freely saying they skip buying anything \u2014 or, at the very least, they wonder about the practice. <\/p>\n

\u201cSo if someone has a destination wedding do they still expect a gift? Like I just spent mad bread just to attend,\u201d one person observed on Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Another put it this way<\/a>: \u201cWondering if couples expect gifts for a destination wedding? Like me flying across the country should be a present.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n \u201c<\/span>Guests who go to an out-of-town wedding typically spend $640 if they\u2019re traveling by car, and $1,200 if they\u2019re traveling by plane.\u201d<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

And about those \u201cmad bread\u201d costs: They\u2019re very much a real thing. The Knot, a popular wedding planning site, said guests who go to an out-of-town wedding typically spend $640 if they\u2019re traveling by car, and $1,200 if they\u2019re traveling by plane, according to a 2022 survey. That compares with a guest spend of $260 for an in-town wedding (the bulk of which is for the gift, according to The Knot, with the rest going toward local transportation and other incidentals).<\/p>\n

But etiquette experts and wedding planners that MarketWatch spoke with say regardless of whether the wedding is in your backyard or in Bora Bora, you should always buy a present (or give the gift of money). It\u2019s just bad form otherwise, they insist. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re celebrating one of the seminal moments in someone\u2019s life. You shouldn\u2019t be looking for ways to cut corners,\u201d says Jeannie Uyanik, a New York-based wedding planner.<\/p>\n

Thomas Farley, an etiquette authority who\u2019s known as Mister Manners, goes so far as to say that if you\u2019re attending a destination wedding, don\u2019t think you can get away with giving a cheaper gift, either.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would give the same amount dollar-wise as if the wedding was five minutes away,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Related:<\/strong> Jeff Bezos reportedly spent upwards of $5 million on Lauren Sanchez\u2019s engagement ring \u2014 but what should the average person spend?<\/p>\n

But Farley doesn\u2019t let the wedding couple off the hook. That is, if they\u2019re asking guests to travel, they should be offering them something more than just a wedding dinner. He says group activities, a brunch and a welcome reception should all be possibilities to consider.<\/p>\n

Jacqueline Whitmore, a Florida-based etiquette expert, says a gift is necessary for any wedding you attend. But she sees no harming in spending less on the present if it\u2019s a destination event.<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead of getting them a duvet, you might want to scale back and get one or two pillows,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

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\n \u201c<\/span>\u201cYou\u2019re celebrating one of the seminal moments in someone\u2019s life. You shouldn\u2019t be looking for ways to cut corners.\u201d \u201d<\/span>\n <\/p>\n


\n \u2014 Jeannie Uyanik, a New York-based wedding planner<\/span>
\n <\/small><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Bruce Russell, a wedding planner who focuses much of his business in Europe, adds a couple of caveats to the destination picture. For guests, he says if you\u2019re giving a physical gift, don\u2019t bring it with you to the event \u2014 no newly married couple wants to lug a toaster on the plane ride home.<\/p>\n

And for the couple getting hitched, he says it can be a thoughtful touch to suggest that gifts aren\u2019t necessary and that the presence of the invited guest is what really matters.<\/p>\n

When Ann Ragan Kearns, a New York-based publicist, got married in Mexico last year, she says she didn\u2019t expect gifts from her guests.<\/p>\n

\u201cA gift is not mandatory,\u201d she says. \u201cI just truly loved that you decided to join us on our special day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course, all this discussion begs a larger question: Should couples even have a destination wedding, knowing that it may be putting a financial burden on some invited guests?<\/p>\n

Most planners and etiquette pros say it\u2019s a question that has to be thought through carefully. Russell says couples need to really think about whether key people in their lives can attend the wedding \u2014 and even speak to them about it \u2014 before they lock in a plan.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are conversations that need to be had,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n