A bridesmaid who shelled out $4,000 to attend a destination wedding asked if it’s acceptable to arrive without a gift.
The woman is attending the wedding of one of her closest friends in Canada and has already paid thousands.
“My partner and I have booked flights to get there, which are not cheap, and we also booked the hotel chosen for us by the wedding guests, which is also not that cheap,” she revealed.
“I like giving gifts, but my partner thinks we’ve already spent too much money on the wedding. So I’m curious to know what you guys think.”
She asked Life Uncut presenters Brittany Hockley and Laura Byrne for their views on the situation.
They both agreed that a gift shouldn’t be necessary if guests have to pay to attend and fly to a destination wedding.
“I may be alone in this answer, but I don’t think you need to buy a gift if you’re going to spend a ton of money to go to a destination wedding,” Laura said.
Brittany said, “No, I don’t think you’re alone!”
The woman asked Life Uncut presenters Laura Byrne (left) and Brittany Hockley (right) for their views on the situation.
The one-minute video of the segment has since been viewed more than 488,000 times, but opinions were divided.
“I wouldn’t expect a gift if people spent money to travel to my wedding,” one agreed.
—Not at all. That’s gift enough. I would never expect anyone to buy me a gift. That’s absurd!
“I don’t buy any gifts if I have to fly,” added a third.
“You definitely don’t need a gift. If you’re having a destination wedding, you have to sacrifice gifts. Having them come is a much bigger investment in you than a gift at a local wedding,” another person wrote.
Others said that if they are expected to fly to another state or abroad, they will not buy a wedding gift.
“It’s hard and depends on your budget, but it definitely adds up. I have one coming up soon too and I have to pay someone to take care of my dog! I feel like I have to compromise on something though. Ugh!” wrote one.
“I guess I’m the only one who thinks this way, but I personally can’t imagine showing up without a gift. It doesn’t have to be something grand or expensive, just something,” said another.
A third said: “I think in the current economic climate, getting married and expecting guests to pay that amount of money is selfish, unless you have rich friends.”
“I guess I’m controversial because I think a gift should be part of the budget. It doesn’t have to be much. I don’t know. It feels rude to go to an event like this and not give a card or something,” another added.
