A $100 Wedding Gift Might Be Too Cheap

April, May, and June are huge months for weddings, so your smart phone calendar might be filling up on Saturdays.

How much are you spending on a gift?  Brides and grooms are raking it in!  Here's how much we should be spending, and it varies depending on how close you are to the happy couple.

Some breakdowns say we should be spending $100 on a wedding gift for a co-worker. Really?!!  Holy smokes.  It's a delicate balance, because we don't want to look too cheap, and we don't want to go broke buying them all that crystal that they'll never use but always seems to fit right in with all the other sparkly stuff at weddings.

If you're invited to your boss's wedding, there's the issue of using it as an opportunity to butter him up, by getting him and his lovely bride a really expensive gift.  There might be more at play than just showering the happy couple with love, like your pending promotion.

Retail Me Not says this is a good snapshot of what we should be spending on wedding gifts.  They've got the co-worker's gift in a range that might be easier to manage.  If you get too cheap on your sister, she'll notice.

• $45 on an acquaintance's wedding gift
• $63 on a coworker's wedding gift
• $159 on a best friend's wedding gift
• $195 on a sibling's wedding gift

Here's a great plan.  Buy something that costs $195 and use a 40% off coupon, and big brother will never know you didn't pay full price.  (That's the trouble with gift cards.  They know exactly how much we spent - not a penny over $50.)

Some ideas for Boise wedding reception venues include Eagle Hills Golf Course, Cottonwood Grille, Plantation Country Club, and the Riverside Hotel .

The bride and groom are paying a hefty fee to invite us to the party, so we could always consider our gift the price of admission.  And we hope it lasts just as long as the marriage!