Parties can be awkward social occasions. How much the gift should cost, whether it’s OK to bring a friend… all these things must be considered before setting out to the event. One more awkward aspect of weddings is the gift for the bride and groom. There are many considerations for the happy couple as well; should they ask for a gift on their invitation, ask for cash or just leave it up to the guests? In my opinion, it’s rude to ask for anything. By asking for gifts, the bride and groom are:
a) Making the proceedings slightly tacky, and
b) Giving the impression that the guests won’t bring what the bride and groom would like if it was up to the guests without guidance.
I know that I would hate to receive a wedding invitation specifying what gift I should bring, especially if it’s expensive. That way, when the gift is not what was specified (due to pure cost reasons much of the time!), the bride and groom can get offended. It’s best just to leave the gifts aspect of the wedding day up to the guests, as asking for a particular gift or specifying an expensive price range can be rude.