Best friend struggling financially has the best response when bride demands a ‘$1,000’ wedding gift

Special occasions like weddings are more about the moments than the tangibles. While gifts and expenses are to be considered, nothing matters more than having your loved ones support you and be present on your big day. u/dang_zoey shared that her best friend had rather different opinions and was carelessly demanding $1,000 wedding gifts from those invited. The woman was more than happy for her friend but had financial strains due to which this huge amount was out of the question. When the bride-to-be refused to make any exceptions, she had to stand firm in her response and decision. 

The woman revealed that she has been friends with the bride-to-be for over a decade. While one would expect a good understanding between the duo, things seemed to be otherwise. “When she got engaged, she mentioned that she was hoping for a ‘generous’ gift,” the post read. It was clarified that she wanted something around $1,000. The huge amount was impossible for the woman to spare since she was struggling financially. “Due to unexpected medical bills, I can’t afford such an extravagant gift,” she revealed. The woman honestly spoke to her friend hoping she’d understand but the bride-to-be remained dissatisfied. “I told her I’d be there to celebrate with her but I’d only be able to contribute a modest amount," she said.

In return, the woman was told that it was "disappointing" and that “it would reflect poorly” on her since others had given rich, affluent gifts. As a guest and also a very close friend, she felt it important to support the bride on her big day. However, arranging for such an expensive gift under pressure and as a pestilence was no good. The woman decided to possibly not attend the wedding. She found it “awkward” to attend and not meet the gift expectations and decided to not go altogether. Several people supported the woman on her decision. Many pointed out that $1,000 is too big an amount while others insisted that friendship should matter more than an expensive gift.

u/meat_uprising wrote, “If any of my best friends acted entitled to $1,000 of my money, I'd be folding them like a dollar bill.” u/Forward-Wear7913 added, “I would not attend that wedding and would reconsider the friendship if it has a price tag.” u/dllngr said, “A real friend just wants to celebrate with their friends. We paid for one of our good friends to be able to attend our wedding because we wanted him there.” 

u/writingisfreedom noted, “If anyone asks why you didn't attend, tell them she expected a gift worth $1000...see how they respond to that.” u/VII_187 remarked, “Weddings are about sharing the love you have together with your family and friends, not expensive gifts.” u/Acceptable-Wing7332 pointed out, “I have seen weddings where there was a ‘suggested’ minimum gift purchase price. As soon as that gets a mention on the invites, a lot of invitees bail out. It's not about your financial ability to buy something expensive, it should be about your friendship most importantly.” u/worth_statement9245 highlighted, “She’s a really selfish and shallow ‘best friend’ for even verbalizing the expected gift amount.”