Christening gift amount?

[MrsHenPen]

First post! Does anyone have any experience of how much is the norm to gift a baby for their Christening? I’ve no idea where to start! The invitation pretty much ruled out any other kind of gift and asked for money… It’s a family we’ve been close with in the past but lost contact with until relatively recently if that’s any help. Thank you so much!

Hosted a few christenings. Received a lot of physical gifts (clothes, mainly), cash range was wide, but probably around £40 was a common amount for non-family.

(It goes without saying that £0 and the guests presence was totally ok!)

Hth!

Well… for them to ask for money is dead cheeky! For friends, relatives that aren’t super close etc., I’d usually spend around £15-£20.

£0

Don't do christenings.

I'd maybe give £20-30 Or buy a picture frame or something.

I wouldn't go wild esp if you've already bought new baby present or baby shower gift.

I too think it's a little cheeky to ask for money, have they said if it will be used for anything in particular ? If you do want to give money then give whatever you can afford or feel comfortable giving, its entirely up to you.

Very rude ask, I’ve never asked for money gifts for any of my children’s christenings. Gifts not expected usually. But I write that knowing certain religious relatives will always give gifts, many money, it’s usually £10-£20. Grandparents are the only ones who ever give more.

I'd buy them a childrens bible to be honest how bloody cheeky to ask for money.

Op do you think they have maybe only invited you to get the cash gift? You said you have only reconnected recently..funny timing on their part

I think a cash gift is fine. Who wants to give a gift that will never be used? Everyone says give a children’s bible. 😂 Even the most bloody religious child doesn’t not need 50 bibles! What are they going to do with that?! Much better money for savings that can be put away for them for the future.

OP, I think it probably depends a bit on your relationship and if it’s a gift from just you, or from your family of 5. I think £20-50, definitely no more than that.

I'm not going to lie I also thought this might be the case. It seems incredibly convenient that they've just got back in touch and now suddenly they want money.

For DS Christening he got 2 lovely personalised money boxes (both different designs, one has his christening date and his name on, and the other has his birth date, weight and name on) with £10 and £20 in. He also got a non-personalised one with a 50p coin in (I think coins/silver are tradition?) and it’s his favourite now because you wind it up and it plays music! In terms of monetary gifts, we had amounts ranging from £10-£50, and some people just gave a card. I certainly didn’t judge anyone based on what they gave him! Give what you can afford OP and also would depend your relationship with the family and how close you are. I’d give my best friends child who I’m close to a lot more than a friends child I’d only recently reconnected with and assuming don’t know well.

I'd give a small gift and not spend a lot. They were cheeky enough to ask for money and you're not even very good friends with them. I wouldn't be ruled by their demands.

Thanks everyone. I’d probably rather have gifted a book or something (probably not a Bible which I agree they may get multiple of!) so it just feels almost impersonal when it’s money. It’s the same with weddings! Totally get that people don’t want lots of duplicates though or things that’ll never be used. I genuinely don’t think we’ve been invited for the sake of a gift (not being naive, there more to it) but see how that looks! Thanks for the reassurance that it doesn’t need to be extravagant though. ☺️

Definitely doesn't need to be extravagant. And given you've not been in close contact I'd say £20 is plenty an more than you'd spent on a bible or other token gift.

Buy a nice frame and put 20in it?