Appetizer wedding gift money amount

I prefer to give money.

I gave a gift and money for the Bridal shower and gave money for the wedding and went by the cost of a plate and went a little more, but she was a close friend. In the past I paid for a hotel room for the couple, and for a work friend we chipped in to get an expensive room at the hotel we worked at so they got two nights and meals paid.

Is the wedding held during normal meal hours or is it off hours with a few small bites? That would determine the size of my gift. Just because a wedding serves hors d'oeuvres instead of a plated meal, doesn't mean it can't constitute a full meal. I've been to weddings where the meal is served as cocktail appetizers but the amount of food still made up a full meal so I gave accordingly.

As with any wedding, the mind set should be not to expect to profit off a wedding via gifts. People who do that will likely create sour experiences for their guests and ruin relationships.