I attended the shower but financially we could not attend the wedding which was not local and required us to stay overnight. QUESTION: What is the proper wedding gift to send/how much should be spent on it, and how much time should elapse before sending out the gift.
If you don't attend the wedding you do not have to send a gift at all. If you wish to- the amount you spend is totally up to you. If you do send a gift, you might want to time it so the gift arrives after the honeymoon.
Traditionally you have a year to send a wedding gift. However I don't think any bride or groom is going to be upset if the receive a gift later than that.
If it's money you want to give, then give what you can afford. I personally would give AT LEAST $50 (probably more, but not less). But it really depends on who the gift is for and how much you can afford. If it's for someone very close and special to you, you might want to give a little more. If it's for someone you are not so close to you might go to the lower end. There is no rule. You give what you want and what you feel you can.
If you want to buy a gift, you can look at their registry or if they don't have one perhaps you could ask them or their parents if they could tell you what they'd like. Otherwise pick out something nice for the kitchen, or any room in the home. You can't go wrong with a nice house gift or pretty serverware or cookware.
