( LifeWire ) -- Jennifer Bilotta thought she and her husband Michael had the perfect present for his cousin 's wedding . The gift in question -- a fused-glass plate decorated with a `` tacky scene of a bride and groom , '' she recalls -- had been given to Bilotta at her own wedding a few years earlier . Nothing wrong with a little regifting as long as the bride and groom enjoy the gift . Or so Bilotta thought . `` She collects Barbies , and he collects G.I . Joes , '' says Bilotta , 33 , a publicist in Wyndmoor , Pennsylvania . `` The plate seemed up their alley . So for their wedding gift , we gave them the plate along with a card with a check for the usual wedding amount . '' But the gift did n't go over well . `` A few weeks after they got married , we were talking to them about their wedding gifts , and they mentioned this hideous glass plate that someone gave them , '' Bilotta says . `` The card must have gotten separated from the plate , so they did n't know it was from us and they both went on about how ugly it was . We never fessed up . '' Watch when to send a gift » . Deciding what to give ( or not give ) newlyweds is never an easy task , says Peggy Post , one of the country 's leading etiquette experts and co-author of the book `` A Wedding Like No Other . '' Before you turn into a guestzilla , however , take heart . `` Gift giving does n't have to be a stressful experience , '' says Post . The wrong way to give . Some gifts should never be given -- namely those that you yourself received . Whether it 's to save yourself some cash or to avoid the hassle of shopping , regifting is a wedding no-no , says Steve Kemble , star of Style Network 's `` Whose Wedding Is It Anyway ? '' and `` Married Away . '' `` What makes you think someone is going to want a gift you did not want ? '' Kemble says . `` Plain and simple , re-gifting is tacky ! If you do not have the time to think about what a couple would really want , then do n't give anything at all . '' Kemble ticks off a few of his favorite wedding gift gaffes : shot glasses ( `` I simply do not think there could be anything tackier , '' he says ) ; knives ( `` they represent bad luck for a relationship '' ) ; and , worst of all , deciding that a gift is n't necessary , because you gave the bride or groom a gift the last time they got married . `` If you feel this way , then I feel you should not attend the wedding , '' he says . `` If you are going to sincerely celebrate with them on their special day , then show that you are happy for them , and tradition says you should do this by honoring them with a gift . '' The right way to give . When it comes to gift giving , Rob Johnsen , co-founder of MyWedding.com , has some simple , if calculating advice : Decide how much your relationship is worth . If the happy couple are two of your most cherished friends or relatives , get ready to fork over about $ 200 , says Johnsen . `` A blender or silverware off a traditional registry wo n't quite have the sentiment you are looking for , '' he says . Is the bride or groom is someone you talk to only a few times a year , yet someone you still value ? Then keep your gift between $ 50 and $ 100 , and feel comfortable selecting a set of dishes off the registry , says Johnsen . For distant relations , friends of friends or other lesser acquaintances , limit your spending to $ 50 . `` Sentiment here really is n't of concern , so go for something off the registry , or some cash in a card is acceptable too , '' Johnsen says . Peggy Post disagrees with putting a price limit on a wedding gift ( `` There 's no such thing as a dollar amount , '' she says ) , but she does suggest basing the amount you spend on your affection for the bride and groom and their family . `` If you 're a close cousin , you 'd probably want to ratchet it up a bit , rather than if you 're just an acquaintance , '' she says . Of course , not everyone can afford to give extravagantly , even if the newlyweds are dear friends . Not to fear , Post says : You wo n't be breaking any etiquette rules by splitting the cost of a high-dollar gift with a fellow guest . And , she adds , it 's especially acceptable if you 're in your 20s and a recent college graduate with a limited income . Cash is acceptable , too , as is deviating from the bridal registry . `` Do what you feel comfortable with , '' Post says . `` Just do n't do something totally off the wall . '' Gifts that make memories . Sometimes , though , offbeat wedding gifts can impress . Manhattan resident Samuella Becker , 53 , says she 'll never forget a gift someone gave her and her husband for their wedding 24 years ago . `` One of the members of our wedding party , an attorney who I worked with at a major Fortune 500 company , gave us a magician to perform at our reception , '' explains the owner of a media relations firm . There was just one problem : The reception , held in the elegant Crystal Room at New York City 's Tavern on the Green , was n't exactly the ideal place for magic tricks . But , Becker says , the gift , which might have been seen as tacky by some , ended up becoming a wedding-day highlight . `` All guests , young and old , were absolutely entranced and filled with wonder as the magician performed trick after trick , '' she says . It was a reminder , she says , that sometimes the most unusual and daring gifts can be the most memorable and welcome . LifeWire provides original and syndicated lifestyle content to Web publishers . Sarah Jio is a Seattle-based writer who has contributed to Cooking Light , SELF , Glamour and many other publications .
Expert : $ 200 is appropriate spending for wedding gift to close friends . TV host : Shot glasses and knives are bad wedding gifts . Peggy Post : I think you should get a better camera, because the one in your phone takes terrible pictures!