Wedding planner sparks a FEROCIOUS online debate after revealing how much guests should REALLY spend on a gift for newlyweds… so, do you agree with her ‘unpopular opinion’?

A wedding planner has sparked a fiery debate after revealing exactly how much you should spend on a gift for a bride and groom.

Melissa Andre has been an event coordinator for 15 years and regularly shares tips and tricks for planning the perfect party on her TikTok channel, where she has over 125,000 followers.

Most recently, the Los Angeles-based organizer took to the video sharing platform to lift the lid on how much money you should donate while attending a wedding.

Melissa sparked a heated conversation about whether guests should cover their plates and reimburse the newlyweds — or spend up to $100.

She captioned the viral clip, which has more than 521,000 views to date, “Final answer: The average $100, but you should always base it on what you feel comfortable with.

'You shouldn't burden yourself economically. A thoughtful card is fine when you're there.'

Melissa duetted a video from a content creator asking for help deciding how much to gift a bride and groom.

“I'm an event planner based in Los Angeles. I've been doing this for 15 years and I get this question all the time, so let's talk about it,” she said at the beginning of the clip.

She warned viewers that her opinion was “potentially unpopular.”

Melissa said the first thing to consider when considering how much to spend on a gift is your financial position.

She said: 'The first thing you're always going to think about is your financial position. And the next thing is how close you are to the couple.”

The veteran wedding planner added that the average wedding gift totaled $100.

However, she also explained that newlyweds should have “no expectations” regarding gifts.

“They shouldn't be making plans with the money they haven't even received yet,” Melissa said.

She noted that even a handwritten note is “perfect” as a gift.

The wedding planner then presented her least favorite type of bride and groom: those who hope to recoup their guests' wedding costs.

She branded that particular behavior “appalling,” adding, “Guests are not there to pay for your honeymoon or pay off your outstanding vendor bills from your wedding.”

'Your guests are not your patrons. They didn't choose the menu, they didn't choose the location, they didn't choose the date, none of the choices are theirs.

“They are there to celebrate you,” she added.

Melissa advised couples to only have a wedding they can afford so they aren't dependent on their guests.

At the end of the clip she said: 'You can have a beautiful wedding on any budget, even if, 'Join us for champagne and wedding cake in the garden after the ceremony.'

People flooded the comments section with their opinions and entered into a furious debate about how much to spend on gifts.

Many people agreed with the wedding planner and praised her for her honest advice.

One person said: 'You shouldn't expect guests to finance your wedding… scale back, do it within your budget.'

Another user wrote: “$100 is completely acceptable. If you need people to cover their plates, then you are living beyond your means and you have to cut back on wedding expenses.”

'I don't invite people because I expect a gift. I want them there because they mean so much to me,” one user added.

Someone else added: 'I think it's so embarrassing to expect your guests to do anything other than their time. Grown adults are throwing a party and expecting presents/money.”

However, others criticized Melissa, noting that you should always cover your plate – adding that if you can't, you shouldn't attend the wedding.

One person said: 'Imagine the newlyweds getting into debt. If you can't afford to go, don't, COVER YOUR PLATE, plus money for a gift.'

Another user added, “Yes, $100 is way too low for New Jersey unfortunately. You should try to at least cover your plate. The gift is to help the new couple with their new life.”

'Cost of the plate. New Jersey is the highest in the country. About $250 per plate at the average place. So $250 per person,” someone else said.

Another commented: 'I would never go to a wedding without at least paying for my plate.'