In California, there is a statute that allows a person to recover gifts of money or property, in a just amount, where such gifts were made "in contemplation of marriage" where the other party breaks off the engagement or where it is broken off mutually.

The code section is Civil Code Section 1590 and may be found by clicking the following link: Click Here.

In the particular facts you gave, it would seem that a person may be entitled to recover the amount of the money given.

The hard time that most people have with this type of case is proving that the gift was made in contemplation of marriage. However, for some reason, Courts only regularly apply this particular Code section to engagement rings. Other than engagement rings, Courts tend to consider such gifts as "outright gifts" instead of gifts in contemplation of marriage, absent some other proof. Where you specifically stated that the gift was given because you were being married, this would seem to establish that it was a gift in contemplation of marriage. However, in Court this may be a somewhat uphill battle.

Something that I often recommend in consultations with regard to similar situations is to provide a copy of the Code section to the other person with a letter and see if they would be willing to make some sort of payment arrangement. If so, the giver may be able to get them to sign a written agreement to pay you back, and, if they do, they can rely on the written agreement for a lawsuit if the receiver fails to pay them back. If they decide not to sign an agreement, there is still a chance that the giver could recover the gift in a lawsuit.

If I failed to answer your question completely, please let me know and i will do my best to supplement my answer.

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Disclaimer: This is only an ADVISORY OPINION, intended to provide general and educational information. This is not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed by answering this question, as such no duties of loyalty, confidentiality, or competence attach to the information herein. This opinion is not a substitute for hiring a qualified attorney advise you on a specific legal situation. The person answering this question may only give legal advice to his clients in states where he is admitted to practice.