How Much Money Should You Give To A Couple If Youre Not Able To Attend The Wedding
If youre wondering how much to give for a wedding youre not able to attend, dont overthink it. The easiest route would be just to send a gift from the couples registry, but if youd prefer to send cash or a check, you can totally do so. We recommend spending around $50 on a gift if youre not attending the wedding, though you should spend a bit more if youre a close friend or relative of the couple.
Emily Post’s Wedding Gift Timeline
Etiquette expert Emily Post suggests that wedding gifts should be given after receiving the invitation or within three months of the wedding. We agreethis is probably the most ideal time frame to present newlyweds with a gift. It’s best to give a wedding gift while the invitation is still hanging on your refrigerator or while the celebration is still fresh on your mind that way, you’re less likely to forget about buying a present altogether. Delivering a gift about two weeks before the wedding is an even more ideal time, so the present can be incorporated into the new couple’s home when they return from their honeymoon.
Spend What You Can Comfortably Give
What’s the etiquette for a wedding gift in terms of how much to spend? The answer to this common question has evolved over the years. And, believe it or not, there’s no magic number that dictates how much you should spend on a wedding gift. According to our data, guests generally spend about $120 on a wedding gift, though some say they spend more for close friends and family members. Ultimately, though, you should spend what you’re able to comfortably afford on a wedding gift.
Use your relationship as a guideâwhile you might want to spend more on a gift for your best friend, it’s completely okay to spend a little less on someone you’re not as close with, like a coworker or a distant relative. Plus, if you have a busy wedding season full of events or you’re also a member of the wedding party, it’s perfectly fine to lower your budget. Consider looking into gifts that fall in a range of $50-$200+, and use your personal budget to find gifts that fit what you can reasonably afford.
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Average Amount From Parents
For parents, the amount of cash gift will depend on their involvement and contributions to the overall wedding costs.
More likely than not, parents may have helped with the wedding budget and other event costs such as the groomâs dinner, the wedding reception, or the wedding ceremony itself.
Yet, the amount that parents should give as a wedding gift will probably be on the higher end such as between $150 and $300.
Average Amount From Friends
Similar to coworkers, wedding guests that are friends of the bride and groom can usually get away with a cash gift between $50 and $75.
However, if the friends are part of the wedding party, they can usually get away with giving a smaller gift or having their present go towards event related costs such as the bachelorette party or the bachelor party.
Further, it is acceptable to go on the lower end of the price range especially if you are traveling from a long distance or have a tighter budget.
Because many millennials are only just beginning their careers and are paying many other monthly costs, most people will understand if you cannot afford the most expensive gift.
Plus, the bride and groom will likely be happier that you were able to attend the wedding and could share their special day with them.
Additionally, it is acceptable to give a group wedding gift if a group of friends of the bride and groom wants to go well together in a larger present.
For example, if the bridesmaids want to go in together on a larger $200 gift, they can usually get away with doing so and spending a bit less individually.
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Is It Ok To Give A Cash Wedding Gift
Cash gifts are not only totally okay, theyre becoming more and more requested by modern couples who are getting married later in life and have already outfitted their homes. If the couple is using Zola, they may have even registered for cash funds to help them save for the honeymoon, a new home, a puppy, or even a lifetime supply of avocados . However, there are a few best practices you should follow when contributing to a cash fund:
- Make sure that you contribute cash through the couples registry, if their registry provides that option.
- If writing a check, mail it before the wedding day. Giving cash or check on the big day isnt necessarily wrong, but it does run the risk of being lost in the chaos of the day.
- If writing a check as a wedding gift, make sure to write it out to one person and to use pre-married names. Couples dont always share joint accounts or change their names after the nuptials, which can lead to the bank refusing to accept the funds.
How Much Do You Give As A Wedding Gift If You Dont Attend
This one can get a bit tricky and is asked by a lot of people. After all, if you arent attending, then you dont need to spend any money on hotels or traveling. So, should you give more money to the couple or the same amount if you had attended it? One easy solution will be to give a gift from the wedding registry. However, if you feel that giving them cash would be better, then you can gift them somewhere between $50 to $125 or $150 to $175 based on how close you are to the couple.
Also Check: When Should You Start Your Wedding Registry
A Gift From One Person
If the gift is solely from you, start off with $100, and factor in your relationship, as well as your comfort level spending that much money. If you are fairly close with the couple, $100 is a perfectly acceptable amount to spend. If that’s too much, you can spend between $50 to $75 if that works better for you.
How Much You Should Spend On A Wedding Gift If:
Youre an All-Day Guest: £50-£75
Some people base their gift on the approximate cost that the couple will pay for their wedding meal, but this is by no means a rule. £50-£75 is a common amount to spend on a friends wedding if you have been invited for the whole day and will be very gratefully received. Only give what you can comfortably afford, and if it something meaningful to the couple then it does not need to cost the higher end of this bracket. Diane recommends to always include a thoughtful and heartfelt card with every gift.
READ MORE: What to Write in a Wedding Card to the Happy Couple
Youre Just an Evening Guest: £25-£50
If you have been invited to the evening event only, many couples will state on their invite that they are not expecting gifts. If you would like to give something, then choose a gift at the cheaper end of the gift list or give a smaller financial gift. It is a lovely gesture for the couple to receive but reflects the fact you are not one of the close family or friends invited to the ceremony.
Its a Destination Wedding: £50-£75
Image: Katie Hamilton Photography
Theyre Immediate Family: £100+
Youre a Bridesmaid/Groomsman: £100+
READ MORE: 18 Rules All Wedding Guests Should Follow
Theyre Close Friends: £75+
Theyre Work Friends/Distant Relatives: £25-£50
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How Much Should I Give As A Wedding Gift Calculator
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Send It Within Two Months Of The Wedding Date
Punctuality plays a large role in proper wedding gift etiquette. Ideally, gifts should be sent to the couple before the wedding. According to various etiquette experts, though, guests should do their best to send a gift within two months after the wedding date at the very latest. While this is a recommendation, it is a nice gesture to send your gift promptly. And, while you can bring something on the big day, online registries streamline the shopping process by allowing you to shop online and ship the gift to the couple’s address. Not only is this the most convenient option for couples, it helps guests by eliminating extra shipping hassles. When it comes to knowing the proper etiquette for wedding gifts, giving what you can is a kind gestureâbut doing so in a timely manner will make your present that much sweeter.
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What Is Proper Etiquette For A Wedding Gift If Not Attending
It depends primarily on you, your financial circumstances and how close you are to the couple. The first thing to keep in mind is the question of whether you can afford to buy and send a gift or not. If you are in a tight financial situation, you can send a handwritten note with a personal message. If you can afford it, you can check out their wedding registry and get them something they need. The amount you want to put into the gift depends mainly on you and how close you are to the couple. If you dont know them much at all, you can just call them and wish them well. Do remember to let them know you cant attend by personally talking to them though. Doing otherwise would be very rude.
Plan Ahead And Look At The Registry Early
Most wedding sites suggest sticking to the registry: After all, you want to get them something they really want, and the registry is a big old list of things they want.
If you wait too long to buy your gift , then youll often find yourself limited to the extreme ends of the registry: The cheap stuff like dish towels and drinkware on one end, which can feel too piddling to be appropriate, and the crazy expensive things like espresso machines and stand mixers on the otherstuff thats way out of your price range.
But the great thing about weddings is that youve got tons of time to prepare: Save-the-dates get sent out a year in advance, and invitations go out not that much later.
Its natural to want to put off spending money, but checking out the registry immediately is the best way to ensure you find a gift thats within your budget and appropriate to your relationship to the bride/groom.
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How Much To Spend On A Wedding Gift Once And For All
If the question of how much to spend on a wedding gift is keeping you up at night, heres the answer for every type of gift-giving scenario.
While its certainly an honor to be invited to a wedding, it also can be a major expense. When it comes to giving a wedding gift , yes, your presence at the wedding may be present enough, but you should also give an actual gift whether its cash or a gift off the couple’s registry. If youve never attended a wedding before , it can be difficult to figure out how much to spend on a wedding gift. And while the average guest spends about $100 on a wedding gift, this varies widely depending on your relationship with the couple and more. So if the question of how much to spend on a wedding gift is keeping you up at night, heres the answer.
Note that many of these answers are presented as price ranges. If youre attending a wedding solo, you can spend toward the lower end, but if youre attending a wedding as a couple, err on the side of spending more.
How Wedding Gift Etiquetes Change Based On Different Scenarios
Lets go through the different ways in which you can respond politely when it comes to giving wedding gifts.
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Chinese Wedding Gift Traditions And Modern Gift Ideas
If you’ve been invited to a Chinese-American wedding, you might be wondering why there isnt a wedding registry. You might be scratching your head trying to think of what Chinese wedding gifts to buy for the newlyweds. You are not alone.
Chinese wedding traditions are very different from Western wedding traditions, including wedding gifts. For those who are not familiar with Chinese wedding gifts, its common to have questions like How do I know what they want? Do I even need to bring a gift? or What are the appropriate Chinese wedding gifts?
If you have these questions, look no furtherwe’ve gathered some of the best Chinese wedding gift ideas that cover both traditional and modern wedding gift options.
Traditional Chinese Wedding Gifts
Unlike Western weddings, wedding registries are uncommon in Chinese weddings. In Chinese culture, directly asking your wedding guests for gifts or money can be considered disrespectful or greedy.
Therefore, instead of providing a list of gifts for guests to choose from, in Chinese weddings, the guests have the freedom to choose whatever wedding gifts to surprise the newlyweds with.
That said, traditional Chinese wedding gifts such as red envelopes and gold jewelry are still usually the first choice of gifts.
The Red Envelope Wedding Gift Tradition
The stuffed red envelope is the most common and feasible Chinese wedding gift because it helps the newlyweds pay for the wedding costs and begin to establish their life together.
