How Much Money Should You Give as a Wedding Gift? (2024)

FAQs

How Much Money Should You Give as a Wedding Gift? ›

They suggest the following breakdown: coworkers or distant relatives should spend 50 to 75 dollars. Friends or relatives, 75 to 100 dollars. For close friends, family members, or if you're in the wedding party, you should spend 100 to 150 dollars—or more.

Bottom line: There's no hard-and-fast rule on how much cash to give as a wedding gift. Wedding experts do, however, advise starting at $100. From there, you may want to adjust up to $500 based on factors such as your relationship with the couple, your budget and the cost of your attendance at the wedding.

The average wedding gift is $100 per wedding guest. But many factors can nudge that gift amount up or down. Make sure you aren't giving more than you can afford.

If it's a co-worker or a distant friend, TheKnot.com recommends guests give at least $75-$100 on the wedding present. If your guest is a relative or a friend, the wedding website suggests somewhere between $100 and $125.

Anyone who received a separate invitation from their parents to the wedding should give their own gift. Because a family gift tends to include more people, it is customary to be on the nicer end of the registry, spending in the $200 to $300 range, but, again, stick to what fits within your budget.

According to the experts, the average wedding gift amount hovers right around $100 to $150, though that can increase or decrease based on how close you are to the couple and whether or not you're attending with a plus one.

She offers these guidelines to wedding-goers wherever they might be: A distant relative or co-worker should give $75-$100; a friend or relative, $100-$125; a closer relative, up to $150. If you are wealthy, are you expected to inflate the gift? No, Cooper says. “If they do, it's because they're just generous people.”

Some people do use cash and place it in the card, however I have seen gift tables at weddings with obvious cash/gift card/checks inside cards that could fall behind or under a table and be missed. To be safe, I would choose to use a check, because if lost, it could be replaced, and cash could not.

One of the most basic ways to make a gift of physical cash more personal is to pair it with a meaningful card. A well-chosen card with the addition of a heartfelt, personalized message of well-wishes, advice, and counsel can make a useful gift of cash one of the most meaningful gifts a couple can receive.

A budget of around $100 is standard for longer relationships. If you're married, $100 is the median amount, and the top 25% of couples spend $300. Remember these are guidelines; you should not feel obligated to match these amounts if you're under financial stress.

Is $50 too low for a wedding gift? ›

The average person spends $50-$100+ on a wedding gift, but the amount varies by their relationship with the couple and budget.

That said, it's highly likely that not every guest at a wedding will oblige. In fact, it's been estimated that between 7 and 10% of guests at a wedding fail to give a gift.

Wedding Gift Amount: Close Family and Friends

Based on our insights, wedding guests are typically open to splurging on a monetary or cash wedding gift for a loved one, with surveyors reporting an average spend of $200 if it's a close friend.

What is an appropriate amount for a cash wedding gift? As a rule of thumb, you can give $50-$500 as a single guest, depending on your relationship to the couple. For a casual guest who might not be making a ton of money, $75 should be sufficient.

It used to be that the role of the bridegroom's parents was restricted to hosting the rehearsal dinner and leading him down the aisle, but that is no longer the case. In a recent poll by wedding enthusiasts, the Groom's parents cover up to 24% of the wedding costs.

For instance, if you are a close friend to the bride or groom, you may consider giving between $100 and $150. Whereas, if you are a neighbour or a colleague, an amount of $50 to $75 would be appropriate.