The average wedding gift amount hovers right around $100, which is a great place to start, and you can increase or decrease that based on how close you are. If you're very close or related to the couple (and have the wiggle room in your budget), you may choose to spend more—about $150 per guest (or $200 from a couple).
Upon consulting the experts, a wedding gift should range from $75 to $750—but most agree that $300+ is the sweet spot.
How much should I spend on a wedding gift? According to Zola, the average person spends 50 to 100 dollars on 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.
$100 to $250 is a safe range for a cash gift at a wedding
“Most couples request cash gifts on their wedding day to help them begin their new life chapter. How much you give at a destination or local wedding depends on your relationship with them and your budget,” he says.
"Most guests spend between $75 and $200 on a wedding gift," she tells Insider by email. "If you're attending a wedding solo, somewhere around that lower end is appropriate, but if you're going with a plus one, we encourage guests to look more towards $150 or more."
If you're already in a long-term relationship, then spending anywhere from $100-$200 for a gift is a safe bet. If you're newly dating, then something less pricey is definitely reasonable, like, say, around $25-$50.
Yes, it's always acceptable to give cash as a wedding gift. In fact, experts say that giving cash as a wedding gift can be a practical and much appreciated present. Seventy percent of couples registered for cash on their wedding registry, an increase of 10% over last year, according to TheKnot.
Wedding guests are typically open to splurging on a monetary or cash wedding gift for a loved one. Since $160 is the national average spend, you might consider spending anywhere between $100-$200+ on a gift for a close friend or family member.
If you need a dollar amount to go off of, the Brides website says the average wedding gift amount sits at around $200 and you can go up or down with that depending on how close you are to the couple. For someone who is close or related to the couple, they may choose to go to $150 or $200 if you're bringing a plus one.
Of course, it would be amazing to give your daughter thousands and thousands of dollars as a wedding gift, but not at the risk of making your own financial situation dire. Depending on their relationship with the bride, wedding guests typically give between $50 – $150 when making a monetary gift.
The amount you give to a colleague versus a family member such as your son or daughter, for example, will differ. The wedding website The Knot recommends the following amount as a general guide: A colleague or a distant family friend/relative: $50-$75. Friend/relative: $75-$100.
It's a gesture of goodwill and a lovely way to express your support of the newlyweds. 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 - Most bridesmaids spend anywhere from $50 to $100 on a wedding gift. With that in mind, it's also important to take your other expenses into consideration. The couple understands that you've spent a good chunk of change on everything else, so don't feel like you have to go overboard on your wedding gift.
What is a good cash wedding gift amount for one person? If you're flying solo and just a casual friend of the bride or groom, then you can spend $75-$100 on your gift. Even if you're a super close friend of the couple, $500 is the most you should give.
Also, yes, put the money in a card wishing them well. Gifts from their wedding registry or even one you think that will be meaningful to them are also appropriate wedding gifts.
For family or someone close to you, $75 to $100 and even as high as $150 is perfect. Then if you're going as a couple, it's routine to double the amount or keep it at $200.
THE ETIQUETTE
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.
For a co-worker or acquaintance: $50 to $100. For a friend or relative: $75 to $150. For a close friend or relative: $150 to $250. And if you're a young person with limited budget: $50 to $75 is reasonable.
The average wedding gift amount hovers right around $100, which is a great place to start, and you can increase or decrease that based on how close you are. If you're very close or related to the couple (and have the wiggle room in your budget), you may choose to spend more—about $150 per guest (or $200 from a couple).
Is giving a wedding gift even mandatory? Yes and no. Whether it's a 30th birthday or a wedding, if you're invited to a celebratory party, it's customary for a guest to bring a gift. But if you don't bring one, you aren't breaking any laws.
Wedding check or cash—is one better than the other? Writing a check is best because only a person with the exact name as the payee on the check can deposit it and you can cancel the check if it gets lost or stolen in the mail.
“Your presence at our wedding is enough of a gift, but should you wish to buy us something, we'd greatly appreciate a contribution towards our dream honeymoon/house deposit/renovation.” “Please do not feel obliged to buy us a gift, all that we are expecting is you.
While most etiquette experts agree that $20-$30 is perfectly reasonable for a child's birthday gift, you can spend up to $100 on the child of a close friend or relative, says Helen Holden, founder of Counting Candles, a website that helps parents plan birthday parties.
"Money is an appropriate gift," says etiquette expert Elaine Swann, founder of The Swann School of Protocol. "Studies say that it is the most welcomed gift—the one gift that most people want." But gifting money has a lot of questions around it. How much money can you gift to your family?