The typical wedding present is roughly $100, which is a good starting point, but you can go higher or lower depending on your proximity to the couple. If you're connected to the couple or good friends, you may want to pay a little more—around $150 per guest (or $200 from the couple)—if you're able to.
For acquaintances and coworkers, giving the couple a gift of $50 may be appropriate. However, if a guest is closer to them, they may want to aim for at least $75 to $100. If a guest has a close relationship with the couple, $200 is an excellent cash wedding gift amount.
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.
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, or if you are in the wedding party, you should spend 100 to 150 dollars—or more.
That all depends on whether the gift is off the registry, an experience, or cash. Upon consulting the experts, a wedding gift should range from $75 to $750—but most agree that $300+ is the sweet spot.
$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.
As a rule of thumb, if you're giving a gift from the registry, start with a gift of no less than $50 and go upwards from there. If you're giving money as a wedding gift, we recommend $75 to $150, upwards of $300.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. More than likely, you won't be called out for your social faux pas, but it will probably be noticed.
Giving a wedding gift is the right thing to do (although there are some exceptions), it's in good form, and the vast majority of wedding guests will give a gift—but some won't.
If you're a coworker, acquaintance, or distant relative: $50-$75. If you're a friend or relative of: $75-$100. If you're a close friend, immediate family, or part of the wedding party: $100-$150+
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.
When it comes to wedding gifts, there's no right or wrong answer on how much you should spend. It's all about your personal budget. And cash is a completely acceptable gift, says Lizzie Post, etiquette expert and co-host of Emily Post's “Awesome Etiquette” podcast.
"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?
Cash gifts may be considered impersonal and lacking in creativity. It does not take much effort to stash a dollar amount inside of an envelope and present it, so gift recipients may question their relationships with gift givers who give cash.
Etiquette When Receiving Money
The decision to give cash should always be with the giver, never the recipient. Asking for financial gifts – no matter how badly you would rather have some extra funds to pay the bills than a new George Foreman Grill – makes you look greedy.