How much money should be spent on a wedding gift? The following advice can help you choose what to get the newlyweds.
You’ve made travel arrangements, chosen your attire, and replied “yes.” Choosing what to give and how much to spend on a gift to honor the happy couple is the final, and possibly most difficult, decision you must make before attending a wedding this fall.
Whether it’s a check or anything from the couple’s registry, the appropriate amount to spend on a wedding present is a contentious issue on the internet.
When it comes to wedding presents, there are customary guidelines. According to some, visitors should try to pay for their dinner so that the bride and groom may essentially recover the cost of hosting them. Other well-established rules include presenting larger or more costly gifts to family members than to acquaintances, and doubling your gift value if you’re bringing a guest.
However, the reasoning behind those restrictions could not be sound. For instance, since it is doubtful that the bride and groom will disclose the price of their lunch to the guests, they would simply be speculating. Furthermore, there is no set cost for a plate at a reception. Although The Knot’s wedding planning website states that the average cost of catering for a wedding is $80 per person, actual costs might vary greatly depending on location and other variables.
“A bill is not an invitation.” Emily Forrest of the wedding e-commerce business Zola
Depending on your financial situation, the location of the wedding, and your level of intimacy with the couple, that figure will vary for each individual. And it’s all right! Emily Forrest, head of communications at wedding e-commerce startup Zola, told MarketWatch that an invitation is not a bill.
According to Forrest, there is no ideal quantity to offer as a wedding present. Instead, people ought to base their choices on their individual financial and personal circumstances.
“The most important thing is showing up in the way that feels good for you,” she stated.
Here are some statistics to aid in the decision-making process for people who are keen to prevent any wedding blunders.
According to Zola, the typical wedding gift budget in the United States this year is between $100 and $150. Additionally, according to data from The Knot, the typical guest spent $150 on their wedding present last year; this amount rose to $160 for close friends and family and decreased to $140 for more casual friends or acquaintances.
To find out how much readers have been spending this year on wedding presents, MarketWatch also conducted a survey. While those contributing $100 or less came in a very close second, the majority of responders were in the $100–$200 range.
The firm refers to Zola’s wedding gift rules as “very loose,” however they contain the following recommendations:
- $75-$100 for acquaintances or distant relatives
- $100-$150 for friends or relatives
- $150-$200 or more for close friends and family – or for members of the wedding party
- Increasing the gift amount by 50%-100% if you bring a plus-one
The expense of travel and lodging for the celebrations is just one of many additional factors that affect how much should be donated. For instance, 67% of weddings in 2025 will be close enough for most guests to drive there, according to Zola. However, almost one in three weddings would require guests to fly, which can be costly.
According to Zola’s data, attendees spend more than twice as much, or an astounding $1,314, to attend an out-of-town wedding this year, while the average cost to attend a local wedding is $593. It’s quite normal for guests traveling from a greater distance to spend less on a gift because of the difference in travel expenses.
In addition to travel costs, factors such as the cost of attending the wedding (which includes purchasing a new wardrobe and covering activities during the wedding weekend) and your level of intimacy with the couple may also influence the amount you choose to spend on a present, according to several wedding experts. However, etiquette experts also concur that the most crucial considerations are how to give with intention and what you can give.
They also offered some further advice on how wedding guests might show their soon-to-be spouses how much they care without breaking the bank.
According to Lauren Kay, executive editor at The Knot, “If you expect multiple invitations, set a wedding-season budget at the beginning of the year,” she told MarketWatch. “Track expenses to avoid overspending on travel, outfits and gifts.”
Forrest from Zola brought attention to yet another choice. “If it’s getting too expensive to give a gift – or attend the wedding in general – it’s OK to stay home,” she stated. “Ultimately, it is OK to say no if an event is outside of your financial ability or comfort zone.”
Some other tips from Zola and The Knot for saving money on gifts include:
- Shopping the registry for budget-friendly options instead of giving cash
- Pooling your money with a group of guests for a single big gift
- Giving a personalized gift that may not have a high price tag but that can be more thoughtful
There are innovative methods to express such consideration. Hundreds of comments can be found on Reddit posts regarding the gifts that people, especially those who are struggling financially, have given.
There are accounts of how recent job losses or the cost of attending a wedding have made it difficult for some people to offer gifts; some claim they are unable to do so at all. And in some of those situations, considerate friends or relatives have resorted to ingenious substitutes, such as a graphic designer who collaborated with the bride to make wedding invitations and save-the-date cards rather than purchasing a present.
The Reddit user wrote, “I thought that was a part of her gift, even though she might not be aware of that.”
Another Reddit user claimed to have constructed a homemade expansion for the board game Dungeons & Dragons for the couple, identifying themselves as a graduate student making the lengthy trip for a wedding.
Additionally, a participant on MarketWatch’s survey on wedding expenses stated: “I’ve begun to place more value on well-considered, customized presents than on their cost. The significance of the gift is what matters in these economy; occasionally, a modest memento and a passionate letter are worth more than an expensive item.
Etiquette experts concur.
“At the end of the day, couples invite you to their wedding because they love you, not because of how much you spend,” Kay stated.
