Money as a wedding gift...how much should you expect? - African American Wedding Photographer | Chip Dizard (2024)

FAQs

Is $200 per person a good wedding gift? ›

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.

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.

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.

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. But what kind of gift can you expect?

If it's a friend that I'm close with and have known for more than three years, I usually give $250 or more. If it's local and no travel is involved, I'll give $50 to $100 more than that. If I'm a bridesmaid and have had to spend a lot of money on gifts, travel and other expenses, I'll just give $250.

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.”

While the amount you should gift a couple depends on a number of factors, data from The Knot reveals that U.S. wedding guests spend an average of $160 on cash gifts. “It's common to give anywhere from $100 to $1,000. I often see the card box on the gift table oozing with overstuffed envelopes,” Burton says.

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.

How much should you spend? 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.

Luckily, the choice on how much to give at a wedding is really up to you. A good starting point: $100 per guest, the average gift amount according to Brides.com. Then, let these other factors help you decide whether to nudge that amount up or down.

What to write in a wedding card when giving money? ›

May your marriage be as rich and beautiful as the love you share. We're so excited to help you live your best lives with this gift. To our very best friends: Hope your wedding day is just the beginning of a joy-filled journey that lasts a lifetime. This gift is just a small token of our happiness for you both.

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.

Is It Ever Appropriate Not to Give a Wedding Gift? If you're attending a wedding, you should always give a gift; the amount you spend, though, is flexible. Personal budget constraints are a perfectly valid reason to not get an over-the-top wedding present, but you should still give something as an attendee.

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

While the idea of giving cash to a pair of newlyweds might make some older generations balk, etiquette experts agree that it's most certainly acceptable today.

A good starting point: $100 per guest, the average gift amount according to Brides.com.

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.

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. $2,000 might be too much.