How Much to Spend on a Wedding Gift
Summary
- There are 5 Key Considerations When Deciding How Much to Spend on a Wedding Gift
- Our Advice for How to Make a Big Impact on a Tight Budget
- Your Relationship to the Couple is the Biggest Factor When Deciding How Much to Spend on a Wedding Gift
It’s a classic question - How much do you spend on a wedding gift? While there are a few important considerations, it’s not as complicated as you think. The key is to take a few important factors into consideration:
- Your Relationship to the Couple
- Whether You Attend the Wedding
- The Type of Wedding They Have
- Are You Attending Multiple Wedding-Related Events
- Your Budget
Consideration 1- How Close Is My Relationship with the Couple?
The depth of your relationship with the couple plays a key role in determining the type of gift you choose. You shouldn’t equate a close relationship with a high price tag but selecting a gift that feels proportionate to your relationship, personal and meaningful is important.
Casual Acquaintances or Coworkers - think simple yet thoughtful. Consider pooling your funds with other friends and coworkers so that you can buy one larger gift.
Bridesmaids & Groomsmen - If you’re part of the wedding party, like a bridesmaid or best man, there are a few considerations. Certainly try to make your gift personal and ensure that it reflects your connection to the celebration. Don’t feel bad if you cannot spend as much on the gift as you think you “should.” The financial strain of being a part of the wedding party is real. Again, consider working with the other bridesmaids/groomsmen to get one wedding gift that will have a bigger impact because you have used your funds together.
Gift to Bride and Groom from Parents - Make sure to include the names of both the bride and groom on your gift message and reference your hopes and dreams for them both in the gift message. This is a great opportunity to let them know that you love and acknowledge their status as a united couple and that you respect and want to nurture that relationship. Opt for a gift they will use together rather than one that only speaks to the interests or wishes of one person in the couple.
Consideration 2 - Are You Attending the Wedding?
If you are invited to the wedding, you should give a gift, even if you are not attending. If you are attending the wedding, tradition says that you should give more than were you not. Likewise, if you are bringing a guest to the wedding with you, you should factor that into how much you spend.
Consideration 3 - What Type of Wedding is It?
Are there considerable costs to attend the wedding? If you have had to financially overextend yourself to attend a destination wedding, it is understandable to give a scaled-back gift no matter how lavish the event.
Consideration 4 - Are You Attending Multiple Wedding-Related Events?
Are you invited to and attending an engagement party and bridal shower? If so, you can think of the gifts in terms of proportion of the event to your total budget for gifts for the couple. The wedding gift would cost the larger share of your budget, while shower and party gifts would represent a smaller amount of the total.
Consideration 5 - Tight on Cash But Willing to Put in Some Effort?
Consider pairing something sentimental that you make with something that you buy. Are you a member of the wedding party that has watched them meet and grow as a couple? Pull together your favorite pictures of them together and pair it with a Dinner Subscription Gift from Giftem IncrediBundles. Add a note that says, “For you to make more memories as husband and wife!”
The best wedding gifts are those that reflect the thought and care of the gift-giver. The goal is to give the new couple a gift they will use and love. Usefulness surpasses trendy every time.
