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Wedding Gift Etiquette

Wedding Gift Etiquette
From Happy Wife Happy Life 

 

How much should I spend? What should I get them? It’s only Karen from accounting’s wedding, do I even need to bring a gift?

These are all the questions that go through our mind when we get invited to a wedding. Whether it be a family member, a friend, or a co-worker, wedding gift etiquette can be hard. After all, you don’t want to be the talk of the water cooler at work over giving a bad wedding gift, but you also don’t want to go broke. And what if you don’t even attend the wedding? Do you still owe the couple a gift? 

Here is our guide to wedding gift etiquette:

1. How much should I spend?
   If you are a close friend, the average amount spent is about $100. The family spends about $130 while more distant guests spend $50 to $75. If everything left on the gift registry is over $50 to $75, try getting a gift card in that amount to one of the stores on the gift registry.
2. Group wedding gift:
   Group wedding gifts are totally acceptable, especially if you have already spent a pretty penny being part of the bridal party. Couples will usually have a few big-ticket items on the registry that are perfect for splitting between guests, so gather a couple of other guests together and splurge. 
3. Cash:
   It’s not tacky to give cash, in fact, it’s a good idea. After all, who doesn’t love being handed some free money? The only rule is that you should gift the cash (or cheque) to the couple BEFORE the wedding. A small envelope of cash can easily be misplaced during the chaos of the big day.
4. Destination wedding:
   I’ve already paid to travel to the destination wedding, so do I still have to bring a gift? In this case, the gift of your presence at the wedding is usually enough. After all, the couple understands that you have taken time off work and spent thousands of dollars to stand by them on their big day.
5. Not in Attendance:
   So you aren’t going to the wedding, do you still owe them a gift? The answer is yes, but not anything too lavish. Think of getting them something small  (one of the cheaper items) off the registry as a congratulatory gift. Even if you can’t be there on the big day, you still want them to know that you are happy for them.
6. Going off the Registry:
   The couple goes through a lot of effort to choose the items on their registry, so try not to veer too far off of it. With that being said, if you are very close to the couple and know that the off the registry item will be a hit, then go for it!

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