Guide
How much to give for a wedding gift
There's no official price list for wedding gifts, which is exactly why the question feels stressful. Most etiquette guidance agrees on one thing: the amount should reflect how close you are to the couple and what you can comfortably afford — not what you imagine the dinner cost.
Below are the starting points GiftFair uses, why they move up or down, and how to settle on a number you feel good about.
Typical ranges by relationship
These are common etiquette starting points for one guest giving cash at a local wedding. They are the same baselines our calculator begins with before adjusting for your situation.
- Coworker or acquaintance: around €50 or £50, or $75 in the US. A card with a modest gift is perfectly polite when you mainly know the couple through work.
- Friend: around €100 or £100, or $125. This fits most friends you see regularly but aren't especially close to.
- Close friend: around €150 or £150, or $200. Many people give a little more for friends they've known for years or are standing up for.
- Family: around €200 or £200, or $250 for cousins, aunts, uncles and similar relatives.
- Immediate family: around €300 or £300, or $400 for siblings and parents — although many families have their own traditions that matter more than any guide.
If you're attending as a couple, a combined gift of roughly one and a half times the single-guest amount is a common approach, rather than simply doubling it. Group gifts from several friends or colleagues let each person give less while still adding up to something meaningful.
How location changes the amount
Expectations differ between countries, and even between cities. In the United States and Canada, cash gifts tend to run a little higher than in much of Europe. In Portugal and Spain they are often somewhat lower, while in India and across South Asia generous gifts from close relatives are a strong tradition.
GiftFair nudges its suggestion for these regional norms — slightly up for the US and Canada, for example, and slightly down for Portugal and Spain. If you're a guest from abroad, it's reasonable to lean toward the customs of the place where the wedding is held, while staying within your own budget.
How the cost of attending changes it
What you spend just to be there matters. Flights, hotels, outfits and time off work are real costs, and etiquette advice generally agrees that guests who travel a long way can give a smaller cash gift without anyone thinking less of them.
The calculator reflects this. When you tell it you're travelling significantly, it lowers the suggestion as your travel and accommodation costs rise — by 10% once they reach 250 in your currency, and by up to 40% for trips costing 1,500 or more. The destination wedding guide explains this in more detail.
Going the other way, attending a full wedding weekend, joining several events across multiple days, or celebrating at a noticeably upscale wedding can justify giving a little more.
Your budget comes first
The most consistent piece of etiquette advice is also the kindest: give what you can comfortably afford. You don't need to cover the cost of your plate. A couple who invited you wants you there, and a thoughtful card with a modest gift is far better than an amount that leaves you anxious about rent.
If you're unsure, pick a figure from the range for your relationship, adjust it for location and travel, then sense-check it against your budget. Or let the calculator do the arithmetic for you in about a minute.