Many people love to attend weddings, but these occasions can easily put a strain on your budget. After all, you usually need to cover the cost of travel, accommodations, clothes and, of course, a wedding gift. So how can you know how much you’re supposed to spend on a wedding gift so that you don’t look cheap but at the same time don’t break the bank? Here are five tips to help you determine the appropriate wedding gift amount.
Estimate how much the bride and grooms are spending on each guest
According to the etiquette, when trying to determine how much to spend on a wedding gift, you should try to estimate how much the couple who are getting married are spending on their guests. For instance, if you think that it costs the couple about 100 dollars to host each person at the reception, your gift should equal that amount. And if you’re coming with a plus one, the gift amount should be double that sum.
Think about how much you’re spending to attend the wedding
Since a wedding present is not the only expense that comes with attending a wedding, it’s a good idea to think about how much money you will need to spend on the wedding other than the gift when determining the appropriate amount. For instance, if it’s a destination wedding or if you have to fly in from out of town and get hotel accommodations, it’s totally acceptable to spend less on the wedding gift since it already costs you a lot just to be there. Of course, you should still give a gift anyway.
Consider how close you are to the couple who are getting married
While the amount of money you spend to be at the wedding and the amount you think the bride and groom are spending to host you are important in figuring out the price of the gift, you should also think about how close you are to the couple. The average wedding gift price from a couple is about 150 dollars and the wedding gift price from a single person is about 100 dollars. Start with this amount and if you’re very close with the couple, increase it accordingly. If you’re not very close or are a plus one who doesn’t know them personally, you can give a less expensive gift.
Only buy a wedding gift you can afford
While it’s nice to give a great gift to the newlyweds, what’s more important is that the gift fits your budget. If you’re currently tight on funds, simply select a cheaper gift and don’t feel bad about it – the couple wants to see you there on their big day, so your attendance is already kind of a gift itself. If you can’t find anything that fits your budget on the couple’s registry, simply buy a small gift that’s not on there or find a friend or relative to split the cost of a gift with.