Rules & Misconceptions

Wedding gift etiquette can be a little tricky to navigate if you don't know much about it. But don't fear, the following tips will help you answer any questions you have about wedding gift etiquette.

1. Many people ask if the amount they spend on their wedding gift should correspond to the amount spent on a dinner, or how sophisticated the venue is. According to wedding gift etiquette, this is absolutely not true: the point of a wedding gift should be to bless the couple in their life together.
   
   
2. You should try to send a gift within three months, if possible. Official wedding gift etiquette says that you have a year, but that is definitely pushing it. Ideally, try to send a gift when you reply to the invitation, about a month before the wedding.
   
   
3. If at all possible, send a gift to the couple even if you can’t attend the wedding. You shouldn’t think of a gift as an exchange for being invited to the wedding; rather, think of it as a way to practice generosity.
   
   
4. The average wedding gift amount is around $75. However, if you have a bunch of weddings in a short period of time and simply cannot afford a $100 espresso maker, then do not break your bank account; do the best you can. The amount also depends on your age and your location. A student cannot spend as much as an established career woman. Likewise, if you had to spend $1,000 on a plane ticket and accommodations to attend a destination wedding in the Caribbean, it is understood that you will not have a lot of extra cash for a wedding gift.