How much money you should give as wedding present and three gifts to avoid

Exclusive:

A wedding expert has advised how much you should actually spend on a wedding present and has warned of the three gifts you should avoid giving the newlywed couple

One of the trickiest parts of wedding guest duties has to be choosing what sort of thoughtful present to give the couple, a task that involves thinking up something they’ll both be pleased with. What you pick will of course depend on the couple and their shared interests, as well as your own personal relationship with them.

If you know them well it may at first seem like a doddle, however, even the greatest of gift givers will naturally feel a little flummoxed at the pressure of such a present, given on a day the newlyweds are likely never to forget, and symbolising in some small yet meaningful their new life together.

Fortunately, wedding expert Lisa Forde has come forward with some very helpful top tips for wedding gift-giving, whether you’re attending the nuptials of your childhood best friend, cousin, or colleague. You’ll have to sort out the wrapping paper yourself.

Get the news you want straight to your inbox. Sign up for a Mirror newsletter here.

As noted by Lisa, of leading wedding stationery company Tree of Hearts, the present will of course depend on various factors, including whether or not the couple has made their specifications clear beforehand.

Speaking with the Mirror, she explained: “This is a tricky one to navigate. Some couples will create gift lists or ask you to contribute to a wedding or honeymoon fund, some will ask for no presents at all.”

Money

With gift giving, it’s always the thought that counts, and it’s understandably a bit of a touchy topic once you start bringing the subject of money into things.

Lisa advised: “It depends on every different situation. And how much you’re ‘expected’ to spend on a gift changes, too, of course, the closer you are to the couple, you may want to spend more, whereas if you’re a colleague or plus one, you might not want to spend as much.

“It’s also worth bearing in mind that if you’ve had to spend to get to the wedding, maybe it’s abroad or away from home, you might be expected to spend less on a gift. Similarly, if you’re part of the wedding party and have had to pay towards the day in the lead-up, maybe you’ve paid for your own dress or suit, and you might not be expected to give a gift.

“The general thinking is that if you’re an all-day guest, you should spend between £50 to £100 as a wedding present, whereas an evening guest £20 to £50.”

Think about what both halves of the couple might like

Although you may well be far closer to one half of the couple than the other, it’s important to find a gift both of them will appreciate.

Lisa said: “There are no hard rules to gift giving and there isn’t ‘too little’ to spend – at the end of the day, it’s a gift and it’s the thought that counts.

“However, gifts to maybe avoid – ‘half gifts’ so a gift that is meant for one side of the couple, maybe a spa day for the bride – what about the groom?”

Be sensitive and never assume

Some couples will be very open about their intentions to start a family, but for others, this may well be a sensitive or extremely painful subject for a myriad of reasons. Therefore it’s always best to leave parenting-related presents out of the equation.

According to Lisa: “Any kind of baby gifting is another no-no, you shouldn’t assume that the happy couple wants or can have children just because they’ve tied the knot.”

Presents that won’t be so tasty once they return from Mallorca

Although it may be tempting to give a food-related gift to the happy couple, especially if there’s a particular treat they both enjoy, it’s worth bearing in mind that they most likely won’t be opening all their presents straight away.

Lisa cautioned: “Food that might go off – some couples may wait days or weeks (if they go on honeymoon) to open their wedding gifts so any food presents that might go off in that time should be avoided.”

Do you have some top gift-giving tips to share? Email us at [email protected]