How Much Money Should You Give in a Wishing Well?

The big question is an awkward one but it still needs to be asked: how much should you give at a wedding?

Back in simpler times, asking for cash instead of home appliances for wedding gifts can never be acceptable. Brides and grooms build their wedding gift registries with decorations and items needed for their new home as they start a new life together. However, modern couples march to a different tune as most have either lived together or already have their own homes right before tying the know, which means they already have what they need or might even have two of the same appliance.

Hence, today’s couples are led to openly asking for cash gifts to fund the honeymoon, to put a downpayment on a new house or to simply cover the expenses for the wedding day. Be it through a wishing well on the wedding day or an online gift fund, asking for cash gifts are made easier today and they don’t have to have the awkward conversation with anyone just to get the message clear. For the guests, however, it is an entirely different world.

As a wedding guest, choosing the perfect gift to give to the lovely newlyweds needs a bit more research to get a gist of what the couple might need or what they may want to receive. If the couple is registered online or at a specific shop, a few clicks can get the job done. 

However, once the couple politely requests for cash as wedding gifts, it is always a puzzling topic for wedding guests to determine how much would be the right amount to give. For weddings in Australia, we have rounded up a couple of tips and guides to know how much money you should give to the newlyweds as a heartfelt wedding present.

Based on Your Relationship With the Bride and Groom

Whether you are a close relative of the bride or a casual colleague, your relationship to the couple may play a role in determining how much is the proper amount to give. The closer you are, the higher the amount is. For instance, the couple’s distant family friend might give around $50 to 75 while a close friend or relative of either the bride or groom may put $100 to 150 as a wedding gift.

Based on the Wedding Expenses

The old rule of “covering your plate” expects for the wedding guests to give the newlyweds a similar amount in return as a wedding gift. It might be an outdated rule as no bride and groom could ever obligate their guests to pay for the dinner and the party and no guest could possibly get an estimate on how much a wedding costs today unless they were previously a bride or groom themselves. 

A better perspective is to give a ball figure depending on where the wedding takes place. For example, giving $150-200 to a couple with a posh and glamorous CBD wedding is acceptable but a simple, low-key wedding celebration wedding gift can be around $50-100 only.

How About Destination Weddings?

It is always customary to give a wedding gift, no matter the circumstances and the continent. However, since the wedding guests get to spend big time on airfare, accommodations, and everything else needed to attend a destination wedding, getting a small token for the newlyweds will be enough. If you are a part of the bridal party, the couple would completely understand if you don’t have a gift for them as your presence and your support is more than enough.

At the end of the day, the bride and groom have invited you to share their special day with their beloved friends and family. They would be thrilled to get a gift in kind or cash but simply seeing you and partying with you on their special wedding day would be enough to start their happily ever after.