Consumer Corner: How much should I give as a wedding gift during a cost of living crisis? 

Consumer Corner: How much should I give for a wedding gift?

There’s a lot to consider when trying to decide what to give someone for their wedding. Once that invitation lands in your hall - or in your inbox more likely these days - the thoughts or even worries about the day will start. There is of course the old joke that getting a wedding invite is like getting a summons which means money will have to be paid, but you can make it work for you.

Various factors have to be taken into account as to what you gift the couple. These factors include how well you know them, what type of wedding it is, and whether you are going solo or in a couple. 

Of course, you can’t go wrong with cash but that begs the question, how much cash do you pop in that envelope? We are in the midst of a cost of living crisis so has that impacted how much goes in the card or are there other things couples like getting other than cash?

Jessica O’Sullivan, editor of wedding website, One Fab Day, said cash is by far the most popular wedding gift and couples usually like to receive cash because they can put it towards their wedding, honeymoon, or their house.

“There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to giving cash as a gift, because everyone's financial situation and relationship with the couple is different.”

According to Jessica, in Ireland, we are “extremely generous” with cash wedding gifts, to the extent that she said people from the UK and the US are shocked when they hear how much we give to a couple.

She points out that the average cash wedding gift in Ireland is somewhere between €50 and €200 per guest, which is obviously a big gap, but there are a few factors to consider to see where you fall on this spectrum.

“Firstly, how close are you to the couple? Immediate family members and very close friends tend to give on the higher end, whereas casual friends or colleagues tend to give less, and it really depends on how casual or fancy the wedding is. Most people like to think they are at least covering their meal and then some, so it's worth noting that this ranges from around on average €75 right up to €200 per guest in Ireland. If in doubt €100 is usually a safe, round amount, but you could always take a quick peek at a venue's website if you really needed a steer.”

Sandra Looney owner of To Have and To Hold agrees, saying that long gone are the days of buying a couple an actual gift as a wedding present.

“The trend has been to gift cash and that’s not changing any time soon. The average gift for those attending a wedding is €300 per couple. This will vary depending on the relationship to those getting hitched.”

CASH IS KING

Darragh Doyle from www.irelandweddingplanner.com agrees saying that cash is very much king when it comes to wedding presents now.

“The expectation for a couple attending together would be a cash give of €200 cash. For a person attending on their own as guest it would be €100 to €150. It’s quite unusual now to give a present that’s not cash, and if it is it’s normally a one for all voucher, or a voucher for a hotel or weekend away. The days of the china set are well gone.”

Although the idea of a china set might be long gone, Jessica said, however, that rivalling cash these days as nice wedding presents are thoughtful gifts.

“It's always a gamble, and maybe even a bit presumptuous, to buy a couple something for their home or a piece of art unless you know them very, very well.”

She said that many couples love the thought of having a friend contribute their talents to the day as their gift. Whether that's making the cake, performing at the ceremony, doing the makeup or hair for the bridal party, arranging the flowers, crafting decor or signage, creating the stationery or doing bespoke illustrations. These all make really great gifts and could be an excellent choice these days with the cost of everything soaring.

“It all adds that personal and bespoke touch that couples crave and often treasure more than anything.”

Jessica also points out that wedding registries are becoming more popular here in Ireland, especially for couples who have just bought a new home, adding that the great thing is that it allows people to split the cost of big-ticket gift items.

However whatever the gift you give try not to lose sight of the day itself and why you are celebrating.

“Remember, if a couple have invited you to their wedding, it's because they want you to be there, and if they thought you were declining their invite because you were worried about being able to afford a gift, they would most likely be horrified. It's completely fine to give what you can afford, whether it's a physical gift or cash,” said Jessica.