Organizing an event the size of a wedding is, of course, a big expense for the bride and groom. From wedding invitations to gifts for guests, including reception venue rental, clothing, wedding décor, catering, drinks, or wedding games, the list of expenses is long!
Therefore, it is traditional to ask guests for a financial contribution through a gift list or urn where everyone will deposit a sum of money. Yes, but which one?
Whether or not you are a regular at wedding receptions, you may be wondering how much money to offer to newlyweds. Below are some of the responses.
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What are the criteria to take into account?
To help you determine the amount of your gift to the bride and groom, ask yourself the right questions. First of all, are you close to the couple? You will not participate in the same way if you go to the wedding of your brother, sister, best friend or colleague, an acquaintance.
You may also have already incurred expenses related to this event. If you are one of the witnesses, you may have organized a bachelor party that asked you to spend money. You may still be helping the bride and groom by providing wedding flower arrangements, wine, champagne, etc.
Also consider the type of wedding invitation you received. Were you invited to the whole wedding or just the ceremony followed by a cocktail party?
What are the bride and groom’s instructions?
It is possible that the bride and groom have given instructions on the participation of the guests. First of all, they may have established a wedding list or decided to make an original wedding urn that they will make available to you the same day.
If the bride and groom are already established, they have a good situation, they can also choose to do without a wedding list. Some even prefer to ask guests to make a free donation to an association of their choice.
Finally, some couples tell their family members that they do not want to receive gifts because they know that the guests have incurred travel and lodging expenses to participate in their union.
What is the average cost per guest?
However, it is possible to determine the average cost of a wedding per guest taking into account the cost of renting the room, the menu, the decoration or even small gifts to the guests.
Knowing this cost means having a reference value that can help you decide without being an obligation. According to a study carried out by Mariages.net, the average cost of a wedding per guest in France is 151.47 euros.
This average varies according to the region, being the lowest in the Midi Pyrénées Languedoc Roussillon with 130.10 euros, while the highest corresponds to marriages in Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur with 176.40 euros.
This can be considered as the amount that will be given as a gift to the bride and groom. With that said, keep in mind that it was the bride and groom who chose to host this event, invite you, and incur expenses, so you are not required to fully reimburse them.
Donate according to your proximity to the bride and groom and of course your financial means. Many people are invited to donate 50 euros per person, which is already a good amount. This roughly corresponds to the average cost of food per guest.
While the bride and groom are likely to allocate a significant budget to the purchase of their wedding dresses, a fashionable wedding dress, and an elegant wedding dress, you may also have to invest in new clothes.