As much as we love weddings, they do tend to be quite expensive by the time you take in your outfit, transport, booze and the gift. And there are clear views on how much one should spend on the latter.
A recent survey, conducted by Wedding Shop, found that the average person believes that spending anything less than €32 on a present for the happy couple is insulting.
It seems that guests are influenced by two things when it comes to how much they fork out for a wedding gift: the cost of the wedding itself and their relationship with the bride or groom.
Apparently, a third of people admitted to digging a little deeper if they thought the big day cost a lot while almost two thirds go that extra mile in terms of spending if the couple covers their food, drinks and accommodation.
As for who does best, the study found that siblings and grandchildren tend to receive the most valuable presents – approximately €102 – while colleagues get the cheapest.
The average price per gift is as follows:
- Your sibling – €102
- Grandchild – €102
- Your parent – €94
- Partner’s parent – €85
- Best friend – €84
- Your partner’s sibling – €82
- Good friend – €52
- An aunt – €50
- An uncle – €50
- Your cousin – €49
- Your partner’s cousin – €43
- Your partner’s friend – €40
- Friend of the family – €35
- Second cousins – €34
- The boss – €32
- Work colleague – €31
- Your neighbour – €29
When it comes to choosing what to buy, almost three quarters said they would prefer for the couple to simply specify what they would like. (Wouldn’t that make life SO much easier?)
Speaking about the findings, Director of Wedding Shop Anne Marie-Jenkins said: “The majority of guests want to spend enough money to look generous, but don’t always have the funds readily available.
“When a couple asks for money instead of a gift it’s often perceived that this will be an easier option for guests struggling to decide what to buy, however this can make it even harder for guests as they’re then forced to divulge exactly how much they are spending.
“This is why we’ve seen the trend for honeymoon contributions experiencing a great surge of late.”
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