The Evolution of Wedding Gift Etiquette
“The rules of etiquette exist to provide guidance on how to confidently and kindly navigate personal and professional encounters,” says Certified Etiquette Expert and Founder of Detroit Academy of Etiquette, Danielle Kovachevich. Refine your etiquette acumen with these five wedding gifting guidelines with the goal of giving more intentionally and thoughtfully.
Lifestyle-centric gifts are the hot, new trend in wedding gifting. Cash and experience funds are becoming more and more popular than giving physical gifts. Though some people may not be a fan, the truth is that this option may be more fulfilling for the couple. In the end, that’s what matters most.
If you are involved in multiple wedding events, such as an engagement party, shower, and the wedding, each event requires a gift. Each event does not require an elaborate gift. Follow the 60-20-20 rule. 20% of your wedding budget goes to the engagement party gift, 20% to the shower, and 60% to the wedding gift.
The formality of the wedding impacts a number of elements, such as dress and time of day, but there is no tie into the cost of the gift. Your gift to the couple exclusively depends on your relationship to the couple and your financial means. A good reference for a wedding gift is as follows: Co-worker/distant relative- $50.00-$100.00, friend/relative- $100.00-$150.00, close friend/close relative- $150.00+.
The “one year” to give a wedding gift rule has become obsolete. With the ease of on-line shopping and registries, updated etiquette protocol suggests no more than three months after the wedding date to give a gift. You may also send a gift one to two weeks prior to the wedding date.
If you cannot attend the wedding, you should still send a gift. If your financial means do not allow you to do so, sending a note with warm wishes is a nice gesture.
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