How Much Money Do You Give for a Wedding? — Guide Values by Relationship and Lasting Alternatives

The invitation is on the table, the card has been bought, and there is a number in your head that refuses to settle: How much money do you give for a wedding? There is no fixed rule. According to a 2025 survey by Raisin and the INNOFACT institute, 85 % of guests give money, on average €140 per person. What matters most is how close the relationship is: only 14 % of respondents go by the size of the celebration. As a common rule of thumb, the Sparkasse (page as of 06/2026) suggests covering the value of the food and drinks, i.e. around €50–100 per person.

How much money do you give for a wedding? Guide values by relationship

The table collects values from three advice portals. They are editorial guide values, not surveys. Where the sources differ, the range of both sources is shown; we have not averaged anything. Each guide value applies per person.

Relationship to the couple	Guide value	Source
Colleagues, acquaintances	€20–50	Sparkasse 06/2026; meine-hochzeitsdeko.de
Neighbours	€20–50	meine-hochzeitsdeko.de
Guests and friends	€50–100	Sparkasse 06/2026; wishlist.de 02/2026
Close friends, best friend	€80–200	wishlist.de 02/2026; Sparkasse 06/2026
Maid of honour, best man	€100–200	Sparkasse 06/2026; meine-hochzeitsdeko.de
Godmother, godfather	€75–150	meine-hochzeitsdeko.de
Siblings	€100–250	wishlist.de 02/2026; meine-hochzeitsdeko.de
Aunt, uncle, cousin	approx. €100	meine-hochzeitsdeko.de
Grandparents	up to €200	meine-hochzeitsdeko.de
Parents, parents-in-law	€150–500	wishlist.de 02/2026; Sparkasse 06/2026

The ranges help you find your bearings, nothing more. Within a row, three things count: how close you are to the couple, what your own budget allows and whether you come alone or as a couple. For students and apprentices, wishlist.de (02/2026) names €30–50 as a guide. If you come with children and they eat the full menu, the Sparkasse (06/2026) often puts their share at around half of an adult's amount. An amount that puts you under pressure misses the point of the gift.

What the survey says

Portal ranges are the opinions of editorial teams. Only one survey provides evidence: from 28 to 31 March 2025, Raisin and the INNOFACT institute surveyed 1,037 people aged 18 to 89 online, including newlyweds, couples planning a wedding and wedding guests. The key results:

• 85 % of guests give money, on average €140 per person.
• Men named an average of €151, women €117.
• Around a quarter of those over 60 stated more than €300.
• Only 14 % go by the size of the celebration; what comes first is how close the family tie or friendship is.

Two limitations belong to this. The amounts are self-reported, not measured transfers. And the respondents also include bridal couples, some already married, some still planning, i.e. people who have received gifts or are expecting them. The average of €140 is above the rule of thumb of €50–100 per person. That does not mean you have to give more, but that self-reports and editorial values do not measure the same thing.

Source: Raisin/INNOFACT, survey 28–31 March 2025, n = 1,037, published on 14 April 2025.

Per person or as a couple? Registry office, evening party only, declining

If you come as two, you give one joint gift. wishlist.de (02/2026) names €100–200 together for couples, so not simply double the single amount. Which part of the day you attend also plays a role. According to ThePerfectWedding (accessed 11/2026), the guide value for day guests is €75–150 per person, for evening guests €20–50. If you only attend the registry office, wishlist.de suggests €30–50.

If you have to decline, there is no reason to feel guilty: a card with a smaller amount is enough. ThePerfectWedding names €20–40 for this (accessed 11/2026), wishlist.de €30–50 (02/2026). Add two personal sentences; they carry more weight than any number.

What do parents and grandparents give?

On the question “What do the bride's parents give?” the figures vary widely. wishlist.de (02/2026) names €150–500 for parents and parents-in-law, the Sparkasse (06/2026) €200–500. meine-hochzeitsdeko.de writes that, together with the parents-in-law, even €1,000 is not unusual. For grandparents, the site names up to €200. Some parents also cover part of the celebration themselves; then that replaces the envelope, and an amount in the card becomes an extra.

For this group, a piece that stays in the family is a good choice. For parents, the Sparkasse (06/2026) explicitly names a family heirloom piece. As a general alternative to money, it names a high-quality keepsake with an engraving. With larger amounts, tax questions may play a role; we do not give advice on this, a tax adviser can clarify it.

How and when do you hand over the money?

Money is usually handed over in a card, either at the reception or at the gift table. Write your name on the envelope and the card so that the couple knows later who sent which greeting. If the couple would like a bank transfer, a wedding registry or an online wish list, follow their wish, even if the envelope seems more personal to you. At the celebration itself, cards are easily lost. It is best to hand them over early to a trusted person, such as the best man or maid of honour.

Money, a physical gift or both?

Both have good reasons, and the couple's wish list comes first. If the invitation asks for money, a physical gift would miss the wish.

What speaks for money

• Freedom: The couple decides for themselves whether the money goes into the honeymoon or the household.
• No wrong choice: You do not have to guess anything or exchange anything.
• Easy to hand over: Card, envelope, done.

What speaks for a lasting piece

• It stays visible in the home: An envelope is forgotten after the honeymoon, while a piece on the table or on the wall is a reminder year after year.
• It can be made personal: Names and a date turn an object into a memory.
• It is passed on: Family pieces go from hand to hand.

One idea gets little space in advice guides: money plus a lasting piece. If you want to give more than the rule of thumb asks for, add the envelope and let part of it go into a piece that stays. If you are only planning a smaller amount, pool it with others. Several smaller amounts become a joint gift that a single guest would not choose. As a group, have a quick word with the couple or the best man and maid of honour beforehand so that nothing arrives twice.

Lasting wedding gifts in 925 sterling silver

Silver is usually above what a single envelope contains. That is why it suits parents, godparents or a joint gift. Five pieces that fit the occasion:

• The champagne glasses with rings as a set of 2 are the couple's piece for the moment after the ceremony and for every wedding anniversary after that.
• The pair of silver cups with turtle dove tells of faithfulness, which the turtle dove stands for in many cultures.
• The wall picture horseshoe with wedding rings is a small format for a chest of drawers, a shelf or the wall. The horseshoe is considered a sign of good luck.
• The napkin rings “Duet” come into use at celebrations and at every laid table, and are used rather than stored away.
• The picture frame Florence for photos in the 10 × 15 format holds the wedding photo, and later perhaps the first picture as a family.

The champagne glasses, cups, napkin rings and wall picture are decorated with Niello, an old art in which a dark design is permanently bonded with the silver. More choice is shown in the wedding gifts in 925 sterling silver; you will find sets among the gift sets and pieces for the wall among the silver wall pictures. For later anniversaries there are the wedding anniversary gifts. For a silver wedding anniversary, see How much do you give for a silver wedding anniversary.

Engraving and SilberVerse card

You can order an engraving right away via our engraving service. For the pieces by SevChern, we check with the manufacturer what can be engraved on the piece you have chosen and agree it with you. If it is not possible, we refund the engraving or look for a suitable piece with you. The picture frame Florence by Zaramella can be engraved. Typical are the couple's names and the wedding date; this turns the gift into a piece with its own story.

If you order a silver piece, it comes with a free SilberVerse card if you wish: a verse created especially for the couple and the wedding day, printed as a photo card in 15 × 10 cm. If you give money, two personal sentences on the card carry more weight than any number.

Frequently asked questions about money for a wedding

Is €50 too little for a wedding?
That depends on the occasion. ThePerfectWedding (accessed 11/2026) names €50 as a good amount for evening guests or when the relationship to the couple is a little more distant. For all-day guests, it sits at the lower end of the Sparkasse range (06/2026) of €50–100. A personal card makes up for a lot.

How much money do the bride's parents give?
The portals' ranges run from €150 to €500, see above. With parents, it is often less about the envelope than about the celebration itself, to which they contribute, or about a piece that stays in the family. Silver that stays in the family can be found among the wedding gifts in 925 sterling silver.

How much money do you give for a registry office wedding?
If you only attend the ceremony, a smaller amount is enough; wishlist.de (02/2026) names €30–50. If you celebrate afterwards too, the values for day guests from the table above are a better fit.

How much do you give as a couple?
One joint gift, but not automatically double the amount. For a couple who only come in the evening, ThePerfectWedding (accessed 11/2026) names €40–80.

Can you combine money and a gift?
Yes. Put part in the card and part into a piece that stays, or pool with other guests. Ideas for a wedding photo, the table or the wall are shown in the article Wedding gift in silver: 10 ideas.

Further reading

• Wedding gifts in silver: the complete guide
• Wedding gift in silver: 10 ideas for the bridal couple
• How much money do you give for a christening?