Wedding Gift Etiquette: Cash or Gift?
One question that most people attending a wedding often ask is should you give a gift or is cash an acceptable wedding gift? While you can give cash, the preferred method of course is to buy a gift from the registry as most newly married couples are starting off and this really helps them build their home. However, some couples are now asking for cash because this allows them to pay for certain things they want, or to go on that honeymoon or downpayment on a house.
There is some basic wedding gift etiquette for giving cash gifts, so let’s take a look and go over some basics.
Cash as a Wedding Gift Etiquette Fact 1:
If you have sent an invitation to someone that can’t be there in person, while tradition says that they don’t have to send or purchase a gift, at least a card is acceptable. Don’t expect a cash gift or check in that card however, as the economics of the time have really crimped on even gift giving.
Cash as a Wedding Gift Etiquette Fact 2:
Cash gifts or any gift items may be sent to the bride or groom’s home before the wedding or to the couple’s new home up to one year after the wedding date. This is a way of guests to lessen the burden to the newlyweds, such as how would they transport heavy gift items. Couple need not worry about renting a truck to transport the gifts to their new home. Also, your cash gift will be a great help to couples within their first year of marriage who are still in the stage of raising their own savings.
Cash as a Wedding Gift Etiquette Fact 3:
Giving cash gifts are not a violation of wedding etiquette. Couples need cash as a start up money for them. They need to rent a new apartment, bigger than their bachelor pad, if any of them has one, buy toiletries and groceries for the two of them, buy appliances and furniture that the two of them needs. These are just few among the many expenses that a couple would face in the first few months of their marriage which is why gift giving cash is a good idea to do and does not violate any wedding etiquette.
Cash as a Wedding Gift Etiquette Fact 4:
So how much should you give if you decide to give the couple cash as a gift?
It is a horrible idea that the amount or price of one’s wedding gift should equate to what the couples had spent on your dinner at the wedding reception. It is untrue. You can give as much as you want and as less as you want, if your budget is really tight. But in gift giving cash wedding etiquette, a guest’s transportation does not count as a cash gift to the couple.
Cash as a Wedding Gift Etiquette Fact 5:
Also, don’t stop yourself from giving cash gifts if the couple has listed their preferred wedding gifts in registry. Buying gifts from the wedding registry list are optional; you can either give the couple the gift of their choice or don’t.
So, the gift giving cash wedding etiquette fact # 5 is that you can give cash gifts even though the couples have a wedding registry.
Here are gift giving cash wedding etiquette for couples:
Wedding registries are gaining popularity these days. But there are limitations on how much the bride and groom may direct gift giving. Gift giving cash is a wedding etiquette violation. You should not tell your guests that you prefer cash than gift items or request donations in cash to pay up a mortgage or ask them to give you cash to fund your honeymoon or that gift giving cash is preferred because you will send the money to charity.
Whether you like it or don’t asking for gift giving in cash will make you look greedy, even if you claim that the money will go to charity. Also, your guests will fell less generous.
Gift giving of cash is an option to guests. They may opt to give cash as a wedding gift but wedding etiquette tells that you should not, ever, ask them for gift giving of cash. You may use the cash gifts in anyway you want.
If the bride and groom receive cash from guests, accept it and say your thanks, write them a thank you note the way you would do after opening a gift item. While many traditions are held dear, these days some traditions are changing frequently and it is often up to the bride and groom to dictate what is acceptable and what isn’t. Sometimes the best option if you aren’t sure about wedding gift etiquette for cash gifts is to check with close friends or family of the bride or groom for ideas.