Etiquette Rules for Wedding Presents

Money May Be a No-No

As a general rule of thumb, it is almost never acceptable to give a monetary gift to someone who is older than yourself. That means if you are in your twenties, and you and your fiancé are invited to your aunt’s wedding, you are going to have to take the time to select a gift. It is awkward, inappropriate, and breaks established etiquette rules to give a monetary gift to someone who is older than you are even if you have a higher annual salary than that person. Trust me, you just have to follow this etiquette rule. Wedding presents might be cumbersome and less convenient than taking a card with money, but convenience takes a back seat to proper etiquette in this case.

Is Your Gift Wanted?

It should go without saying, but make sure you send a wedding gift only after you have actually received an invitation. It has happened where individuals send wedding presents on the assumption they are invited but actually, in fact, aren’t. Certainly, it is fine to give a wedding gift to someone who you have a relationship (a friend of a friend, etc.) with even if you realize that you won’t be invited to the wedding for whatever reason. If that is the case, though, it is better to wait until after the wedding to send your gift so the person doesn’t feel obligated to send you an invite after receiving your gift.

Keep the above etiquette rules in mind when choosing wedding presents so you can avoid unpleasant situations and enjoy the excitement of such an event with your friends and family.