Jessica O'Sullivan, editor of wedding website One Fab Day, chats with Sarah McInerney and Cormac Ó hEadhra on Drivetime on RTÉ Radio 1.
How much is the right amount to give as a wedding gift? Has the number gone up with inflation or has the cost of living crisis tempered people's expectations of what will be in the card?
According to One Fab Day editor Jessica O'Sullivan, €100 a head is usually "a nice round figure if you're unsure" but, ultimately, the number could land anywhere between €50 and €200.
"The closer you are, the more money you're going to give," she says. "I've heard of family members giving up to €500."
When deciding how much to bulk up your card, O'Sullivan says many factors come into play such as your relationship with the couple and how plush the wedding is.
"It's the style of the wedding and how much you think it's going to cost the couple," she explains. "A lot of people like to cover the price of their meal at the very least, but then if you throw in a free bar as well, people kind of feel that they should put a bit of extra cash into the envelope."
O'Sullivan told Drivetime listeners that she has heard stories of people going onto the website of venues to check out the cost per head to gauge how much they should give.
Ultimately, though, she believes guests shouldn't stress too much as couples are usually just happy to have their loved ones around them on the day.
"It's very rare that you'd hear of couples giving out about people not giving a gift or something like that," she insists.
Whether you're attending a wedding as a couple or a solo act, O'Sullivan says the rule of thumb is to give enough money to cover each individual person. However, if you're financially strapped, she insists that talents in baking, music, or photography may go down a treat.
"Especially after the pandemic, we've kind of gone back to the drawing board when it comes to weddings and people are very into the personal elements of it. If you can't give cash, you can get a bit imaginative as to what you can give. Do you have any skills or services you can offer?"
Listen back to the full chat on Drivetime above.
