How Much to Give for a Coworker's Wedding Gift (2025 Etiquette Guide)

The wedding invitation arrives in your inbox: your coworker from the marketing team is getting married next month. You're happy for them—but now comes the awkward part. How much are you supposed to spend on a wedding gift for someone you work with?

Wedding gifts are already complicated. Add workplace dynamics into the mix—office politics, group collections, the question of whether your boss is contributing—and it gets even murkier.

Here's the complete guide to coworker wedding gift amounts, whether you're giving individually, joining a group gift, or trying to figure out if you even need to give anything at all.

Quick Answer: Coworker Wedding Gift Amounts

Let's cut to the chase. Here's what most etiquette experts and recent surveys recommend for workplace wedding gifts:

Key insight: According to The Knot's 2024 Guest Study, wedding guests spent an average of $150 on gifts—but that's across all relationships. For coworkers specifically, the range is typically lower, between $50 and $100.

Why Coworker Weddings Are Different

When your best friend gets married, the gift amount is emotional—you want to give generously because you love them. When a coworker gets married, the calculation is different.

You're balancing:

• Professional appropriateness – Not too little (seems rude), not too much (seems weird)
• Office precedent – What did people give for the last coworker wedding?
• Your actual relationship – Are they really a friend, or just someone you work with?
• Group dynamics – Is everyone contributing to a team gift?

The good news: expectations for coworker wedding gifts are generally lower than for close friends and family. No one expects you to give $200 to someone you mainly know from Zoom meetings.

Individual Gift vs. Group Gift: Which Should You Do?

This is often the first decision you'll face. Here's how to think about it:

Go with a group gift when:

• Someone in the office is already organizing a collection
• You're not particularly close to the couple
• The team typically does group gifts for milestones
• You want to contribute without overthinking a personal gift

Give an individual gift when:

• You're actually friends outside of work
• You're attending the wedding
• You want to give something more personal
• No group collection is being organized

Do both when:

• They're a close work friend AND you're attending the wedding
• You want to contribute to the team gift but also give something personal

There's no rule that says you can't do both—contribute $20 to the group gift AND bring a personal gift to the wedding. Just make sure the total feels appropriate for your budget and relationship.

What If You're Not Invited to the Wedding?

This is a common scenario—and a common source of confusion.

The short answer: You're not obligated to give a gift if you weren't invited to the wedding.

The nuanced answer: If your office is doing a group collection, it's nice to contribute even if you're not attending. A small contribution ($15-25) shows goodwill without implying you expected an invite.

If there's no group collection and you weren't invited, a simple "Congratulations!" in person or via email is perfectly sufficient. You don't need to buy a gift for every coworker wedding.

Attending vs. Not Attending: Does It Change the Amount?

Yes, but maybe not as much as you think.

The old etiquette rule of "cover your plate" (meaning your gift should equal what the couple spent on your dinner) is increasingly outdated. It's also impractical—how are you supposed to know what they're paying per guest?

Here's a more realistic framework:

If you're spending money on travel, accommodations, and attire to attend a destination wedding, it's completely acceptable to give a more modest gift. The couple will understand.

Cash, Gift Card, or Physical Gift?

For coworker weddings, cash or gift cards are almost always the safest choice.

Here's why:

• You might not know their taste well – That decorative vase you picked might not match their style
• They likely registered for cash funds – About 40% of couples now include cash funds on their registries
• It's practical – Newlyweds can always use money for their new life together
• No awkward returns – They can put cash toward what they actually need

If you do want to give a physical gift, stick to the registry. That's literally a list of things they've said they want.

How to Organize a Group Wedding Gift at Work

If you've been tasked with organizing the office collection, here's how to do it without the headache:

1. Send a clear announcement

Include: who it's for, suggested contribution range, deadline, and how to contribute.

2. Give a range, not a fixed amount

"We're suggesting $20-40" works better than "Please contribute $30." Ranges let people give what they're comfortable with.

3. Use a proper collection tool

Sharing your personal Venmo creates problems: mixing funds, tracking headaches, and the awkwardness of people seeing your personal transactions.

A dedicated collection platform lets everyone contribute with their preferred payment method, keeps funds separate, and shows you who's participated without revealing amounts.

4. Keep it optional

Never pressure anyone to contribute. A simple "any amount is appreciated" signals that participation is voluntary.

5. Don't forget the card

Collect personal messages alongside the money. The couple will often cherish the kind words as much as the gift itself.

What If Money Is Tight?

Life happens. You might be dealing with unexpected expenses, student loans, or just a month where the budget is stretched thin.

Here's the truth: You're not obligated to give a wedding gift you can't afford.

Options when money is tight:

• Contribute a smaller amount to a group gift – Even $10-15 shows you participated
• Give a heartfelt card – A genuine, thoughtful message costs almost nothing
• Offer something else – Help with wedding prep, offer a skill (photography, calligraphy), or give a future dinner on you
• Skip this one – If you're not close and money is genuinely tight, it's okay to just say congratulations

No reasonable person judges a coworker for giving modestly. What matters is the gesture, not the dollar amount.

Etiquette Red Flags to Avoid

A few things that can make coworker wedding gifts awkward:

❌ Don't outspend your boss dramatically
If your manager contributes $50 to the group gift and you give $200 individually, it creates an uncomfortable dynamic.

❌ Don't give something overly personal
Lingerie, very intimate gifts, or inside jokes that exclude the spouse—save those for your actual close friends.

❌ Don't announce how much you gave
Nobody needs to know you contributed $75 while others gave $20. Keep amounts private.

❌ Don't wait until the last minute
Wedding gifts should ideally arrive before the wedding or within a few weeks after. Don't be the person who gives a gift six months later.

❌ Don't give nothing if you attend
If you RSVP yes and show up to eat, drink, and celebrate, you should bring a gift. Even $50 is fine.

The Easy Way: Let GiftPot Handle It

Organizing a wedding gift collection at work doesn't have to mean spreadsheets and awkward Venmo requests.

With GiftPot, you can:

• Create a collection in 30 seconds – Add a message, set a deadline, share the link
• Accept any payment method – Cards, Apple Pay, whatever works for your team
• Track participation, not amounts – See who contributed without seeing how much
• Collect messages for a digital card – Everyone can add their congratulations
• Let the couple choose their gift – Cash, gift cards, or specific items

No apps for your coworkers to download. No mixing money with your personal accounts. Just a clean, professional way to celebrate together.

Key Takeaways

• $50-100 is the sweet spot for most coworker wedding gifts
• Group gifts are perfectly appropriate – contribute $20-40 and you're set
• Not invited? Not obligated – though a small group contribution is a nice gesture
• Cash and gift cards are ideal – don't overthink it
• Your budget matters – never stretch beyond what you can afford
• The gesture counts more than the amount – a heartfelt card goes a long way

Coworker weddings don't have to be stressful. Give what feels right, keep it professional, and focus on celebrating their happy news. That's really all that matters.

Organizing a wedding collection at work? Start your free gift pot at giftpot.app.

Related: How Much to Spend on a Baby Shower Gift at Work | How to Organize an Office Farewell Gift Collection