Once you’ve secured the picture-perfect outfit, purchased plane tickets, and booked accommodations, there’s still one last thing to check off before you arrive at the bride and groom’s big day. Last but certainly not least, especially depending on who you ask, is remembering to buy the soon-to-be newlyweds’ perfect wedding gift.
Gift etiquette has changed a lot over the years, and our survey reveals that one guest’s idea of a perfect present is another’s “no-go.” So before you throw up your hands and settle on a toaster (or blender) for the happy couple, check out the results of our ultimate wedding gift survey and find out what gift types trend and what folks spend in every state.
Key Findings
- 3 in every 10 wedding gifts will not be from the registry.
- When picking a wedding gift, 40% of guests are choosing something because of its price point, while 38% choose something because of its practicality.
- Your single friend is about 10 times more likely to never give a wedding gift than your married friend: 10% of single respondents said they never give wedding gifts while only 1% of married respondents said the same.
- Only 1 in 3 wedding attendees ships their wedding gift directly to the married couple as opposed to bringing the gift with them to the wedding.
- 3 in 5 (60%) wedding guests would rather spend more on travel to the wedding than on the actual gift for the couple.
America’s Wedding Gift Giving Preferences
Whether you’re an attendee or the newlyweds, wedding gifts are a topic of conversation at all matrimonies. Our survey uncovered fascinating insights that are sure to help you be prepared and know what to expect on both the giving and receiving side of all wedding gifts.
For example, did you know your single friend is 10 times more likely to skip out on getting a wedding gift than your married friend? 10% of single respondents said they never give wedding gifts, while the same was true of only 1% of married respondents. This is a potential concern if you’re a couple with lots of single friends!
We also uncovered some noteworthy differences in gift-giving preferences between generations. It looks like a been-there-done-that feeling sets in toward weddings as we age. 57% of Baby Boomers and 50% of Gen Xers would rather spend more on a wedding gift than actually attend the event. In comparison, 67% of millennials and 78% of Gen Zers would rather spend more on travel and accommodations to be there on the big day than give a gift.
When it comes to women vs. men, men are more likely to consider a gift’s usefulness to the bride and groom when picking out a wedding gift, while women tend to choose based solely on price. Turns out men are the more thoughtful ones when it comes to your special day.
Wedding Gift Giving, According to Every State
When you break down wedding gifting frequency and average spending state by state, you can see that America is pretty aligned. Still, there are definitely a few outliers we should mention.
Connecticut and Rhode Island-based wedding guests outshine the rest by showing up with the priciest gifts of any U.S. state. Respondents from these states said they typically select a wedding gift that’s in the $100 to $200 price range.
Continuing down the guest list, you should try to ensure your friends from Arkansas, Oregon, and Utah RSVPed “attending” for your wedding, as attendees from these states are more likely to show up with a gift than any other state in our study. On the other hand, you should expect wedding guests from the Bayou State to show up empty-handed, as Louisiana was the only state we surveyed to answer “rarely” for how regularly they give wedding gifts.
Closing Thoughts
The art of wedding gift giving is a time-honored test of friendship and familial bond. American wedding guests certainly hold diverse opinions and preferences when it comes to presenting the perfect gift (or skipping the gift altogether), and this survey certainly reflects that!
You may not know what to expect from your wedding guests on your big day, but you can count on one thing — your engagement ring from Shane Co. will be the one wedding gift you’ll treasure for life. With something for every budget and taste, we have the perfect ring to express your unique style and celebrate the timeless bond between you and your partner.
Methodology
In late 2022, we surveyed 3,220 people nationwide to gather information on their wedding gift-giving preferences and tendencies, from how frequently they give, what gift types they favor and why, and how much they typically spend. After collecting the data, we analyzed the results to identify regional variations and determine the most typical tendencies among wedding guests. It’s worth noting that due to their low population size, we didn’t receive enough responses from Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming to provide meaningful insights into their wedding gift-giving habits.
