How Much To Spend On Groomsmen Gifts

WhatToGetMy Instructional Article

• Your groomsmen should be given groomsmen gifts because of the value add and sacrifice(s) they would have made to the wedding.
• The major determiner of how much you should spend on groomsmen gifts should be the budget you have set for the wedding and how much you have to spend.
• Knowing what your budget is, ask yourself pertinent questions like how much your groomsmen are spending and their value add, in deciding whether to stay fixed on the budget or to adjust it forward or backward.
• Once you have decided on the final amount, pick gifts that reflect the character and personality of the groomsmen but ensure that it is still uniform and does not favor one over the other. Find out other important do’s and don’ts.
• Package the gifts and give it to them at the Bachelor’s Party or the Rehearsal Dinner. The Bachelor’s Party is however preferable between the two. Read on to find out why.

Maybe you are a wedding planner, or the bride or groom, and you are planning a wedding and wondering how much you should spend on groomsmen gifts, worry no more. This article will give you the insights you need in making that decision. We will also answer the frequently asked wedding questions when it comes to planning the wedding and giving groomsmen gifts.

Check out our article on How To Plan A Wedding Step By Step Instructions for useful insights and ideas on planning your weddings. And for ideas on how to go about your wedding gift registry be sure to read our article on How Many Items To Put On A Wedding Registry.

THE IMPORTANCE OF GROOMSMEN AND WHY YOU SHOULD BUY THEM GIFTS.

In case you were thinking of doing away with giving your groomsmen gifts, let us quickly dissuade you from that line of thinking. It would be inappropriate not to give your groomsmen gifts on your wedding day.

And here is why you have to buy groomsmen gifts. Your groomsmen and especially your Best Man will be making considerable sacrifices, both timewise and resource-wise, to your wedding. They will be attending rehearsals, helping you ensure that your side of the wedding planning is going smoothly and without any hiccups. Given all these factors, it would be out of place if you concluded your wedding and did not give your groomsmen some small token of appreciation for the part they played in ensuring the success of your wedding.

And perhaps you are cringing and wondering just how much you are required to spend. Let us tell you how much. You can rest assured that it will not break your bank at all. Remember that at the end of the day, your groomsmen are not so much concerned about how much or the quantity of the gift, but by how much thoughtfulness went into choosing the gift.

And for insights and ideas on your wedding gifts and asking for them, check out our articles on Cute Ways To Ask For Money As A Wedding Gift and Nice Way To Ask For Money Instead Of Gifts For Weddings.

HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU SPEND ON GROOMSMEN GIFTS? WHAT DETERMINES SETTING THE AMOUNT TO BE SPENT.

There is no set in stone amounts when it comes to the amount to be spent on groomsmen gifts, although according to a 2018 study, the average amount spent on a groomsmen train of 7 was $37 per groomsman and a total of $250. That amount vacillated between $248 and $154 depending on the State where the wedding took place.

Groomsmen Gift Statistics US 2018. Source: GroovyGroom

Average Spend on Groomsmen Gift by State (U.S. 2018) Source: GroovyGroom

These figures are simply a guide and at the end of the day, it comes down to the couple to decide what works for them. And in making that decision, there is only one major determiner of how much should be spent on groomsmen gifts. And that factor/determiner is the overall budget/cost of the wedding. It is no secret that weddings in the U.S. can be quite a grand, lavish, and expensive affair. According to a 2019 study, the average cost of a wedding in the US is $33,900 broken down as follows in the chart below:

Average Cost of a Wedding in the United States as of 2019, By Item. Source: The Knot

And then added to this is the fact that the couple themselves will also be spending a considerable amount of their savings to pay for the wedding according to another 2020 study.

Who Pays For Weddings in America (2019) Source: WeddingWire

How Do Couples Pay For Their Wedding In America? (2019) Source: WeddingWire

And this is why, when all the above spending and monetary factors are considered, what should ultimately determine how much you spend on groomsmen gift(s) should be your wedding budget because everything else about the wedding depends on it.

After you have determined your budget based on your wedding budget, hold on. There is one last checklist to go through before making that budget firm and final. This checklist is the checklist of important and pertinent questions to ask yourself in deciding whether to move the predetermined budget forward or backward. We cover this in the next section.

HOW MUCH TO SPEND ON GROOMSMEN GIFTS – PERTINENT QUESTIONS TO ASK AFTER YOU HAVE DETERMINED YOUR BUDGET AND SETTING THE FINAL BUDGET.

It is important to remember as we have said earlier, that your groomsmen will not be so much concerned about the quantity of the gift. What counts to them is how much thought went into the gift because the gift is a reflection of your thoughtfulness and how much value you place on your friendship with them.

And to help you in putting in that thought, after you have determined your budget, here are pertinent/key questions you should ask yourself in making your determined budget firm and fixed:

How many Groomsmen (inclusive of the Best Man) do I have?

If you say your budget is $300 and your groomsmen are 5 in number, for instance, this would mean that per groomsman, you are looking to spend $50 per person. This helps give you perspective on how much you will be spending per person and whether this is an amount you want to spend.

How much will your Groomsmen be spending on their outfit and transportation and other logistics?

Did they have to travel for your wedding and pay for their hotel/accommodation? Did they have to buy their groomsmen outfit and for how much? These are important questions to answer in considering this aspect.

If for instance each of your Groomsmen will be spending not less than $500 on your wedding, it would mean you should try to give a gift that at least represents the extent of how much expenses they had to bear. 10% of how much they spent is a conservative estimate to fall back on.

Anything less than 10% would seem a little out of place. Imagine that your groomsmen each spent $300 on your wedding and you give them $20 gifts, that would make them feel very underappreciated.

How much does your wedding cost?

This is important because if you had a lavish wedding which was expensive and then chose to give very cheap gifts to your groomsmen, they will feel very underappreciated and undervalued. If your wedding was small and intimate, a small and inexpensive gift will be appreciated.

How much work did they put in?

This would also determine the amount and nature of the gift you give them. If they were not there with you from the start of the planning to the end and only showed up for the wedding, no one will feel any type of way or blame you if you gave very small inexpensive tokens of appreciation to say thank you for coming and standing on the wedding day. If however the Groomsmen were there from start to finish and did a lot of weightlifting with you to ensure the success of the wedding, you need to give them a gift that appreciates that extent of sacrifice and contribution.

Once you can answer all these questions looking at your predetermined budget, you can know where to fix the final amount to be spent.

WHEN DO YOU GIVE GROOMSMEN GIFTS? GIVING THE GROOMSMEN THE GIFTS.

The best time to give the groomsmen their gifts should be before the wedding, at either the Bachelor’s Party or the Rehearsal Dinner. And the reason for this is simple – you want to show them your appreciation before it gets crazy with the wedding, your reception, and then jetting off for your honeymoon.

Although, between the two, we will suggest the Rehearsal Dinner, and here’s why. During your Bachelor’s Party, you will all be in a very jovial and party mood. Chances are you will all be wasted after the Bachelor’s Party and this would mean that some if not all of them may forget or lose their gifts at the party venue, and this will make the whole effort at giving them the gift wasted. By the time everyone is awake the next day, you may forget that you gave a gift and they may have forgotten what your appreciation speech was about the night before. At the Rehearsal Dinner, the atmosphere is more semi-formal and organized and people soberer. The Rehearsal Dinner will also allow you the chance to give a heartfelt toast of appreciation that will warm their hearts.

Don’t forget to package the gifts. It would be good to have them placed where they will be sitting at the Rehearsal Dinner so that it is a nice pleasant surprise for them to see when they take their seats.

BUYING THE GROOMSMEN GIFTS AND GIVING THEM THE GIFTS – SOME IMPORTANT DO’S AND DON’TS.

In buying the gifts, here are important do’s and don’ts:

DO’S.

Buy a gift that reflects the character of your groomsmen train.

You know your friends better than anyone else. You know what type of things and gifts they appreciate. Buy a gift that reflects that uniqueness about them and that you can all laugh about later and still use as conversation starters when you have your reunion/get-together.

Personalize/customize the gifts.

Customizing the gift tells them you put thought and time into it. You can write a line or two with a thoughtful message of thanks together with their name.

Package the gift(s) beautifully.

The packaging does not have to cost a fortune. But packaging also tells them you put some thought into it and also tells them that you value them.

Give it to them personally.

This is why the appropriate time to give it is usually the Bachelor’s Party or Rehearsal Dinner so that it is done with all of you present. Perhaps also consider toasting to them at the Bachelor’s Party where you give the gift.

DON’TS.

Don’t give different gifts.

It may give the wrong impression that you are favoring one person over the other.

Don’t give gifts at different times.

Whatever time you choose, give them the gifts at the same time so that they all open it at the same time and gush over it at the same time.

When you give a toast, don’t leave out anyone.

You must appreciate everyone when you give the toast. You can emphasize specific things that specific groomsmen may have done as an extra mile effort but ensure that none of the groomsmen are left out. Collective appreciations are usually a safer bet.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.

1. What is the average cost of groomsmen gifts?

According to the study and chart that is shown above, the average cost of groomsmen gifts in 2019 was $250.

2. What is the average cost of wedding gifts?

On average, a wedding gift will cost you anything between $50 – $100. You can also read our article on How Much Should A Couple Spend On A Wedding Gift for more insight on how much wedding gifts normally cost and the average amount spent on wedding gifts.

3. How much should you spend on your groomsmen gifts?

There are no hard and fast rules. To determine how much works for you, ask, and answer the pertinent questions listed earlier in this article together with your wedding budget and set an amount that works for you.

4. What do you think of asking groomsmen for gift ideas?

It is best to come up with your groomsmen gift ideas instead of asking the groomsmen. Asking them will come off as being lazy and not wanting to put any thought to getting them a gift. You know them better and with that knowledge should be able to buy a gift that works. But if you wanted ideas, this list of groomsmen gift ideas on Amazon is a good place to start.

5. When do you give groomsmen gifts?

At the Bachelor’s Party or the Rehearsal Dinner. But, as we point out earlier in this article, the Rehearsal Dinner is the better of the two options.

6. Do I need to package groomsman gifts?

While the packaging is not compulsory, it will be nice and thoughtful to package it. It also tells your groomsmen that you put time, effort, and thought into their gifts.

CONCLUSION.

It is important to appreciate the efforts that your Groomsmen put into your wedding by buying them Groomsmen Gifts.

Given how expensive weddings are and how much you will be spending on the wedding, your wedding budget is what should determine how much you can spend on groomsmen gifts. After setting that budget, ask yourself pertinent questions like how lavish the wedding is and how much contributions your groomsmen are making before deciding finally on a budget.

In giving the gift, give it personally at the Rehearsal Dinner and remember to follow the list of do’s and don’t listed in this article.

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