How Much to Give for a Wedding in Belgium: The Real Amounts Based on Your Relationship with the Couple
Article summary
Colleague, friend, family, or witness: the actual amounts to consider when deciding how much to put in the envelope for a wedding in Belgium, depending on the format and your relationship with the couple.
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You’ve had the magnetised wedding invitation on your fridge for three weeks. Your outfit is sorted, the babysitter booked. And then there's that tiny question nobody dares to ask aloud: how much cash should we put in the envelope?
It's often the last thing we sort out, and the most stressful. Not because it’s complicated, but because there are no official rules. Tens of thousands of weddings are celebrated every year in Belgium (46,564 in 2023 alone, according to StatBel), so hundreds of thousands of guests type the same question into Google: how much to give wedding.
We're not going to give you a magic percentage, because it doesn't exist. What does exist is a simple logic and concrete benchmarks, calibrated to what we observe in Wallonia and Brussels. These are ranges, not definitive truths. It's up to you to adjust based on your relationship with the couple, the format of the celebration and your current budget.
All amounts mentioned here are approximate figures observed in Belgium, not official numbers. No law obliges you to give a specific sum: view them as a guide, not an invoice.
How Much to Give for a Wedding: The Real Starting Point
The healthiest approach can be summarised in one sentence: your gift covers your attendance, plus a small gesture. The idea isn't to reimburse the couple down to the last penny, but not to cost them money by attending.
A full meal with a drinks reception, a seated dinner and an evening party costs between €90 and €160 per person in Belgium, for the caterer and venue. Start from there. If you roughly cover your plate and add a gesture, you're on the right track, whatever the exact amount.
Second guideline: your actual closeness to the couple matters more than the size of the envelope. A heartfelt note and €40 from a student cousin are worth more than a cold bank transfer of €150 without a personal touch.
Amounts Based on Your Relationship with the Couple
Here's the guide everyone is really looking for. It starts with a single guest, for a classic full-day wedding. We'll adjust shortly.
Guidelines per Guest (Full Day, Per Person)
A colleague you like but don't socialise with outside of work? Forty euros is enough, and nobody will judge you. A long-standing friend? Expect to give more like €80 or €100. And for close family, it's no longer really a question of a fixed scale: you give what you can, from the heart.
The case of the witness deserves a mention. Many think they should give more because they have a role. In my opinion, it's the opposite: a witness has already invested time, energy, and often money in the stag party or hen party. Their gift can remain reasonable, and take the form of a personal item rather than a large amount of cash.
The Wedding Format Changes Things
A wedding doesn't mean just one thing. Between a twelve-hour long day and an end-of-evening drink, the expected effort is completely different. The good approach: look at what you're invited to before you calculate.
Ceremony, Seated Meal, and Evening Party
- This is the reference format for the above guide.
- You're consuming a proper meal, a proper place: stick to the ranges based on your relationship.
You are invited for dessert and dancing
- You're not at the main meal, so the expected contribution logically decreases.
- Common guideline: between €20 and €40 per person, a little more if you are close.
You are already paying for the trip
- Tickets, hotel, sometimes several days on location: the couple knows this.
- Your presence is already a significant gift. A symbolic amount is more than enough.
Cash, bank transfer, or gift: the Belgian etiquette
In Belgium, we tend to be more understated than our French neighbours. The envelope slipped into the wedding urn on the big day reigns supreme, much more so than a gift list from a shop. It's practical: no object to transport, and the happy couple can do what they wish with the money.
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Bank transfers are slowly gaining ground, especially among younger people and when a honeymoon fund has been announced. It's clean, traceable, and involves no cash to carry around. A chosen gift, however, remains perfect for close relatives who know the couple's tastes, but much less so for a distant acquaintance who risks giving a duplicate item.
A word on the list. More and more Belgian couples are setting up a wedding gift list or an online wedlist, precisely to avoid the uncertainty of "envelope or not". If the happy couple have shared one, follow it. And unlike the wedding invitation, the list is never displayed on the official invitation in Belgium: it circulates via the wedding page or word of mouth. For other guest etiquette, our guide on guest attire and dress code complements this well.
When and how to give
The most natural time is on the big day, in the urn, upon arrival or during the drinks reception. Discreetly slip in your envelope, without trying to be seen by the happy couple: it's not an exchange, it's a gesture.
For bank transfers, there are two schools of thought: some send the money in the week leading up to the wedding, others wait until the couple's return from their honeymoon to attach a photo. Both work. The main thing is the accompanying message: three handwritten lines carry more weight in the couple's memory than the amount. And please, don't announce the amount: money for a wedding is given, not commented upon.
Special cases that cause a dilemma
The guide is useful, but real life is full of tricky situations. Here are the most common ones.
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You are invited as a couple. No need to mechanically double the amount. Think per household: a close couple often gives around €150 to €200 in total, not €300.
You are coming with children. If they have a proper place at the table, add a small amount per child, with the idea of "covering their meal". A toddler picking at your plate doesn't count.
Your budget is tight. It happens, and there's nothing shameful about it. Give less, own it, focus on a thoughtful message or offer practical help on the big day. If you are organising your own wedding, our guide on the wedding budget in Belgium puts the amounts into perspective.
You cannot make it. A gift is not obligatory, but a gesture for close friends and family remains elegant: half of what you would have given if you were present is an honest benchmark. Most importantly, reply quickly to the wedding invitation, as an uncancelled place means a meal paid for nothing.
For the happy couple, make your guests' lives easier
A clear digital wedlist prevents your loved ones from worrying about the envelope question. On WEWED, your wedlist is hosted commission-free, and your guests can see at a glance what would truly please you.
Create your WEWED wedlist →And you, would you prefer a discreet envelope in the urn or a bank transfer with a well-worded message? 👇
Frequently Asked Questions about wedding gifts
How much should you give for a wedding in Belgium when invited for the whole day?
For a full day, expect to give between €70 and €100 per person if you are a friend, and €100 to €150 for a close relative or family member. The idea is to cover your meal and add a small gesture.
How much should you give for a wedding when only invited to the evening reception?
When you join the party after the meal, the effort decreases. A common guide is between €20 and €40 per person, a little more if you are close to the happy couple.
Should an invited couple give double the amount?
No. The calculation is per household, not per individual. A close couple often gives €150 to €200 in total, which is consistent with two meals and a shared gesture.
Should you give cash in an envelope or make a bank transfer?
Both are accepted in Belgium. The envelope in the urn on the big day remains the norm, while bank transfers are gaining popularity, especially for a honeymoon fund. If the happy couple has shared a wedlist, follow their preference.
How much should you give if you are a witness or very close family?
For a witness, the amount can remain moderate (€120 to €200), often supplemented by a personal gift, as they have already invested a lot of effort. For parents or siblings, it's outside the standard range: give according to your means.
What should you do if you cannot give much?
Give less, without feeling guilty. A sincere message, a helping hand on the big day, or a homemade gift is often worth more than a large amount of cash. The happy couple primarily values your presence.
This article is based on StatBel data regarding the number of weddings celebrated in Belgium. The amounts suggested are estimates observed in the Belgian market in 2026: no legal rule sets the amount of a wedding gift.
