[danielle_UK]

Hi,
My boyfriend and I (from England) have been invited to my good friend's wedding in the USA. She has asked me to be the person who looks after the register book on the big day (so we are invited to the rehearsal dinner too)...
However, my friend is marrying a Japanese man and after the wedding they plan to live there and so have asked for cash for wedding gifts as they don't want to have to ship the gifts....and here is my dilemma - Japanese weddings usually expect quite a bit of cash (more than we can afford) and English weddings usually give about 50 pounds ($100).
I don't really feel comfortable with the idea of giving money, as there are a lot of different cultures involved and the possibilities of misunderstandings are huge - what do you think that we should do?
I do have one other idea - my sister is an artist and she could do them a lovely original painting for a gift.

All help appreciated!
Many thanks
Danielle_UK

This post has been edited by TWQadmin: 21 January 2026 - 01:33 PM

[Etiquette Now]

Dear Danielle,

Just because the couple wants and expects cash doesn't mean that they receive it, no matter what the culture. As you say, there are a lot of different cultures and many of us don't give cash. So, give what you want to give.

There is no mandated amount of cash to give to couples.

Best wishes,