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By Forever Farrah Published 2026-09-17.
Wedding gifts compared across cultures: bridewealth, dowry and mahr between families, cash envelopes from guests, registries and return gifts.
Wedding gifts flow in several directions. Guests give the couple presents or money nearly everywhere: registry items in much of the West, cash in red envelopes at Chinese weddings, cash in a decorated envelope in Japan. Between families, the main exchange is often bridewealth from the groom's side to the bride's, dowry from the bride's side to the groom's, or, in Islamic marriage, a mahr from the groom to the bride. In some cultures, the couple also gives gifts back to guests.
| Tradition | Between families or partners | From guests |
|---|---|---|
| US and UK | The groom traditionally buys the rings | Registry gifts or money |
| Chinese | Betrothal gifts from the groom's side; dowry from the bride's | Money in red envelopes |
| Japanese | Varies | Cash in a shūgi-bukuro; couples give return gifts |
| Many African cultures | Bridewealth from the groom's family to the bride's | Varies by community |
| Islamic marriage | Mahr from the groom, which belongs to the bride | Varies by country |
| India | Dowry is illegal under national law | Cash and gifts are common |
Customs vary by region, religion and family in every country on this list.
Bridewealth. Britannica defines bridewealth as a payment from the groom or his kin to the bride's kin to ratify the marriage. It is most highly developed in Africa, and it's about relationships as much as money: it consolidates friendly relations between the families and is a pledge that the bride will be treated well. It is often one part of a two-way exchange that also includes a dowry. African wedding traditions and Nigerian wedding traditions have more.
Dowry. A dowry flows from the bride's family to the groom's side. In traditional Chinese marriage, both were exchanged: the groom's family sent betrothal gifts and the bride's family answered with a dowry. In India, dowry was banned by the Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961, which applies to people of all religions. The Act's official text sets out the penalties.
Mahr. In an Islamic marriage, the groom gives the bride a mahr, which the Encyclopedia of Religion describes as an integral part of every Islamic marriage contract. It becomes the bride's own property, and part of it may be deferred to a later date.
For how these exchanges relate to paying for the wedding itself, see who pays for the wedding around the world.
Registries. In the US and UK, many couples set up a gift registry so guests can pick items the couple actually wants. Many now include cash or honeymoon funds too.
Red envelopes. At Chinese weddings, guests give money in red envelopes. The Wikipedia article on red envelopes notes that at wedding banquets the amount is usually meant to cover the guest's own place and to wish the couple well, and that gifts are often recorded in a ledger for the couple. Similar customs exist elsewhere in East and Southeast Asia. More in Chinese wedding traditions.
Japanese shūgi. Guests bring cash in a decorated envelope called a shūgi-bukuro. Nippon.com says gifts generally range from ¥5,000 to ¥30,000, depending on the relationship, that odd-numbered amounts are preferred so the couple won't "split", and that many people use new banknotes. See Japanese wedding etiquette for guests.
Money dances and cash on the dance floor. In several traditions, guests give money during the reception itself rather than in a card. Filipino wedding traditions and Nigerian wedding traditions describe local versions.
Gifts don't only go to the couple. In Japan, Nippon.com notes a custom of giving return gifts worth a share of what was received. In many Western weddings, the couple gives favours to guests and gifts to parents and the wedding party. And across cultures, a written thank-you remains the one gift every couple owes. Wedding guest etiquette around the world covers what's expected of guests more broadly.
Seating a multicultural guest list? See how Matchmaker seats families together automatically.
Not in most cultures. In Chinese and Japanese weddings, cash is the expected gift, and many Western couples now welcome money. Follow the couple's lead or their wedding website.
A dowry goes from the bride's family to the groom's side. A bride price, or bridewealth, goes from the groom's side to the bride's family. Some traditions have both.
Nippon.com gives a general range of ¥5,000 to ¥30,000 depending on your relationship, in an odd-numbered amount and preferably new notes.
Often, yes. Japanese couples commonly give return gifts, and many Western couples give favours to guests and thank-you gifts to parents and the wedding party.
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