A wedding gift message is two to four lines on the card that goes with your gift: congratulate the couple by name, add one warm line about them or their future, mention the gift only if it needs explaining, and sign your name. Write to both of them. With cash or a shagun envelope, say what you hope it brings, not how much it is. Thirty messages to adapt follow.
What do you write on a wedding gift card?
Write their names, a congratulation, one line that is about them, and your name. "Congratulations, Ananya and Kunal. Watching you two laugh at the same bad jokes for five years, we knew. Wishing you a lifetime of it. Love, Meera and Sid." That is a full card. Add a line about the gift only when it helps: what the money is for, or why you chose the thing.
A simple order:
- Both names. Bride's or groom's first, whichever you know better, but both.
- The congratulation. "Congratulations", "Many congratulations", or शादी मुबारक (Shaadi mubarak).
- One line about them. How they met, what you have watched in them, what you hope for them.
- The gift, if it needs a line. "For the honeymoon fund", "for your first home", "for the kitchen you keep talking about".
- Your name, and who it is from. "Love, the Sharma family" or "With love, Priya, Arun and the kids".
Always put a card in. Lizzie Post of the Emily Post Institute says "it's important that you include a card so you can offer your congratulations," and that a gift can be given before, at, or up to three months after the wedding (AARP). Sign every name the gift is from, because the couple will use the card to write their thank-you notes. Our guide to the thank you card for a wedding is that same moment from their side.
What do you write with a cash or cheque gift?
Say what you hope the money does, not the amount. "A little something towards your honeymoon" or "for your first piece of furniture together" is warm and leaves the sum in the envelope. Never write "I hope this covers my plate". Make cheques out to the name they will bank under, and write your full names so they know who it came from.
Cash is what many couples want. In The Knot's 2026 registry study of 1,759 people, 75 per cent of couples included a cash fund and 41 per cent said cash was the gift they wanted most. Of the cash given, 31 per cent went on a honeymoon (The Knot Worldwide). Even couples are torn: Zola's money report found 70 per cent would love to receive cash gifts, but only 54 per cent feel comfortable giving cash themselves (Zola). A good line on the card is what makes cash feel like a gift. Lizzie Post prefers a cheque to a bank transfer, partly because a lost cheque "can be canceled and reissued" (AARP).
Congratulations, Emma and Josh. A little something towards the honeymoon. Have a cocktail on us somewhere warm. Love, Kate and Dan
Wishing you both every happiness. Please put this towards something for your new home that you would never buy yourselves. With love, Auntie Sue
Congratulations, Rahul and Nisha. For the first of many trips together. Send us a postcard. Love, Vikram and Pooja
To the newlyweds: spend this on something silly. You will have plenty of years for sensible. Love, Grandad
Congratulations on your marriage. We hope this helps a little as you start your life together. Warmest wishes, the Patels
What do you write on a shagun envelope?
Keep it to a blessing and your names. On a shagun envelope, write the couple's names, a line such as "Shubh vivah" or "Wishing you a lifetime of happiness", and your family name, so it can be matched to you later. Many families add one rupee, making 101, 501 or 1,001, because "it is considered auspicious for the amount gifted, to end in one" (The Quint).
The reasons given vary by family. One is that zero stands for an end and one for a beginning (The Hans India). Another, reported by The Quint, is that the lone rupee is "a symbolic sign of debt to the receiver". It is tradition, not a rule: follow what your family does.
शुभ विवाह, Ananya and Kunal. May your home always be full of laughter and guests. With blessings, the Iyer family
Shaadi mubarak, Aisha and Imran. Wishing you a marriage as warm as your mother's biryani. Love, Zara Khala
Dear Riya and Karthik, our blessings for your new life together. May you always find your way back to each other. Love, Mama and Mami
To Priya and Arjun, with love and blessings on your wedding day. From the Mehta family, Ahmedabad
Congratulations, beta. You were the baby we carried at your parents' wedding. Now look at you. Blessings to you both, Dadi
What do you write with a registry gift?
Name the gift and picture them using it. A registry gift needs no explanation, so the line can be playful: "May this pan see many Sunday breakfasts." If you went off the registry, say why you chose it.
Congratulations, Sophie and Mark. May this coffee machine get you through many early mornings and only a few arguments. Love, Hannah
For your first kitchen together. We expect dinner, and we expect it soon. Congratulations! Ali and Sam
Congratulations, Meera and Nikhil. We went off the list: this is the same blanket we have had for twenty years. It is still our favourite. Love, Mum and Dad
Wishing you a lifetime of happiness, and a lifetime of using these glasses for celebrations. Congratulations. The Joneses
We know you asked for no gifts. We ignored you. Congratulations, and enjoy. Love, Tasha and Ben
Wedding gift messages for a friend
Friends can be personal and a little funny. End on the sincere line.
Congratulations, Neha. I have watched you date some terrible people, and Rohan is not one of them. I am so happy for you both. Love, Sana
To my oldest friend and the man brave enough to marry her: congratulations. I have the embarrassing stories ready for the speech. Love, Jo
Congratulations, Aditya and Shreya. You make being kind look easy. The rest of us are taking notes. Love, Vikas
You found each other, and the rest of us get to watch. Congratulations, Lily and Raj. Love, Fran and Ollie
Happy wedding day, Tanvi. You said you would never get married. I said you would. Congratulations, and I accept your apology. Love, Ritu
Wedding gift messages for family
For a niece, nephew, cousin or grandchild. Bring in the family.
Congratulations, Arjun and Kavya. Your grandfather would have danced at this wedding. We will dance for him. Love, Nani
Dear Emily and Sam, welcome to the family, Sam. You will need a strong stomach for Christmas and a good sense of humour for everything else. Love, Aunt Ruth
Congratulations, Isha. We still have the drawing you made of your wedding when you were seven. The groom was a horse. This is better. Love, Chacha and Chachi
To Ravi and Divya, with all our love. May you be as happy as your parents, and argue a little less. Mama, Mami and the cousins
Congratulations, my darling niece. Today you start your own family. Know that this one will always be here too. Love, Aunty Leena
Wedding gift messages for a colleague
Warm, short, and in your own name. With 117 guests at the average US wedding in 2025 (The Knot Worldwide), a colleague's card sits in a big pile, so keep it to two lines the couple can read at a glance.
Congratulations, Priya, and best wishes to you both. Enjoy every moment of the day. From all of us in the finance team
Congratulations on your wedding, Mark. Wishing you and Anna a wonderful life together. Best wishes, Sarah
Many congratulations, Ankit and Swati. Wishing you a lifetime of happiness. Warm regards, Deepak
Congratulations on your marriage, Laura. We hope the honeymoon is long and the inbox is short when you get back. The design team
Wishing you both every happiness, Kiran. Congratulations from everyone on the fourth floor
What if you cannot be at the wedding?
Say so in one line, then make the rest about them: "We are so sorry to miss the day, and we will be raising a glass to you from Melbourne." Send the card and gift to arrive before the wedding. A card in the post takes days; if time is short, a digital wedding card opens on their phones on the day, with your wishes, photos and a voice note.
How do you send a wedding gift card that is written for you?
Type your message and a pen writes it on the card in real ink, then it is posted to the couple. That is a handwritten wedding card, and it helps when you cannot get to a shop, live in another country from the couple, or want your words in the script the family reads.
For closings, see signing off a card; wedding vendors writing to couples can use thank-you notes to wedding clients.
Sources
- Lizzie Post, on wedding gift giving, AARP (19 June 2026): aarp.org
- The Knot Worldwide, 2026 Annual Registry Study, press release (29 July 2026): theknotww.com
- The Knot Worldwide, 2026 Real Weddings Study, press release (18 February 2026): theknotww.com
- Zola, "The Zola Money Report" (updated 26 December 2024): zola.com
- Divyani Rattanpal, "Curious Case of the One Rupee", The Quint (11 March 2015): thequint.com
- Dr Jai Madaan, "Why Indians add one rupee in money gifting", The Hans India (17 March 2024): thehansindia.com
