Wedding Gift Cards: How to Give One, Alone or as a Group

A The Wedding Painters wedding gift card, also called a wedding gift voucher in the UK, is a gift towards a couple’s own wedding art. TheWeddingPainters is a marketplace of independent wedding artists in the UK, Europe and the USA. You choose the amount and when it arrives, and the couple put it towards eligible wedding art with an artist on the site, to bring an original piece to life. It is built for groups as well as individuals. Typical guests give £76 to £100 for a close friend in the UK and $130 to $150 in the US, so most people reach a bigger gift by pooling.

Give together. Make the first contribution, then invite up to 20 friends and family by email. Ten people giving £50 or $50 each give £500 or $500.
The couple choose. They pick the artist and the piece, so you never have to guess their taste.
Easy to send. Send it straight away or schedule an exact date and time. For a group gift you can also decide later. You don’t need an account to buy.
Nothing is wasted. Unused credit stays on the card, and several gift cards can go towards one booking.
Worth knowing. A gift card doesn’t reserve a date or guarantee a particular artist, and gift credit and the booking must be in the same currency.

At a glance


What it is	A gift towards eligible wedding art with an artist on TheWeddingPainters
Who can buy it	Anyone, as a guest, with no account
Who uses it	The couple, who choose the artist and arrange the booking
Group gifts	One person starts it and invites up to 20 people by email
Delivery	After payment is verified, or at an exact date, time and time zone. Group gifts can decide later.
Currency	Gift credit and the booking must be in the same currency. It isn’t converted.
Unused credit	Stays on the card
Not included	It doesn’t reserve a date or guarantee a particular artist
Terms	See the terms and conditions

How a wedding gift card works

TheWeddingPainters is a marketplace of independent wedding artists, from live painters and guest illustrators to artists who paint from wedding photos, across the UK, Europe and the USA. The gift card turns that into a present anyone can give.

Choose the amount and write a message. Pick what you want to give and add a few words of your own.
Choose who it is for and when it arrives. Enter your own email for purchase updates and the couple’s email for their gift. Send it after payment is verified, or schedule an exact date, time and time zone. Choosing a delivery date doesn’t set or change a wedding date.
Check and pay. You’ll see the recipient, amount and delivery details before you pay. You can buy as a guest, with no account.
The couple choose their artist. They put the gift towards eligible wedding art with an artist on the site, so the choice of style and piece is theirs.
They book. The couple arrange the booking with the artist. Artist availability, the chosen service and the booking terms still apply, and a gift card doesn’t reserve a date or guarantee a particular artist.

For wedding art ideas, see our UK studio commissions or US studio commissions.

Why a gift card works as a wedding gift

Gift cards have a reputation for being impersonal, and a generic store card can be. What changes that is where the card points. A card towards a couple’s own wedding art points at something lasting, and the couple choose it themselves.

If this is your problem	How the gift card helps
They have everything	It goes towards wedding art, something they are unlikely to buy for themselves.
You don’t know their taste	The couple choose the artist and the piece.
The gift you’d like to give costs more than you can spend	Friends and family give together, so the total reaches the bigger gift.
You can’t be at the wedding, or live far away	You buy online without an account and schedule the exact date it arrives.
You’d rather not give cash	It gives the money a purpose, and the couple get to enjoy choosing.
You’re giving after the wedding	A gift card works at any stage, from the engagement to the weeks and months after the wedding.

In The Knot’s guest data, about 10% of US guests give a gift card, against 40% who give cash and 50% who give a physical gift. A gift card with a clear purpose stands out.

Giving together: how a group gift works

A group gift turns several small gifts into one that means something. Five separate gift cards of £100 or $100 are five nice gestures. Pooled, they are a single gift of £500 or $500 that the couple can put towards a real piece of art.

One person starts it. Choose a group gift and make the first contribution.
Invite the others. Add up to 20 email addresses, or skip invitations for now and add them later.
Everyone gives in the same currency. Contributions are pooled in the currency of the gift.
Choose how it is delivered. Group gifting and delivery are separate choices. You can send the card now, schedule it for an exact date, or decide later.

Here are two examples. The maths is the same in pounds and dollars.

In the UK: ten friends each give £50, and together they give £500.
In the US: eight friends each give $125, and together they give $1,000.

For a bigger gift, add more people. Twenty friends giving £50 each give £1,000, and you can invite up to 20 people by email.

A few tips for the person organising it. Agree a rough share before you invite anyone, so no one feels pressed to give more than they can. Start a few weeks before the wedding so people have time to join. And keep the group to the people who would otherwise each give a gift, so the group gift replaces several small ones instead of adding to them.

How much to put on a wedding gift card

Give what you would give in any other form. A gift card isn’t a smaller or bigger gift, just a different way of giving the same amount. Here is what guests typically spend in each market.

	UK	US
Typical close friend or family	The median Briton says £76 to £100 (YouGov, August 2026)	About $160 on close friends and family (The Knot)
Typical average	£87 on a physical gift and £102 on cash (Prezola, 2024)	$150 (The Knot, 2024) or $130 (Zola’s 2026 survey, via SoFi)
Less close or a coworker	£26 to £50 (YouGov)	$75 to $100 (Zola, via Scripps News)
Gifts above £150	Fewer than 3% of guests (Bloom & Wild, June 2025)	Not measured the same way

If you want to give more than your share, give with others. Ten people giving £100 or $100 each give £1,000 or $1,000. That is a gift most guests could never give alone, from a group of people who each gave a normal amount.

When to give a wedding gift card

Occasion	How it can work
Engagement	An early gift the couple can keep for when they plan the day and choose their wedding art.
The wedding	Schedule it to arrive on the day, with a card you write yourself.
Bridal or wedding shower	Gifts are expected at a shower, so a smaller card here pairs well with a larger gift at the wedding.
Anniversary	A gift they can put towards art that marks the day, years after the wedding.
From parents or the wider family	Invite up to 20 relatives to give together, and send it as one gift from the whole family.
From the wedding party	Friends who would each give a small gift can pool one larger gift instead.
You can’t attend	Buy online without an account and schedule the exact date it arrives.

If you are splitting a budget across an engagement party, shower and wedding, a common rule is 20% for the engagement, 20% for the shower and 60% for the wedding. See our guide to what is a good wedding gift for more ideas.

What to write in a wedding gift card

A few warm lines make a gift card feel chosen. Keep it short, say why you are giving it, and use your own words where you can. These are starting points to adapt.

Situation	Message
The wedding	To two people who make the rest of us believe in it. Choose something beautiful, and enjoy every minute of the day.
From a group	From all of us who love you both. We each gave a little so you could have something that lasts. Pick the piece that feels like you.
Engagement	Congratulations! This is for the day to come, so you can choose something that holds a little of it forever.
You can’t attend	We’re sorry not to be there in person, but we’re raising a glass from afar. Please put this towards something that reminds you of the day.
Anniversary	Happy anniversary. Here’s to the day, and to every day since. Choose something to remember it by.
From parents	With all our love. Your day, your artist, your choice.

Gift card, cash or registry?

None of these is wrong. In The Knot’s guest data, about 50% of US guests give a physical gift, 40% give cash and 10% give a gift card. Here is where each one fits.

Option	Best when	Worth knowing
Cash	The couple are saving for a home or honeymoon, or have said they’d like it.	It is easy, but it carries no story and is quickly absorbed into everyday spending.
A registry gift	The couple have a list and you want to be sure of their taste.	In a UK survey, 58% of guests said they don’t stick to the registry anyway.
A store or prepaid gift card	You want flexibility and speed.	It can feel impersonal, and some cards are limited to one shop.
A TheWeddingPainters gift card	You want to give something lasting and personal without choosing it, or you want to give with a group.	It can only go towards wedding art on the site, and it doesn’t reserve a date or a particular artist.

If the couple has asked for cash towards a specific goal, respect that. If they haven’t, a gift card towards something lasting is a gift they will remember.

How to choose the right wedding gift card

The right card depends on what you know about the couple and what you want the gift to say.

If you…	Consider	Watch for
Know where the couple shops	A card for that shop	It can only be spent there
Know little about their tastes	A flexible prepaid Visa or Mastercard card	Purchase fees and expiry dates, which vary by card
Are in the UK and want to give a day out	An experience voucher, such as the Newlywed Experience Voucher from Red Letter Days, seen at £99.99 on 20 October 2026	What is available depends on the experience chosen
Want to give something lasting and personal	A TheWeddingPainters gift card, towards wedding art the couple choose	It only goes towards eligible wedding art on the site
Want to give more than your own share	A group gift, such as a TheWeddingPainters group gift card	Everyone gives in the same currency

Frequently asked questions

What is a wedding gift card?

A wedding gift card is a gift of money the couple can spend on something specific. A TheWeddingPainters gift card goes towards eligible wedding art with an artist on the site, and the couple choose the artist and the piece. In the UK you may also hear it called a gift voucher.

Is a gift card an acceptable wedding gift?

Yes. Cash and gift cards are both widely accepted as wedding gifts. A card with a clear purpose, and a few warm words from you, feels more considered than a generic one.

What is the best wedding gift card?

It depends on the couple. A store card suits a couple whose shops you know, and a flexible prepaid card suits one you don’t. A TheWeddingPainters gift card suits a giver who wants something lasting and personal, or a group that wants to give together. See the table above.

How do I make a gift card feel personal?

Write a few warm lines of your own, say what you hope they’ll use it for, and have it arrive on the day. Pairing it with a small physical gift, such as a bottle of wine or a frame, also helps.

How much should I put on a wedding gift card?

About what you would give in any other form. Typical guests spend $130 to $150 in the US and £76 to £100 on a close friend in the UK. See the table above.

Can several people give one gift card?

Yes. One person starts a group gift and makes the first contribution, then invites up to 20 people by email. Everyone gives in the same currency.

Do I need an account to buy one?

No. You can buy as a guest. You’ll see the recipient, amount and delivery details before you pay.

When will the couple receive it?

You can send it once payment is verified or schedule an exact date, time and time zone. For a group gift you can decide later. Payment checks can delay delivery, including scheduled gifts, so buy a few days before you need it to arrive.

What can the couple use it for?

Eligible wedding art with an artist on TheWeddingPainters. They choose the artist and arrange the booking. A gift card doesn’t reserve a date or guarantee a particular artist.

What if the booking costs less than the gift card?

The rest stays on the card. Several gift cards can also go towards one booking, as long as they are in the same currency.

Can the couple use it in a different currency?

No. Gift credit and the booking must be in the same currency, and it isn’t converted.

Do gift cards expire, and can they be refunded?

Check the terms and conditions for validity and refund details.

How we put this guide together

The description of how the gift card works comes from the live gift cards page and its terms, read on 20 October 2026. Spending figures come from the surveys linked in the text, and we’ve kept the UK and US figures separate because they measure different things. TheWeddingPainters has no affiliate links, and nothing in this guide is sponsored.

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