Choose your situation below to see a typical amount right away.
Steps 2-5 walk you through choosing, writing and handing over the envelope.
Step 1: Check the typical amount
Typical goshugi amount
3万円
The amounts shown here are general reference figures only. Appropriate amounts differ by region, relationship and local custom. Before deciding on an actual amount, we recommend checking with your family or people around you.
Step 2: Match the envelope to the amount
As with all Japanese gift envelopes, the envelope's formality should match the amount inside.
- Mizuhiki cord: choose red-and-white or gold-and-silver musubi-kiri (awaji knot), 10 strands. The knot cannot be retied - a wish that the marriage happens only once.
- No bow knots: a bow (cho-musubi) can be retied, so it is never used for weddings - it belongs to repeatable celebrations such as baby gifts.
- Formality: a simple envelope with a printed cord for around 10,000 yen, a standard corded envelope for 30,000 yen, and a decorated one for 50,000 yen and above.
Step 3: Write the inscription and your name
The inscription goes above the cord, your name below it. For celebrations use rich black ink with a brush or brush pen (not a ballpoint).
- Inscription: 寿 (kotobuki) or 御結婚御祝 (go-kekkon o-iwai) are standard. Four-character inscriptions such as 祝御結婚 are avoided (four evokes death).
- Name: your full name, centered below the cord, slightly smaller than the inscription.
- Married couple: husband's full name in the center, wife's given name to its left.
- Joint names: up to three (most senior on the right). Four or more: representative's name plus 外一同 ("and all others"), with everyone's names listed inside.
Diagram: where everything goes
Step 4: Fill in the inner envelope and insert the bills
Inner envelope
Write the amount in the center of the inner envelope's front, and your address and name at the lower left of its back. Formal amounts use traditional numerals (daiji).
| Amount | Formal writing |
|---|---|
| 10,000 yen | 金壱萬円 |
| 20,000 yen | 金弐萬円 |
| 30,000 yen | 金参萬円 |
| 50,000 yen | 金伍萬円 |
| 100,000 yen | 金拾萬円 |
Inserting the bills
- Insert bills with the portrait facing the front, head upward - the opposite of funeral offerings.
- Use brand-new bills only, all facing the same way.
- For 20,000 yen, one 10,000 bill plus two 5,000 bills makes the bill count odd - a common workaround.
Step 5: Wrap it in a fukusa and hand it over
Carry the envelope wrapped in a fukusa cloth. For celebrations use warm colors: red, crimson or orange. Purple works for both happy and sad occasions. Find a fukusa cloth
- Wrapping: for celebrations, the fukusa should open from the right (the reverse of funerals).
- When: hand it over at the reception desk when signing the guest book.
- How: take it out of the fukusa, turn it so the receptionist can read the inscription, and offer it with both hands, saying "Honjitsu wa omedeto gozaimasu" (congratulations on this day).
Manners for reception-desk duty are covered in Wedding Manners: Attire & Reception.
Related pages
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Frequently asked questions
How much should I give for a friend's wedding?
30,000 yen is the standard. In your early 20s or as a student, 20,000 yen is also considered acceptable.
Why avoid even amounts?
Divisible numbers evoke separation. 20,000 yen is increasingly accepted as a 'pair'; if it worries you, use one 10,000 bill and two 5,000 bills so the bill count is odd.
Which mizuhiki cord should the envelope have?
Red-and-white or gold-and-silver musubi-kiri (awaji knot) with 10 strands. It cannot be retied, expressing the wish that the marriage happens only once. Bow knots can be retied and are never used.
Do the bills really need to be new?
Yes - brand-new bills show you prepared for this day with joy. Banks exchange bills at the counter or a change machine.
What if I have to decline the invitation?
If you cancel shortly before the wedding, send the full amount you would have given. If you declined early, a gift of about half that amount (or around 10,000 yen) is customary.
How much should a couple give?
50,000 yen is standard, reflecting that a couple receives one gift set. Avoid 60,000 (divisible) - choose 50,000 or 70,000 yen.
