How Much Shagun to Give, by Relation

How much shagun to give depends on how close you are to the family. For an acquaintance or colleague, ₹501 to ₹1,100 is common. For a friend, ₹1,100 to ₹5,100. Close relatives give ₹5,100 to ₹21,000 or more, often with gold. The amount nearly always ends in 1, like ₹501 or ₹2,101, because an odd number is considered a lucky start.

Shagun (also spelt shagan) is the cash gift given to the couple in an envelope. The amounts on this page are not from any survey. They are the ranges families commonly follow in 2026, so treat them as a guide and give what your own budget allows.

Why Shagun Ends in 1

The extra ₹1 is the oldest rule of shagun. Families give three reasons for it.

An amount ending in zero is seen as a closed number, an ending. The extra one makes the gift a beginning, so the couple's life together keeps growing.

An odd number cannot be split into two equal halves. Elders say this is a wish that the bond between the two never divides.

The one rupee is often a coin, stuck on the envelope or tucked inside. Many families link the coin with Goddess Lakshmi. They call it the seed for more.

Envelopes sold for weddings, with "Shubh Vivah" printed on them, often come with a ₹1 coin already fixed on the front. If yours does not, add one.

Common Shagun Amounts by Relation in 2026

In Hindi, people often ask "shagun kitna dena chahiye", how much should one give. The honest answer is what you can give without strain. Nobody at the wedding counts the envelopes in front of you.

Return the Favour, with a Little More

Many families keep a list of who gave what at their own children's weddings. In Uttar Pradesh and Bihar this record is called the neota, and at Tamil weddings the cash gift, written into a notebook at the moi table, is called moi. In Gujarat the same custom is the chandlo.

When that family's wedding comes, they look up the list and give at least the same amount, often a little more. If a family gave ₹1,101 at your son's wedding in 2019, ₹2,101 at their daughter's wedding in 2026 is a common way to return it, after seven years of rising prices.

City and Venue Considerations

Amounts run higher in big cities and at hotel weddings. A friend's wedding at a five-star hotel in Gurugram or Bengaluru will see more ₹2,100 and ₹5,100 envelopes than a hall wedding in a district town.

Some guests think about the cost of the plate, roughly what the hosts spend per guest on food. They try to give at least that much. Many elders dislike this idea, because shagun is a blessing and the meal is hospitality. Use it as a rough floor if it helps you, never as a rule.

For a destination wedding where the hosts paid for your stay, people often give a little more than they would at home. Bring the envelope; do not skip shagun because you were a guest at a resort.

One Envelope from a Couple, or Two?

A married couple gives one envelope from both of them, written as "Ramesh and Sudha Nair". A family with grown-up children usually gives one envelope for the whole family.

Grown-up children who earn often give a separate envelope to a close cousin or friend. Two colleagues who are friends may also give separately. If three of you are attending from one family, one envelope of ₹2,101 is better than three of ₹501.

When and How to Give Shagun

Most guests hand the envelope to the bride or groom on the stage at the reception, after the photograph. If the queue is long, give it to a parent of the couple, or to the relative at the gift table writing names in the register.

UPI shagun is now common for relatives abroad and colleagues who cannot come. Send it to the couple's or a parent's number, with a message like "Shagun for Anjali's wedding, with blessings from the Mehta family, Pune". The ₹1 rule still holds online: send ₹1,101, not ₹1,100.

Always write your name and relation on the envelope. For the words to write, our page of wedding wishes in Hindi has an envelope line in Devanagari.

Shagun, Tax and Dowry

Cash the couple receives at their wedding is not taxed. The Income Tax Department's FAQ on gifts lists money received "on the occasion of the marriage of the individual" among the gifts on which nothing is charged.

Shagun from guests is a present, given freely. Section 3 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 allows presents given to the bride or groom at the wedding without any demand, if they are entered in a list kept under the Act's rules. Money that one family demands from the other is a different matter, and that is dowry.

If you would rather give a thing than cash, see our wedding gifts under ₹500 and up and the full list of wedding gift ideas. If it is your own child's turn next, start their biodata here. More guides are in our invitations and gifts section.