The best gift for a Pakistani wedding is still cash, given as salami, and it is never the wrong choice. If you want to give something the couple will remember, choose what they will use in the first weeks: a large hamper of snacks and chocolates for the guests who fill the house, flowers for the new home, or a wedding cake from the family.
This guide answers what to give as a wedding gift in Pakistan, how the etiquette works, how much to spend and how to send a wedding gift to Lahore or Gujranwala, with real gifts and prices. Shopping for one side? See our guides to wedding gifts for a best friend and gifts for the groom.
In short
- Close family usually gives cash. Friends and colleagues often give a gift, or both.
- A money bouquet gives cash that looks like a gift, from Rs 9,999.
- Send gifts to the home, not the venue, ideally in the walima week.
- Wedding cakes, money bouquets and hampers need 2 to 3 days. Chocolate baskets and flower boxes can go the same day, subject to availability.
Cash or a Gift?
Salami in an envelope is the most common wedding gift in Pakistan, and close family is usually expected to give it. It is practical and nobody has ever returned it. A gift lands differently because it shows you thought about the couple, which is why friends and colleagues often give a gift, and close friends often give both.
How much cash depends on your family circle and how close you are, so ask a parent or an older cousin what is usual. If you cannot decide between cash and a gift, a money bouquet settles it. The ivory bouquet of 100 rupee notes with pink roses is Rs 9,999, the black bouquet with red roses Rs 11,999 and the pink marble bouquet Rs 14,999. From close family, the purple bouquet with magenta roses is Rs 53,999 and the gold wrap bouquet of 500 rupee notes Rs 58,999. The price of every money bouquet includes the notes inside.
Pakistani Wedding Gift Etiquette
A wedding here runs over several functions: the dholki, the mehndi, the nikah or barat and the walima. Mehndi is simply the Urdu word for henna, and the mehndi function is the night it is applied to the bride's hands. Gifts for the bride or groom go in the days before the nikah. Gifts for the couple, from people who know them both, are best saved for the walima week.
Write both names on the card, give it at the home rather than on the stage, and do not open a conversation about what it cost. When you know the family better than the couple, chocolate is the safe choice, since everyone in the house can share it.
What the Couple Actually Needs
For the first two weeks after the wedding, the couple's home is full of relatives and someone is always making tea. The most useful gift is something that can be put out for guests. The double shelf display at Rs 15,999 holds Snickers, KitKat and Bounty on top with Bisconni, Lay's and Pringles below, and it looks like a wedding gift while it does the job.
The floral arch tray at Rs 12,899 has imported snacks and chocolates under pink roses. The wooden crate of chrysanthemums with imported snacks and drinks is Rs 10,999, and the larger pink chrysanthemum hamper is Rs 14,999. These hampers, like the double shelf display, need 2 to 3 days.
Flowers for the New Home
Flowers delivered the day after the walima are the gift the bride notices, because they arrive as the decorations come down. The white roses and Ferrero Rocher basket at Rs 14,999 suits any home. The black round box of white roses, baby's breath and Ferrero Rocher is Rs 15,499, and the white hatbox of pink roses, carnations and blue hydrangea is Rs 11,199. You will find more in our flower boxes collection.
A Gift from the Whole Family
When an entire household is giving together, a bigger hamper works better than several small gifts. The grand chocolate hamper at Rs 60,199 holds Ferrero Rocher, Lindt, Godiva, Milka, Toblerone, Galaxy, Hershey's and Raffaello in one basket. See all chocolate gifts.
A Wedding Cake for the Nikah or Walima
Some families send a cake for the nikah or the walima. Our wedding cakes include two tier designs with the couple's monogram, from Rs 16,999 for the white pearl cake. The white ribbed nikah cake is Rs 16,999 the yellow and cream rose monogram cake Rs 16,999 and the ivory cake with a cascade of garden roses Rs 19,999. All are made to order and need 2 to 3 days, so book once the date is fixed.
Walima Gifts
The walima is the reception hosted by the groom's family after the barat, and it is the first function where the couple sit together as husband and wife. That makes it the right time for a gift meant for both of them, rather than for the bride or the groom alone.
Salami is still the usual walima gift, handed to the couple on the stage or to a parent. If you want the cash to look like a gift, the black money bouquet with red roses is Rs 11,999 and needs 2 to 3 days. For something the couple will enjoy at home, the Cadbury and Ferrero Rocher floral basket at Rs 10,999 or the Galaxy and Ferrero Rocher round basket at Rs 12,999 can go the same day, subject to availability. A heart shaped red velvet cake with a white rose, Rs 9,499 and made to order in 2 to 3 days, suits the two of them cutting a cake together.
How Much to Spend on a Wedding Gift
| Your relationship | Budget | What it gets you |
|---|---|---|
| Colleague, neighbour or family friend | Rs 5,000 to Rs 13,000 | The ivory money bouquet, the snacks crate at Rs 10,999, or a flower box at Rs 11,199. |
| Close friend or cousin | Rs 13,000 to Rs 25,000 | The snacks display, the white roses basket or a wedding cake, often alongside salami. |
| Close family | Rs 25,000 and above | Cash, plus a large money bouquet or the grand chocolate hamper. |
These are habits rather than rules. A warm card with both names on it matters more than the bracket.
How to Send a Wedding Gift
Send it to the home, not the venue, where gifts end up in a pile and the card gets separated. Chocolate baskets and flower boxes can go the same day in Lahore or Gujranwala when you order before 3 PM, subject to availability, while money bouquets, hampers and cakes need 2 to 3 days. Every order is delivered between 3 PM and 8 PM, so give us the name of someone at home who can receive it. For a surprise waiting the night before the nikah, midnight delivery arrives between 10 PM and 12 AM and is Rs 999 extra with the same 3 PM cutoff. Delivery is free on orders above Rs 9,999 within 8 km of our Lahore branch or 5 km of our Gujranwala branch; below that it is Rs 999. Further out, delivery is Rs 100 per km for the whole trip from our branch, with a minimum of Rs 999 on orders up to Rs 9,999.
Any gift can carry a custom printed card for Rs 199 with the couple's names, your message and your name. A short dua or a wish for the years ahead suits nearly every family. If you are abroad and missing the wedding, pay by bank transfer, Wise or Remitly, confirm on WhatsApp, and we send you photos and a video before it is delivered. See how to send gifts from abroad.
Tip: Time a flower box or snacks hamper for the day after the walima. The house is still full, the decorations are gone, and your gift is the one everyone sees.
For each function, see mehndi gifts, nikah gifts and muh dikhai gifts. Browse our wedding gifts in Pakistan and the full engagement and wedding gifts collection, or message us on WhatsApp at +923344434999 with the couple and your budget and we will suggest the right one.
More to browse: our flower shop in Lahore, with local roses from Rs 2,999.
Cakes for each function: engagement cakes for the ring ceremony, bride to be cakes for the dholki or bridal shower, and wedding cakes for the nikah and walima.
Prefer to collect? Pick up from our Lahore branch at 555-B2 Abu Bakar Road or our Gujranwala branch at 172-X Kashmir Road, Peoples Colony. Message us on WhatsApp to arrange a time; the Rs 4,999 minimum order applies to pickup too.
More wedding guides: gifts for the bride, gifts for your sister's or brother's wedding, bride to be and mehndi cake ideas and gifts for your in laws.
