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SponsoredImagine a bride from Brighton marrying a groom from Thessaloniki. His mother takes it for granted that the bank details go on the invitation. Her mother finds the idea faintly shocking. And an aunt in Hove phones to ask, very politely, whether a casserole dish would be a suitable present.
All three are being reasonable. They're just answering different questions, from different countries.
If you're planning a Greek or mixed wedding, putting an IBAN on the wedding invitation is normal on one side of the family and awkward on the other. This guide explains why, then gives you wording you can copy for each kind of guest, so nobody feels invoiced and nobody turns up with a toaster.
TL;DR: In Greece, an optional IBAN line is common. For British and American guests, put it on your website, not the card.
- Greek wording that works: «Προαιρετική λίστα γάμου: IBAN GR…», small, at the bottom.
- For UK and US guests, write one warm sentence on the invitation and put the bank details on your wedding website.
- Say the account is in euros. Transfers in euros from another EU country cost the same as a domestic one.
- Keep a box or basket for envelopes on the day. Some guests will still bring cash.
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Cash funds vs registries: why Greek weddings work differently
In the UK and US, a gift list or registry is the default and cash is the polite alternative. At a Greek wedding it's the other way round. Guests hand the couple a white envelope with money and a card, and that money often goes straight to paying for the reception.
For a long time the envelope was the only option. Then a line with the couple's bank account, the IBAN, started appearing on Greek invitations. In one r/greece thread, the couple asking noted that at the recent weddings they'd been to, everyone had one, and another commenter had used one 15 years earlier. It's labelled «προαιρετική λίστα γάμου», which translates as "optional wedding list". The Greek printer polygrafos.gr suggests exactly that phrasing and points out that the word "optional" is doing the heavy lifting.
Is it accepted? Mostly, yes, but not by everyone. When a Greek couple asked r/greece in March 2025 whether an IBAN on the invitation "looks a bit off", the thread drew 148 comments. Some called it tacky. One said guests kept asking where the IBAN was. The couple's own update at the end: they decided to include it "because it will help more".
What each side of the family is likely to think
| Guest | How an IBAN on the card may land (our read) | What works better |
| Greek friends | Familiar, and some will look for it | Short IBAN line at the bottom |
| Greek grandparents and older relatives | Fine, but they'll bring an envelope anyway | Leave the basket at the reception |
| British guests | Can read as an invoice | One sentence on the card, details on the website |
| American guests | Expect a registry link, not bank details | Website "Gifts" page with the IBAN and a note |
| Guests elsewhere in the EU | Easy, euros in, euros out | IBAN on the website, mention it's a euro account |
Pro tip: If you print separate Greek and English inserts, the problem mostly solves itself. The Greek card carries the IBAN. The English one carries a link.
Wording to copy: Greek invitations
These follow the standard wording Greek printers suggest. Keep them small, at the very end, below the reception details.
"Προαιρετική λίστα γάμου: IBAN GR00 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 000"
"Προαιρετική λίστα γάμου (Τράπεζα …): GR00 …"
"Για όσους το επιθυμούν: IBAN GR00 …, Δικαιούχοι: Σοφία Μ. και Νικόλαος Π."
If you want the English translation for a bilingual card: "Optional wedding list: IBAN GR00 …"
Wording to copy: British guests
The National Wedding Show's 2026 advice is clear: no gift requests on the invitation itself. Put a short line on the card and the details on your wedding website.
"Your company is the only gift we need. If you'd like to give something, you'll find a few ideas on our website."
"We already have more mugs than cupboards. If you'd like to mark the day with a gift, a contribution to our first home would mean a lot. Details are on our website."
"No gifts needed, honestly. For anyone who asks, there's a note on our website."
Wording to copy: American guests
American guests are used to a registry link. Give them one, and explain on that page why it's cash.
"In Greece, guests traditionally give money rather than gifts. If you'd like to follow the custom, you'll find our details on the Gifts page of our website."
"Your presence is the best gift. For those who have asked, we've added a honeymoon fund to our website."
Wording for the website Gifts page
This is where the bank details live for international guests. Make it warm, short and very clear.
"Many of you have asked about gifts. Honestly, having you with us in Thessaloniki is the gift. If you'd still like to give something, this is our joint account in euros:"
"Account holders: Emma Clarke and Nikolaos Papadopoulos"
"IBAN: GR00 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 000, BIC: …"
"Please add your name in the reference so we can thank you properly."
"Sending from the UK or US? Your bank may charge a fee for a euro transfer. You're very welcome to bring a card on the day instead."
WhiteClover's wedding website templates include a gifts section where you can add your IBAN, or a mobile number for IRIS, in Greek and English, on the same site as your timetable and directions. Guests open the same link for everything. If half your guests read English and half read Greek, our guide to a bilingual Greek and English wedding website shows how to set that up.
Practical details that save trouble
Open a joint account, or at least use both names. "Account holder: N. Papadopoulos" means nothing to an aunt in Hove.
Ask guests to put their name in the reference. Otherwise you'll have a dozen transfers marked "wedding" and no idea who to thank.
Tell international guests the currency. Under EU rules, your bank must charge the same for a euro transfer to another EU country as for a domestic one, according to the EU's Your Europe guidance. The UK is no longer covered, so British guests may pay a fee. Say so, kindly.
Greek friends can use IRIS. Greek banks offer IRIS payments using only a mobile number. Piraeus Bank lists a limit of up to €1,000 a day and €5,000 a month for personal payments. That's handy for friends who don't want to type 27 characters, but it's for Greek bank accounts.
Money gifts are still gifts in the eyes of the tax office. A Greek tax accountant's guide notes that cash wedding gifts count legally as gifts of money, and a bank transfer leaves a record that an envelope doesn't. If the total is large, or you plan to use it towards a house, speak to an accountant before the wedding rather than after.
Keep the basket anyway
Even with an IBAN on every card, some guests will bring an envelope. One r/greece commenter who used an IBAN at their wedding 15 years ago said most guests still gave envelopes. Another, who skipped it more recently, paid for the whole wedding from the envelopes. Do both. Put a pretty box or basket at the reception and ask one trusted person, such as the koumbaros, to look after it.
If you're helping guests work out how much to give, our guide to how much money to give at a wedding compares Greece, Cyprus, the UK and the US. For the registry side, see top wedding registry tools for couples.
Make the awkward bit painless
Money is the one subject that turns a lovely invitation into a negotiation, especially with two families and two sets of customs. The more you explain once, in the right place, the fewer phone calls you'll get from aunts in Hove.
WhiteClover's digital wedding invitations go out as one link, in Greek and English, and the replies come back to you. The gift details sit on your website for the guests who go looking for them, and stay off the card for those who'd rather not see them.
FAQ
Is it rude to put an IBAN on a wedding invitation?
In Greece it's common if it's marked as optional and kept small, though some people still dislike it. UK etiquette advice says to keep gift requests off the invitation, so for British and American guests put the bank details on your wedding website instead.
What does «προαιρετική λίστα γάμου» mean?
It means "optional wedding list". On a Greek invitation it introduces the couple's IBAN and signals that a gift is welcome but not expected.
Can guests from abroad send money to a Greek IBAN?
Yes. From another EU country, a euro transfer should cost the same as a domestic one. From the UK or US their bank may charge a fee, so mention that bringing a card on the day is fine too.
Should we put the IBAN on the save-the-date?
No. Save the dates are for the date and place. Gift details belong on the invitation insert or, better, your wedding website.
Do Greek guests still bring envelopes if there's an IBAN?
Some will. One r/greece commenter who used an IBAN at their wedding 15 years ago said most guests still gave envelopes. Keep a box or basket at the reception and ask someone you trust to look after it.
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Written by
Marios P
Part of the WhiteClover team, helping couples and hosts plan unforgettable events with modern digital tools. Passionate about simplifying the celebration planning journey.
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