WELLINGTON - New Zealand's wedding gift to Prince William and Kate Middleton will be a 10,000 NZ dollars ($7, 900) donation to the Christchurch relief effort, Prime Minister John Key announced on Monday.

The couple has requested that, rather than gifts, wedding guests make donations to one of several causes, including the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal.

Key, who will attend the wedding in London on April 29, announced on Monday that he and Governor-General Anand Satyanand had decided to give 10,000 NZ dollars.

"Prince William reiterated when he was here in New Zealand recently that the primary gift that they preferred was donations to nominated charities, something that's clearly very important to him," Key told the post-cabinet press conference.

"This gift will honour the generous spirit shown by the couple themselves as well as help contribute to the needs of the people of Christchurch," Key said.