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I'm trying to decide what to get my ladies. I don't want to get something too generic but also don't want to spend a fortune.
As a bridesmaid, I've recieved jewelry, personalized stationery, and wedding day emergency kit type items (tissues, lip gloss, tylenol). Fortunately, I can say I've never gotten anything really crappy.
Please help me out with ideas by sharing the best and worst bridesmaid gifts you've recieved.
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Best: The bride bought me all the makeup the pro used on me! I could recreate the look anytime I wanted, and it wasn't really crazy expensive either!
Worst: A sewing kit. For in case that ugly dress tore (as I was praying it would) so that instead of changing into something flattering (like I hoped to do), I could just sew it up and continue to humiliate myself in my mumu. An emergency kit with sewing supplies and tampons is not a gift. It's fodder. (Not that it isn't useful, but I don't think this should be "the gift" for your BMs....)
I purchased their jewelry. I also paid for them to get their hair and make-up done. They were really grateful that I made every attempt to offset the cost of being in my wedding.
The coolest thing I ever got was a personalized gift bag for each of us. It had some make up from Sephora, and it was really clear that she had spent time thinking about what each of us would like. She also gave us t-shirts, again all different, that she'd found on Etsy. And then there was some chocolate and other stuff thrown in also. I just thought it was super thoughtful that she had put so much effort into trying to get us something that we'd each really like. And I felt like it was a way to let us know how much we each meant to her as friends (which of course is why she wanted us to be in her wedding).
I also think it's really nice if you want specific hair styles or accessories (jewelry, wraps, etc) to pay for them. IMHO this can be done in lieu of a gift, but I still think it's nice to write a nice card/note individually for everyone. One thing I personally don't like is when the bride wraps up the thing she wants everyone to wear and gives it as a present...I don't know, it's my thing, but I feel like a gift should be personal.
I make jewelry as a hobby, and I've been thinking of making a personalized necklace and earring for each BM (not necessarily for the wedding). But I haven't decided yet.
From my one of my bff's I got a monogrammed cusioned plate/dish holder thingie? I loved it. I also got from her a fabrege type egg (not a real one but was gorgeous).
Worst: a pair of fake pearl earrings.
I am thinking about it and the worst is possibly nothing, and the best was swarovski earrings that could have been worn for the wedding but of course we all wore ours since the jewelry was so beautiful.
@ MightySapphire: SO FUNNY!
The only gifts I've gotten have been pretty standard, like jewelery. One of my friends also got us these gorgeous little jewelery boxes (I'm not sure if that's the proper name for them -- they're about the size of a golf ball) and picked out books for each of us that she'd clearly put some thought into.
This is a great thread! I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else has to say.
Here's what I got for my b-maids. It seems like a ton of stuff, but I didn't really spend that much! As you can probably tell, I am having a pink wedding in FL, so my gifts were themed around that.
A Hibiscus/palm trees tote from www.tikimaster.com And instead of spending $ to get the bags monogrammed, I DIY'd it and monogrammed each girl's first initial myself with embroidery thread.
A small silver purse from www.weddingfactorydirect.com with chapstick and Kleenex for the day of - I've gotten a lot of totes at weddings, which are nice, but sometimes you need a small bag to carry around your camera, etc. at the reception.
Their jewelry - a necklace/earring set - also from www.weddingfactorydirect.com I didn't get something super expensive, b/c I figured everyone's tastes are different and they might not wear the jewelry again anyways, so I spent the $ on lots of little things instead of one $100 necklace for each person.
Flip-flops from Target so that they could be comfortable during the reception and kick off their bridesmaid heels!
Pink hibiscus beach towel from Wal-Mart - I got them for only $3 each!
Pajamas individually picked out for each girl from Target for the sleepover the night before the wedding w/all the b-maids - I got them each a color/style they'd like.
White tank w/Bridesmaid in rhinestones - either to wear w/the PJ pants or to wear for some cute getting ready pics during hair/makeup.
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kitty25kat225, the PJs are such a great idea! I'm thinking of doing a night before sleepover, and that sounds so fun.
I've never been a bridesmaid, but I'll tell you what I'm giving mine. I did the generic stuff- I got them each necklaces and earrings to go with their dresses and am paying for their hair and makeup. The really special gifts that I got them are blurb books made with photos of special times we spent together. One of my BMs went to high school with me at a boarding school for gifted students, and at the end of our senior year, there was this slideshow of photos from our years there that had everyone in tears. I contacted some alumni and finally got a picture dvd of the slideshow, and I used those photos to make her book. Another BM and I spent a year in France together, so I used photos from that year.
I'm not sure anyone would say they're the best gifts ever given, but they will be special!
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I've never really gotten any gifts that were great, having been in so few wedding thus far. When I was like 5 I was a flower girl and got a doll that played "here comes the bride" when you pushed a button on the back. I can remember having it still in middle school, so I guess I liked that! ^_^ My favorite was probably when the bride paid for my hair/nails/make-up. I'm horrible with hair and nails, so the wedding where that wasn't done I felt a lot of pressure, and it was too far away from anywhere to have a professional do it.
The worst I got was a really boring (and kinda weirdly boxy) purse with "Beth" monogrammed on it. Not only was it a fairly unattractive purse that I would never have picked out myself, I don't go by Beth with anyone but my family. I'm Liz with friends, and Elizabeth anywhere that family might get confused. The bride knew that, and knew I don't even like the name Beth, but did that name anyway.
(note, if your name is Beth, not talking bad about your name. It's a pretty name, but who I was when I went by that is not who I am now, and I've completely disassociated from it. It's just not *me* anymore.)
Oh, and thank you to the above poster for linking to that weddingfactorydirect site. I was just wondering if I'd be able to find jewelry sets for reasonable prices! That's great! Did you like everything you got from them?
My favorite gift was an embroidered bathrobe with my name. We all got matching ones that made for cute pictures, and I still wear mine.
I never got a worse gift, but for one wedding I didn't get a gift. I didn't mind because I knew the budget was tight, but it would have been nice to get a card. She definitely wasn't aware/into bridal etiquette or anything, so at the same time it wasn't surprising.
@liz.smith - I think the jewelry from Wedding Factory Direct is pretty good, but I wouldn't buy anything on there that's too cheap. What I did actually was order like 3 necklace/earring sets I liked from them and then once I got them in the mail, I picked the one I think looked the nicest/the best with the dresses. The one set I didn't end up picking did look kinda cheap, but I really love the set I ended up getting, I even bought an extra necklace for myself! This is the necklace: http://www.projectwedding.com/photo/list/kitty25kat25?photo_to_show=568295&thumbs_page=3
Like I mentioned, I don't think the girls will necessarily wear the jewelry again, and there's 7 of them, so I knew I couldn't find something they'd all like. I always feel bad when I get an expensive necklace as a bridesmaid gift, but i know it's not something I'll likely wear again. And it's not because it wasn't a gorgeous necklace, it's just everyone has different tastes - I was worried even if I got Tiffany's, someone would just put it away in a drawer.
I've never been a BM, but I think if I were the gifts I would most enjoy would be the ones I could reuse. That, or helping with the cost of something BM related e.g. shoes, dress, etc.
The worst would probably be something someone would spend lots of money and I wouldn't ever use again.
I was a bridesmaid and I wasn't very fond of our gifts. The bride made us neckaces to wear, but they were not that pretty and poorly done (on girls broke the morning of the wedding) and an engraved heart shaped gift box with our name and her wedding date on it to hold the necklace. I hate it because it takes up so much room and is probably worth more than what is in it. The groomsmen got gerber tools which I thought was much cooler.
There are really some great ideas here. (And some really bad ones...the sewing kit and the wrong name purse!) I really love the idea of PJs!
HAHA! I just had to comment on Quirkyparsnip's post, giving your BMs a box with your wedding date on it!! Wow!
I too got a box engraved with the bride's wedding date on it. It's huge, and takes up a lot of room. We all got the same necklace and earrings.
On the other hand, I've been in weddings where we all got different jewelery but within in the same theme that I love. I agree that the personalization is key.
I got the same box! I don't know where it is, so it was definitely not one of my favorites. I got the homemade jewelry that I have never worn before also, they also had an engraved champagne flute at the girls seats and engraved beer mug at the boys seats when we got to the reception.
My cousin got married last year and she got everyone a sweatshirt. One of the groomsmen was a tattoo artist, so he designed something for them. It was something that represented their wedding and where it was and them. It only had their intials on it in one place and they were small so it wasn't glaring "wedding". The good thing was that my hometown is where the wedding was held so I had interest in it. I'm sure some of the people from out of town (i.e. the groomsmen) weren't as fond of it. It was a really nice sweatshirt and I still wear it. It all depends on the design I guess.
@Duckling: the embroidered bathrobe idea is just the kind of thing I was looking for. Thanks for the idea!
I really love the idea of a spa gift basket. I would definitely put them together myself -- it may end up costing more than buying a premade one, but I think it will be lovely to handpick the items for each girl, and to make sure that you are using good quality, eco-friendly products.
Here's what Im thinking I would linclude:
~Body Butter (Im crazy about the Body Shop)~Body Scrub~Possibly bath bombs, salts, or some other kind of oil or something, but Im not sure how many people actually use this stuff, I don't want to get them things they won't use~Loofah~Soy Candles~Home Fragrance Oil~Oil Burner~Tea Lights~Personalized Matches~Maybe some kind of "self help" book -- I recently got two small books from a pier one, they are titled "rejuvinate" and "refresh", and inside have tons of tips and ideas on slowing things down and taking time for yourself. They were really cheap, I think 2.50 each...maybe I should go back and get more!~I think it would be really cute to include some sort of zen garden, but maybe thats going overboard
I would probably put it in some kind of lined seagrass basket (the kind that they sell for around the home storage), that way they would likely reuse the basket.
Does this sound like something people would actually use?
I just read this post: http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/purse-hooks-as-bridesmaids-gifts
And I think the ideas there would probably be really good ones. I don't think it would be anything someone would consider a "worst" kind of gift.
I think that spa baskets would be awesome. I would really appreciate one as a BM!
Worst gift: unattractive earrings that gave my ears a rash!
Best gifts: beach tote with my name embroidered. I've used it for 7 straight years!
I live near a Dooney and Bourke outlet and they had a major sale at the beginning of this month. I got most of my girls purses, but I know that one of my BM's does not carry a purse so we'll probably get her a gift certificate.
I've only been a maid twice, but I'd say my favorite gift was a silver, monogrammed keychain. I don't know why I like it so much. It's just simple, chic, and stylish, and I still use it 6 years later. :)
I think the key is to give your girls something that is personalized to them and isnt' all about your wedding day. My FI was his sister's 'man of honor' and she gave him a pocket watch (awesome) with her wedding date engraved in it (not so awesome). I'm sure her husband would love something like that, but why the heck would her brother want to look at her wedding date every time he checks the time? It's just so self-centered to assume that the whole world is desperate to remember the date of your wedding!
I've only been given terrible bmaids gifts so I'm a little nervous about what my girls will think of theirs!
My favorite worst gift was a picture frame from the dollar store. I'm not knocking the dollar store, I've scored some pretty cool things there, but when I unwrapped the frame the whole back fell off, the wood was all dinged up, it was awful. And it didn't even have a picture in it, just the generic smiling grandma and kids. It wasn't that they didn't have enough money to get something nice, they and their parents are fairly comfortable financially, so none of us in the bridal party could figure out why we all just ended up with a cheap picture frame.
Runners up include a pink plastic jewelry box with my name spelled wrong, and a magazine subscription to Fitness Magazine (Not sure if that was supposed to be a hint, since I'm SO not fit?!).
I love the idea of a spa basket, so I might steal that for my girls too! This is a great thread! :)
When I asked my girls to be a bridesmaid and my guy friend to be my bridesman, I had silver fortune cookies made with a note inside that said "I'd be lucky to have you in my wedding" and then the outside of the cookie has the wedding date faintly engraved in it. I also handemade cards that said "It's hard to believe that in just a little while Mr. X and I will be walking down the aisle. Nothing would give me more joy or pride than to have you there by my side. Would you be my bridesmaid?" (I got that saying for the card from a website). I also got the ladies little satin sachets shaped like a bridesmaid dress. I then sent them off to each friend since they are all out of state. They all thought that was really cool. (see pics below of finished product!)
Now I am needing and getting great ideas from you gals on what to get them all for the actual bridesmaid gift. Thanks for posting all of your ideas and suggestions as to what was really bad and what you all liked--it's very helpful.
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FYI: For those looking for embroidered monogrammed bags, I got 10 (yes TEN) bags for $40.00 on eBay (including shipping, different full name embroidery on each bag), and even got to choose my custom color of bag and thread! I have 9 bridesmaids, yes 9! I come from a VERY large Hispanic family! LOL. So I got everyone a bag plus one for me!! And Wal Mart is currently having a sale on their terry cloth wraps with straps for those brides who want to get something for their bridesmaids to wear while getting ready; they have very cute colors and various designs, normally they sell for $10 or $15 each, but I got them for $2.50! With 9 bridesmaids you have to find ways to save money!! I also got 18 k gold heart (over sterling silver) necklaces for less than $5.00 each during a sale at Wal Mart (normally $35.00). Target has manicure sets and several other items that I used to fill each bag. I also added a purse ($2.50 at the Bath and Body outlet) and shaw to match their dress and several items geared towards that particular bridesmaid. On line searches are great and of course esty.com has great hand made things as well. Just wanted to let my fellow brides now about the current sales, which are in the stores and are not listed on line….I checked!
I am planning on making my maids a clutch and filling it with a pair of pearl earrings (different color pearls for each--white, peach and black), and maybe personalized hankies (I'm hoping to enlist my mom as slave labor or at least a tutor to embroider them myself). We're not a terribly girly group, and I'm not entirely sure if I'm making the right choice. What do you think, is that ok?
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I've only been in one wedding, and at the time I didn't even realize that the bride was supposed to give gifts to her attendants, but in retrospect the gift wasn't so hot. We all got exactly the same generic fake-pearl drop necklace to wear for the wedding. I still have the necklace, but I've never worn it again. This seems like an especially poor gift choice when I consider the fact that I was the maid of honor. I mean, I tied some 150 tiny bows while the bride cried about the icing on the groom's cake, you know? Hah. Not a terrible gift, but looking back, it rubs me the wrong way. I'm not a fan of giving everyone the same thing, particularly if it's something you know several of the girls wouldn't purchase or use.
I'm really excited about buying gifts for all the ladies in our wedding party. All the gifts will be different -- I'm thinking etsy is my friend :)
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I'm paying for the maids manis/pedis the day before as well as their hair on the day of. Even though that's adding up to quite a bit of $- I was also thinking of having something physical made? hmmm....
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Worst: These huge 80's style big fake pearl earrings to wear at the wedding. Ones I would never wear again.
Best: Simple silver necklace. Oh and having part of my dress paid for.
I've never been a bridesmaids, but I can tell you what I got them. For the gifts I presented that at the RD, I gave them pink reefs to wear after the ceremony, fake pearl earrings, fake pearl necklace with ribbon tie to match their dresses, and stationary I goccoed with their names on it. After reading this post, I didn't know fake pearls were so despised. I figured they'd never wear them again, so why waste the money. I also paid for their dresses, shoes, and for their to be done. I pretty much made it so all they had to do was show up at the right time on my wedding day.
I have been looking all over for great bridesmaid gifts- I don't want to do the usuals, but I don't want to spend a ton either. I found this great website online- www.hotlunchdates.com that has creative dates all packaged up in these cute little lunchboxes. Why not give my brides a little (fun) romance of their own? I don't know what you're looking for, but these are ADORABLE and really not expensive at all!
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I've never been a BM, but hopefully my girls will like what I'm getting them:
- makeup bags filled with some makeup - I'm making the bags myself with material I picked out for each girl
- pedicure kits I put together for each girl
- $30 "matchcards" to be used at the hotel where we'll be staying that weekend - can be used for all the fun activities the facility has, including bowling, laser tag, arcade games, etc.
- engraved Bibles w/ their names on them
- shawls to wear at the wedding
- I put $75 toward each dress so they only have to pay $30
Does this seem like enough? They can do whatever they want for hair and jewelry, so I haven't offered to pay for them. Oh, and I'm paying for their lodging for the weekend as well.
best: handwritten note with a personalized gift (monogrammed anything works nicely!)
worst: a paperweight
best- sterling silver and freshwater pearls to wear at the wedding, and those slippers with the mesh and beading from china town (LOVE THEM!)
worst- an ID bracelet with my name on one side and HER initials and wedding date on the other side.
Like everyone else said, make it meaningful for the BM if u are going to go through the trouble of getting them something. You don't want to spend $$ for them to donate it to charity or relegate it to the bottom of the closet... If the bracelet had only had my name on it I would have LOVED it. :)
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lol these are all hilarious!
Best- the bride bought the dresses! we were in college still and the $160 would have been a LOT, i'd way rather have the dress paid for than some jewelry i might not wear!
Another friend knew about my proposal before I did, so she told me she forgot to order the gifts at the wedding since she knew I was getting engaged the Monday after. I got home from her wedding trip engaged, and a planning book and bridal bargains were waiting for me on my door! Best present.
Probably the worst was a build a bear. We were friends when we were little, but bears haven’t been my thing since I was about 9.
Lastly my friend just this summer found a local place where she could rent a salon and we had a makeover/ manicure party before the wedding. It was really fun and relaxing and nice to show she cared! She is my MOH and has already thrown me an amazing engagement party, and gone down to san fran to go dress shopping (8h trip
That being said, I definitely don’t have it in my budget to buy the dresses for my girls, so I am thinking charm bracelets with charms that mean stuff for each relationship. I think I can make them pretty cheap and have them be special. (I also picked a dress that was on clearance since I can’t help pay). But I want to do something unique with each girl to say thanks too, like go for lunch or a martini or something.
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The best bridesmaid gift I received was a cashmere coach scarf.
For my bridesmaids, I paid entirely for their dresses. I'm hoping that they like that!
Worst gift? I really haven't been a bridesmaid enough to judge...but I'm thinking probably poorly made cheap jewelry would kinda stink!
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