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Wedding Wednesday: Bridal Party Gifts
Now that I saved approximately $480 on bridesmaid dresses, I feel like I can splurge on bridal party gifts. The hard part will be picking what to give. Should I go for an “heirloom” piece or something fun and functional? Here are some ideas I looked at while brainstorming:
1. Picture Frame– This would be cute for a wedding photo after.
2. Vase – This curvy Aalto vase is a modern classic.
3. Gold Bangle – This is the sort of thing I would wear all the time. My current favorite.
4. Perfume Bottle – Delicate and super girly. The Conran Shop has a couple different styles.
5. Cashmere Throw – Yeah, I would love to have this too.
6. Pearl Studs – A classic from Macy’s.
7. Sun Jar – It’s a nice sentiment.
8. Cheese Set – Mmm…fancy cheese. They also have this Fabergé pattern in a cake set and salad tongs.
I’ve never been a bridesmaid, so I’m not sure if these are appropriate. At the last wedding we photographed all 6 bridesmaids got 60″ strands of pearls, way beyond my budget. What presents have you received for being a bridesmaid?
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I’ve been a bridesmaid twice. The first time, the bride gave us a pearl earring and necklace set. The second time, the bride gave us a bottle of flavored alcohol and set of shotglasses. I honestly can’t tell you which one was the better gift – I appreciated them both. 🙂
I haven’t been a bridesmaid (though I am one right now!) but I gave mine each a different necklace… Red Envelope had cool semiprecious stone necklace in silver or gold with a really simple pendant, and I picked different combinations depending on what each girl would like. I put them in neat little leather gift boxes. Not very original, but everyone seemed to like them. I’d wanted to seek out different vintage costume jewelry for each (one girl loves kenneth jay lane animal cuffs, etc.) but I ran out of time and energy!
This is definitely a thing to figure out and cross off the list now instead of panicking right before the wedding. You are so organized!
One wedding I was in, I was given jewelry to wear for the wedding. Maybe give something that they can wear often and is a reminder of that day. I always value those the most.
lovely ideas. 🙂
Most of the times I’ve been a bridesmaid, I’ve received jewelry to wear for the weeding. (I also now have three pairs of pearl earrings as a result.) For my own wedding, my husband and I thought long and hard about what to give everyone in the bridal party and wanted to be sure to give them something they would use. Since food is a passion of ours, we gave gift certificates to restaurants near their homes. They loved them. It was obviously a different take on the bridesmaid present, but one that worked for us!
To Suse’s point, I avoided giving jewelry to wear *for* the wedding because I’d heard a few people talk about being given stuff that was the bride’s style, not theirs, for the sake of uniformity… But it sounds like Kelly had a positive experience with it, so I guess mileage varies!
I vote gold bangle.
Pearls: Every girl should have a pair of pearl earrings. They’re lovely and classic and go with virtually any style. I received a Tiffany pair as a “thank-you” from my boss a couple years back, and they’ve become quite the staple.
I love the cashmere throw…maybe monogrammed with their initials in a color they love would give it a more personal touch. Pearls are great, but a lot of people already have pearl studs, so you may end up giving something that they already have.
The gold bangle is perfect. Who wouldn’t love that?
I too vote “no” on the pearls. Unless your bridesmaids are 18 or under, they likely already have a pair. Any of the other ideas are great, I think the gold bangle is my favorite.
I was a recent bridesmaid and received a pashmina throw. They complimented are dresses and kept us very warm during the ceremony (we were on a windy cliff!).
When I got married, I bought each of my bridesmaid’s a different and unique pendant (like for a charm bracelet) and a chain. This went with my bridal jewelry as I was wearing a simple pendant and chain of my mother’s. Look at jamesavery.com. They have initials and engravable charms as well.
Id lean toward the cashmere wrap. Luxurious but very practical and sure to get a lot of use.
Jewelery is nice, but not everyone has the same taste. I love the pearls, but have several pair…and the bracelet is pretty, but I dont wear gold at all. If you know all your bridesmaids wear gold, that wouldnt be an issue.
Is there anything you hand-make that your bridesmaids have always coveted?
i vote for the gold bangle or cashmere throw.
(seeing as i am wearing both right now.)
i got this weird necklace when i was in my brother’s wedding. if you’re going to go jewelry, best to go for a classic piece.
I really like the perfume decanter, but any lady would be lucky to get any of these lovely gifts.
I gave my six girls earrings for the wedding from Dasha Boutique and little makeup bags from 1154 Lill Studio. The earrings were all the same, but I tried to match the fabric choice for the bag to each lovely lady’s style.
#6
Having been a bridesmaid 7 times now – soon to be 8, I’ve received all sorts of gifts and sometimes, nothing at all. Many times I’ve been given jewelry to wear on the day of the wedding and other times I’ve been given a lotion/perfume set from bath & body. Personally, I think that the perfume bottle would be a great gift – this is something that I would always treasure. 🙂
I am a big fan of something they use during the wedding, but can also use after. I gave mine gift baskets filled with lots of stuff , a necklace, smoky topaz to with the mocha dresses, jeweled compacts, bath and body works stuff, fancy candy and more…Who doesn’t love a gift basket!?!
the best bridesmaid gift I ever received was from my college roommate’s wedding: a pewter cuff bracelet with my monogram.
This wedding was quite a looong time ago (I’m not telling!) but I still wear that bracelet today.
I love it.
-Annie
I woudl love to get either the bangle or the throw. Pearl studs are a classic, but I already have 2 pair.
Agreed with all. Pearl studs are great, but most people own a pair. I was going to vote for the gold bangle, but I second the fact that I don’t wear gold at all… one other thing to consdier is wrist size. Mine are so small I can’t wear normal bangels, and so peoples might be bigger. That said, if you consult with your girls on that, it would be lovely. Also lovely, the throw. No matter what you give them or don’t give them, I’d follow up with a picture of you both on the wedding day in a silver frame. We’ll do that, and give everyone a card saying we’re picking out something just for them on our honeymoon (which is what I’d want myself!)
I vote for the cashmere wrap. Monogramed!
A friend of mine gave her maids antique cut class (or crystal)boxes. The type you keep on your dresser and store your commonly worn jewelery in.
She had to scour antique stores for them – so every maid’s was different and she picked which box suited each lady. And I think it’s sweet that she had to really look for them… rather than just click BUY – it made them special.
I’m soon to be a bridesmaid… 6 weeks & counting! I would love to receive the perfume bottle as I think it’s something each girl could keep forever & besides, it’s so pretty. I realise it’s traditional to receive jewellery and I know that’s what I am going to receive but it’s hard to match everyone’s taste.
Just a thought but I’m sure that whatever you choose will be perfectly lovely!
All lovely ideas…i vote for 3, 4 & 6.
I loved the sun jars online and ordered 7 for my backyard last summer. None of them work anymore. They are a great idea but not that great in real life.
I’d like to have the cashmere throw, so I say go with that. I like the idea of having them monogramed as well, except some people don’t like monogramed things (They must be crazy!) Good Luck.
Also, you don’t need to get them all the same thing. The best gifts I’ve gotten were individual gifts that the bride picked out for each of us.