What gifts will you give to your bridesmaids?

[KittyGolightly]

I'm getting mine handkerchiefs from Leontine Linens embroidered with their initials in French blue. I'm trying to decide what else to get for them. What are you planning to get for your BMs?

 

[slg47]

ooh, fun thread!

I am planning on making them pearl tin cup necklaces with coin pearls, and also maybe getting them some sort of cute clutch/wristlet?

 

[Autumnovember]

Originally, I was going to get them each a crystal pendant necklace but I decided I wanted to pay for half the cost of their dresses :

 

[KittyGolightly]

slg47 - How nice to get something handmade by the bride! The necklaces sound like they will be beautiful. Sadly, I'm not very crafty.

Autumnovember - I'm sure your BMs were very appreciative!

 

[kittybean]

My bridesmaids got Swarovski crystal haloed solitaire pendants as well as silk flowers to wear in their hair. I also paid for each of them to get either hair or makeup professionally done if they wanted it.

 

[Amys Bling]

thus far: black satin clutches, black pearl pendant necklace, black pearl stub earrings, and 1 fabric flower for their hair (bright lily about 3 inches big)... I am considering doing more but not sure.

 

[Autumnovember]

slg47 - How nice to get something handmade by the bride! The necklaces sound like they will be beautiful. Sadly, I'm not very crafty.

Autumnovember - I'm sure your BMs were very appreciative!

I hope!

Here is a question I'm curious about...if you feel comfortable sharing how much money was spent on the gifts?

P.s. I'm asking because I'm afraid I didn't spend enough!

 

[slg47]

slg47 - How nice to get something handmade by the bride! The necklaces sound like they will be beautiful. Sadly, I'm not very crafty.

Autumnovember - I'm sure your BMs were very appreciative!

I hope!

Here is a question I'm curious about...if you feel comfortable sharing how much money was spent on the gifts?

P.s. I'm asking because I'm afraid I didn't spend enough!

I haven't started on them yet!!! so I have no idea I might end up changing my mind, I definitely want to make the necklaces though!

 

[vc10um]

My girls are getting a DanielM rainbow bezel ring, a clutch, and my sister is getting a little something special for being my MOH.

 

[sillyberry]

The problem with shopping over a long period of time is that you keep adding things!

Right now, I have a clutch, robe, and earrings, all in an initial totebag. I really want to find something fun to put in the clutch - maybe a perfume rollerball or a lip gloss? I'm also paying for hair or makeup the day of the wedding, and I might pick up the mani-pedi the day before (still not sure about that).

In retrospect, they probably would have preferred if I paid for their dress and didn't buy them a bunch of stuff.

 

[KittyGolightly]

The problem with shopping over a long period of time is that you keep adding things!

Right now, I have a clutch, robe, and earrings, all in an initial totebag. I really want to find something fun to put in the clutch - maybe a perfume rollerball or a lip gloss? I'm also paying for hair or makeup the day of the wedding, and I might pick up the mani-pedi the day before (still not sure about that).

In retrospect, they probably would have preferred if I paid for their dress and didn't buy them a bunch of stuff.

Oh, how nice! I especially like the idea of the initial totebag!

 

[KittyGolightly]

Kittybean, AmysBling, and vc10um - thanks for sharing your gifts. I'd never heard of Daniel M before, and just looked up his stuff online. It's beautiful!

slg47 - I spent about $100/BM for the hankies, but it feels like such a token gift that I want to do something else as well. I am paying for their hair, but in my case, I don't really feel it's a gift because I needed to have the hairstylist come out to my hotel. It was the same price to do my hair or my hair + 3 girls, so it worked out perfectly. I almost want to get gift certificates for the girls, but it feels so impersonal. The other option I've been thinking about is this small china box from Tiffany's since I'm getting married in New York:

http://www.tiffany.com/Shopping/Item.aspx?sku=25842189

 

[sba771]

I got my girls each different clutches that fit their personalities, and wolf design jewelery boxes. I got one girl a scarf as she is into that. I also treated to their hair and makeup and let them where whatever they wanted at the wedding.

 

[OUpearlgirl]

I'm planning on making each of them an apron, personalized to them, and then giving them some fun kitchen items. I haven't decided exactly what, but probably colored spatulas, funky mixing bowls, etc.

I love to sew and cook all of the time, so I want to share part of me with them.

 

[Future Mrs. Sterling]

I bought a clutch for my MOH, shoes for my bridesmaid, pashminas for both of them, and I am paying to get their hair done the day of the wedding.

 

[4ever]

Depends on what dress she wants. If it's expensive and she really loves it I will pay for or help pay for that which I know she'd really appreciate. I'll also probably pay for her hair and makeup and her accommodation. If she does end up paying for her dress herself I'm thinking about a little diamond K (her initial) pendant and gold chain.....I guess it's easier when I only have the one!

 

[Echidna]

We've decided to pay all the costs associated with the wedding and forgo a gift. Thus, we'll purchased the MOH a dress, shoes, wrap, hair and make-up, jewellery, etc. The boys have had their suits hired, and we'll buy their shirts, ties/bowties, cufflinks, etc. as well (just not shoes).

I hope this is okay with all of them because I'm a bit worried we're not presenting anything as a "gift". I might wrap the cufflinks and jewellery for this purpose...

 

[legallyspoiled]

I gave each of my girls:
- a Lila Frances hanger
- a personalized compact mirror with their likeness on the front
- a jewelry box from ZGallerie
- $100 towards their dress
- makeup artistry for the big day

 

[jaylex]

I got my girls DanielM bezel pendant necklaces (blue topaz to match their dresses) and bracelets with their first initial engraved on them

Love the work DanielM did, btw!

 

[UnderBlue]

As a soon to be bridesmaid, I would much rather of had some of my dress or something paid for rather than some jewelry or purse I probably won't like.

I don't get the point of deciding to spend money on gifts and instead of helping lighten the load that you're forcing your bridesmaids to bear, buying them something they probably won't like or use.

 

[jaylex]

As a soon to be bridesmaid, I would much rather of had some of my dress or something paid for rather than some jewelry or purse I probably won't like.

I don't get the point of deciding to spend money on gifts and instead of helping lighten the load that you're forcing your bridesmaids to bear, buying them something they probably won't like or use.

Thanks for your input, under. But it sounds like you may have some bitterness towards your friend (the bride) that you may want to work out before you accept being in her party.
It's funny but when I was a bridesmaid, the bride paid for our shoes instead of getting us gifts. I found it a little strange that she would rather insist on us look like carbon copies than to get us something thoughtful. But it was a gift, and I was grateful for it (even though the shoes are a style I would have never picked on my own).

And what is the point? The point is that it is a gift!
I personally have known my bridesmaids for almost all of my life and I feel that by now I know many of their likes and dislikes. Of course one can never be certain that a recipient would like a gift, but then again, it's that way with pretty much all gifts, isn't it?

As you can probably tell, those of us who have responded to this thread are really excited about what we picked out for our bridesmaids, but when it's your turn please feel free to lighten the burdens you will have "forced" upon your friends by helping to pay for a dress that you probably picked out, not knowing whether or not they like it or would ever wear it again.

 

[KittyGolightly]

Eek, forced? I hope my friends don't feel forced into their bridesmaid duties! But your point is well taken, underblue.

 

[Guilty Pleasure]

I married in 2009, but here's mine:

MOH (my cousin) - her dress and a David Yurman ring. I also gave her the bracelet that her mother gave my mother for being in her wedding thirty plus years ago, which obviously cost me nothing, but it was sentimental.

Bridesmaid #1 (my little sister) - a professionally made picture book of our trip to Australia and cute handpainted letters of her name for her classroom (she's a teacher)

Bridesmaid #2 (my other sister) - blue topaz earrings

Bridesmaid #3 (husband's sister) - a Waterford ring holder because she had just received her college ring and engraved correspondence stationary. They were ivory foldover notecards. She was a senior in college and had lots of interviews and graduation gift thank-you-note-writing coming up.

Bridesmaid #4 (friend) - blue topaz earrings - her birthstone


House Party - personalized stationary - correspondence cards with their names embossed in their favorite colors

I also hosted a brunch for the bridesmaids, mothers, and grandmothers the day before the wedding at a bed and breakfast.

 

[Autumnovember]

As a soon to be bridesmaid, I would much rather of had some of my dress or something paid for rather than some jewelry or purse I probably won't like.

I don't get the point of deciding to spend money on gifts and instead of helping lighten the load that you're forcing your bridesmaids to bear, buying them something they probably won't like or use.

Thanks for your input, under. But it sounds like you may have some bitterness towards your friend (the bride) that you may want to work out before you accept being in her party.
It's funny but when I was a bridesmaid, the bride paid for our shoes instead of getting us gifts. I found it a little strange that she would rather insist on us look like carbon copies than to get us something thoughtful. But it was a gift, and I was grateful for it (even though the shoes are a style I would have never picked on my own).

And what is the point? The point is that it is a gift!
I personally have known my bridesmaids for almost all of my life and I feel that by now I know many of their likes and dislikes. Of course one can never be certain that a recipient would like a gift, but then again, it's that way with pretty much all gifts, isn't it?

As you can probably tell, those of us who have responded to this thread are really excited about what we picked out for our bridesmaids, but when it's your turn please feel free to lighten the burdens you will have "forced" upon your friends by helping to pay for a dress that you probably picked out, not knowing whether or not they like it or would ever wear it again.

Eh. It could go both ways, completely. I made sure that the dresses (2 different styles) I got for my BM's were dresses that they absolutely liked and would have picked out on their own because it was super important to me that they could be worn in the future for other occasions. My gift was paying for half the dress. I am very open with my friends and I asked their opinions on what they would rather have, a cute necklace that I picked out for them, or pay for half the dress....all asked for half the dress.

After reading this thread I decided that maybe that wasn't enough. So, again I am left with paying for half their make up or buying them a bracelet each. All of them have different styles in jewelry and I'm keeping in mind that one is planning her own wedding, another is trying to move into an apt, another has two kids, and the other just started a new job so money is tight for all. I'm opting for paying for half their makeup instead of getting a necklace/bracelet. For my friends, it works. They prefer it that way and so do I.

I wouldn't take what the Underblue said too seriously or even get offended, its an opinion, just as your own.

Underblue, I wouldn't have used the word "forced" because ultimately, it was your decision to be a bridesmaid in the first place. When we are consciously able to make choices, the decision we make is therefore not forced.

 

[Haven]

We married in 2008. We gave each bridesmaid one of those little iPods, I can't remember what they're called. iPod Pockets? Something like that. I also gave each a handwritten note and we paid for their hair and makeup the day of the wedding if they wanted to get that done.

I gave my MOH and sister a game for the Wii, Rock Star? Rock Idol? it has instruments and you pretend you're playing in a band. She really wanted it.

My sister is giving each of her bridesmaids a beautiful necklace from an etsy artist, and I'm decorating necklace boxes with quilled paper to make them look pretty.

My BFF gave me an awesome waffle robe for standing up in her wedding (among other things) that I still wear to this day.

 

[Amys Bling]

I think it depends on each person individually. My sister-in-law paid for our make-up and honestly I wished she got us something personal to have for the occasion. So I think it varies!

 

[Guilty Pleasure]

I offered to pay for my sister's dress instead of giving her a gift, but she preferred to receive a gift. I'd feel the same way, especially now that I make enough money to comfortably afford a bridesmaid dress, etc. I can see how someone would prefer to have some expenses paid for instead though, if we're being practical. (especially if the "gift" is meh )

 

[NakedFinger]

If I may...as a professional (wedding planner), the concept of the bridesmaid gift is to thank the person for being in your wedding. For all the help she has given you, money she has spent, time/effort she has put in, and for standing up there with you on the biggest day of your life.

While paying for things like the dress/shoes/etc. definitely help alleviate costs on their end, its not exactly thoughtful/meaningful. Giving them something as a keepsake, marking this time you shared together in your friendship, is far more meaningful. If you do pay for the dress, hair, etc, it is still nice to give some form of keepsake (doesnt have to be expensive). In my personal opinion, paying for shoes that you want them to wear anyway isnt really a "gift" for them. So while a nice thing to do, I would still give some form of gift as well.

I gave my girls pearls, and my MOH pearl earrings as well. Something they could always have, and probably wouldn't spend money on themselves. I had the mahogany box they came in engraved with their initials, and each girl got a very personal, hand written card from me thanking them. In addition to that though, I did have a bridesmaid luncheon that I paid for to thank them, and did pay for their hair and makeup that day as well. I think getting professional hair/makeup does is always fun, and not something people get done on a regular basis, so its a nice experience.

 

[pinki]

I had these vases made in jade green, blue and white. I had 5 bridesmaids and one attendant, all with very different tastes and personalities so it was hard to find something they would all like. I had 6 vases made, 2 in each color and wrapped them and let the girls just pick and swap if they wanted a color another girl got. They absolutely love them, and the birds matched our wedding theme. I get so happy when I'm in one of the girls houses and see the vase displayed!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/56243319/lovebirdies-vase-in-stock