What to Buy Your Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids are nearly always enlisted to help the bride on her big day. They perform important functions including helping with the wedding planning. Being a shoulder to cry on when the stress gets too much and keeping you, the bride buoyant on the day even though you’re suffering from nerves is of huge benefit.

At the ceremony, bridesmaids arrange your dress, hold your flowers and generally just ‘be there’ to celebrate the happy occasion with you. Later, at the reception, they hand out cake, assist you with your makeup touch-ups and do whatever else is required to ensure the smooth running of the event. Deciding what to buy your bridesmaids is essential so that you thank them adequately.

Give a gift with thought

Shopping for bridesmaid gifts is a pleasurable experience. Usually, the young ladies a bride chooses are long-standing friends, or close relatives with whom she has grown up. In your own case, you will have a history of treasured memories, you’ll know their favorite colors, what they like to do in their spare time, what they’re interested in and the kind of personalities they have. It’s important that you buy your bridesmaids gifts that are tailored to what they enjoy. Giving a generic gift, the same thing to each bridesmaid, is like saying that although they worked hard for you, their interests don’t matter.

Think personalized and think individuality. Buying your bridesmaids something special will remind them of your day whenever they look at it or use it. You don’t want it to be a reminder of what a cheapskate you are or how you only had time to consider your wants and needs.

The same, but different

If you don’t want to show favoritism to anyone, you can buy all your bridesmaids the same thing but have it engraved or monogrammed with their name or initials. A gold charm for a bracelet or necklace, engraved with the bridesmaids’ names can be worn on the wedding day. Beautiful, luxurious, plush bathrobes monogrammed with the owner’s name are always appreciated. Or how about giving each an engraved watch?

Individualize

Each of your bridesmaids will probably have her own character traits that stand her out from the others. One may be your shoulder to cry on, the source of your warmest hugs, the one with all the answers who always knows just the right thing to say.

Another may be the cheeriest, sweetest young lady who can make you laugh even when you’re fretting. And again, you may have a bridesmaid who is no-nonsense and can make things happen even when the odds seem insurmountable. Buy your bridesmaids gifts that embrace their personality and show that you really appreciate and know what they brought to your special day.

Match the mood of the wedding

Your wedding may be a formal soiree with everyone in after-five gowns and tuxedoes. Or it may be a casual get-together in your parents’ beautifully decorated backyard. It could even be a colorful, exciting extravaganza with special effects, fireworks and all-night partying.

It can be really fun to buy your bridesmaids something that goes along with the mood of the wedding. Consider gift certificates for overnight stays at a 5-star hotel for the first, a framed arrangement of pressed spring flowers for the second, or a weekend cruise on a party liner for the third … all of these are fabulous ideas, but work within your budget.

Don’t leave your gift shopping till the last minute. These girls will be your ‘right hand ladies’ in the lead-up to your wedding day and they will be there for you on the day and even for weeks afterwards, to help you settle into your marital home. Work out what you hope to buy your bridesmaids well in advance of the wedding so they’ll know you thought highly of them and appreciated everything they did for you.