Did you know the average amount of money spent on a wedding in America is $22,000?
With everything else you have to focus on as you plan your wedding, you might forget about one of the most critical parts: bridesmaid gifts.
The women you have as bridesmaids help you out in countless ways to make your special day a dream come true, so showing them how much you appreciate their friendship and help throughout this time is essential.
Continue reading if you’d like to learn seven tips for choosing gifts for bridesmaids that they’ll genuinely love receiving.
As mentioned above, you’re likely spending a lot of money on your wedding, so adding one more thing to the list can seem overwhelming.
It’s worth it to splurge a bit to offer them gifts they’ll get use out of rather than ones that will end up in the trash days later.
At the same time, you need to stay within a budget so you don’t end up spending more than you can afford and stressing yourself out. Above all, be sure to spend the same amount on each person even if not everyone gets the same gifts.
A general rule of thumb is spending somewhere between $50 and $200 on their gifts. If they’re purchasing their own dresses, traveling for a bachelorette party, or spending a lot of their own money on your wedding for one reason or another, getting a more robust gift is an excellent way to say thank you.
Many wedding bridesmaids end up with gifts they won’t use after the wedding they’re in is over.
While it’s appropriate to get them themed gifts like a mug that says “bridesmaid,” or custom robes to get ready in, you should also work in items they’ll be able to use at other times.
Try asking yourself if you would be happy to receive things you’re considering purchasing as a gift in general. If the answer is yes, it’s a safe bet your friends will appreciate it as well.
Here are a few examples of some items you might offer as gifts:
All of these items are usable throughout the time they’re helping you plan your wedding and afterward.
If you choose to create a gift basket yourself, don’t just throw items in a bag and offer them to your friends. Instead, try to be creative about how you give the gift.
The packaging itself can even be part of the gift! Consider ordering customized tote bags and putting the rest of their gift inside.
You could also put the gift in duffel bags that can double as bags for them to use on your next girl’s trip!
A big part of receiving a gift is the unwrapping of it, so wrapping things creatively or using special packaging like was mentioned above can truly take your gift to the next level.
There’s no hard and fast rule for when to give your bridesmaids your gifts. So it’s up to you to choose when you think the right moment is:
One way you can handle the situation is by using the gifts as a way to ask them if they’ll be your bridesmaid.
Many people put together gift baskets with a card that asks the question on top and the gifts inside. Doing it like this adds a personal touch and shows them right from the beginning that you appreciate them being involved.
For some brides, the pivotal moment of the entire wedding planning process is when they choose their dress.
One unique way to ask them to be your bridesmaids is by surprising them and asking them to look at wedding dresses with you! You can then give everyone their gifts together and celebrate finding the dress you’ll walk down the aisle in at the same time.
Doing it this way acts as a little celebratory party in its own way.
Another option is to wait and offer your gifts once the wedding is over.
Doing it this way can be beneficial because it gives you time to focus on other things and gives you a way to say thank you after the event has come to a close.
You can even bring the gifts to the reception with you and give them away there. If you choose to do this, you might also give a brief speech thanking all the time and effort they put into helping your big day be a success.
No matter when you give them, they will undoubtedly just be glad you thought of them in the first place.
No matter how much you choose to spend on gifts, using your words to express how much, you love and appreciate someone is a gift in itself.
A handwritten card can go a long way in showing you care. If you aren’t able to spend as much as you’d like for one reason or another, focusing on the card and providing a small gift will be just as special as if you spent a significant amount.
You might even consider hand-making the cards or ordering customized cards for each person to enjoy.
The gifts for your bridesmaids don’t need to be physical items. You can stray from the norm and offer them an experience as a gift instead.
You know your friends best, so if they would enjoy something like this more it’s wise to take this route:
One great idea is taking everyone to the spa and treating them to a massage or other spa treatment.
Paying for them to get their nails done and be pampered for the day can take some stress away and create a wonderful memory to look back on.
Many bridesmaids take care of their hair and makeup on their own while the bride has hers professionally done.
You can shake things up and pay for them to get professional hair and makeup done for your big day too. Having their hair and makeup look perfect can help them feel special and result in out-of-this-world photos to look back on.
Another option is treating them to a meal out. Many women love to have brunch together.
If sipping on mimosas and talking the day away sounds appealing, this might be a good gift to consider.
If it doesn’t feel like enough just paying for their meals, you can still give each of them a small gift while you’re together.
As we mentioned earlier, it doesn’t matter when you give the gifts, but it does matter when you get them.
If you wait too long, you might get so busy with other things you forget about them altogether.
Or, if you’re getting married during prime wedding season, things you planned on ordering might be out of stock or taking longer to ship than usual.
Even if you plan on waiting until after the wedding to give gifts, have them ordered, packaged, and ready to be given well before then. Doing this will keep you from stressing about them for longer than needed and make sure you can get exactly what you want for each person.
When you’re choosing your gifts and getting them ready, encourage your partner to get gifts ready for the groomsmen as well. If you have couples in the wedding party, you might even collaborate and gift them something they can enjoy together.
Planning ahead of time will give you plenty of time to sort this all out.
The bottom line when it comes to giving bridesmaid gifts is putting thought into them, so you pick out something everyone will love, and how much you care shines through as you give them.
The seven tips found here should help you pick out incredible gifts your bridesmaids will love without a hitch!
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