You chose your bridesmaids because each one is special to you, right? Let each one know how much she means to you by avoiding impersonal, cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all gifts.
Give each person something sentimental that they’ll treasure forever.
Gifts can range from a business card holder with their name engraved to a spa retreat.
Other great choices? How about a picture frame engraved with the date of the wedding (tuck in a photo of the bride and bridesmaid later), a makeup bag or a Mont Blanc pen.
Younger members of the wedding party will be delighted with gift certificates to their favorite toy store. In fact, gift certificates are always a good choice.
Another option is for the bride to foot the bill for the attendants’ jewelry or clothes, or all the little essentials. If you’re going to insist each person look a certain way, provide their special earrings or whatever unifying object you desire.
Traditional attendant gifts aren’t always the best choices. Some girls have become frequent bridesmaids. How many silver plated bobbles does someone really want to have around to polish? Not everyone needs – or wants – an engraved flask, an engraved purse mirror or a silver bookmark.
Take time and think about the personality of each one of your bridesmaids and groomsmen, and then purchase something within the same price range for each one of them. The gifts will be more meaningful if each person’s gift is unique to him or her. Wrap them all in the same (or similar) paper, but make each personal.
To make your bridesmaids’ presents even more meaningful, include a handwritten note inside. Give each young lady a jewelry box to complement her bedroom color scheme. Inside, let each find a handwritten note describing your favorite memory of time spent with her and how much you value her friendship.
A week before the wedding, treat your maids to a leisurely lunch at a tearoom or your favorite restaurant. Tell them how much you appreciate them standing up for you, and their willingness to help with pre-wedding tasks. This is the perfect opportunity to give each one their gift.
Or wait until the rehearsal dinner and present their gifts while telling stories of how you met or something you shared in childhood. Just by sharing something special about each attendant with your friends and family, it will help your families get to know your attendants and help your good friends feel accepted into your new family.
OK, you’ve got the perfect man, perfect ring, perfect dress and perfect date. Now make sure you get perfect gifts.
Most couples just starting out are no longer just starting out. They aren’t leaving their parents’ homes or a dorm room to make a new home with mismatched hand-me-downs. The average couple is older now – she’s 27 and he’s 29 – and enjoying better education and career opportunities than brides and grooms in the past.
Those who are truly just starting out might register for everything from apple corers to VCRs, but what about couples who already have it all? They’re upgrading to new models of their old favorites or registering for unusual items, like honeymoon packages or big screen TVs.
So before you drag your beloved off to play laser tag with a store’s hand-held scanner guns, take stock of what you have, what you want and what you need. Arriving at the store prepared might save you from leaving frustrated or angry with each other.
Register for both expensive and inexpensive items, giving friends the opportunity to choose something you’ll love, no matter their budget.
Should you register at only one store?
Sticking with one store may seem easiest, but then you don’t have as many varieties. If your heart is set on china from one store but you found the perfect crystal elsewhere, why turn your back on one?
Don’t forget to make gift buying easier for your loved ones by registering online. Many stores upload your gift registry to their web site, which makes life easier for friends and relatives that live across the country or are unable to attend the ceremony.
During the registration process, don’t feel obligated to choose one of everything in each category. If you’re a tomboy at heart and can’t imagine serving guests on delicate china with dainty rosebuds, skip it and choose dishes that reflect your sense of style.
Do you have room for it? If there isn’t room for 12 place settings of formal china, crystal and silver packed away in your one-bedroom apartment while you finish grad school, you have two options. Either don’t register for it or make arrangements to leave it in Mom and Dad’s attic until you get settled.
Many stores leave your bridal registry file active for a year or more after your wedding date, giving busy or forgetful friends that couldn’t make it a chance to send a gift later. Be sure to ask about such policies when you register. It’s also wise to ask about your store’s return/exchange policy, just in case you change your mind – about the gift, not the wedding.
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