As a bride, you will likely have the pleasure of receiving many gifts. Just as pleasant is the presentation of gifts to the people you wish to acknowledge at this important time in your life.
We offer here some suggestions for gifts. (If you are handy at crafts, go to Made for memories for further inspiration.)
Please choose from the following recipients:
The groom
Possibly the oldest wedding-gift tradition, still followed by many couples, is that of the bride and groom giving gifts to each other. These gifts should reflect your commitment, and therefore be something that will last a long time. Items that can be engraved with the entwined initials of the bride and groom and/or the wedding date are especially appealing. However, it is not necessary to spend a lot of money; sometimes a heartfelt message can be delivered in the form of a sentimental, homemade token.
- a handmade box to hold his jewelry or stamps and paperclips
- a tree seedling
- a sweater you've knitted yourself with the pledge to always keep him warm
- a fancy one-of-a-kind or custom-made vest
- engraved cuff-links
- a dress watch engraved with your wedding date
- a specialty desk clock
- a love poem or song you've written yourself
- a pledge of your undying love, written in a beautiful greeting card or inscribed in the front of a special book
The maid of honor and bridesmaids
- a matching set of fashion jewelry (necklace and earrings) to wear for the wedding
- a homemade all-season wreath
- a crystal vanity dish
- an engraved pen
- a silver or crystal-handled letter-opener
- an engraved compact
- a cut-crystal caddy/lidded jar for the dining table or dresser
- engraved silver heart-shaped earrings
- a crystal perfume bottle
- a monogrammed silver compact
- a silverplated bracelet engraved with initials
- a silverplated or crystal bud vase
- a figurine
- a crystal ring holder
- a crystal atomizer
- a silver or crystal short candlestick
- a sterling-silver, silverplated, or sculpted-glass picture frame
- a fancy clock
- a monogrammed address book
Tradition dictates that the help given by the maid of honor and bridesmaids be acknowledged with gifts. These should be chosen to reflect the style of your wedding day. Though it is simpler to give all the bridesmaids identical gifts, the modern bride is not bound to this rule. However, if gifts are chosen to reflect your attendants' individual interests or tastes, the value of each gift should be the same. Choose with care, keeping in mind that these mementos will be cherished for a long time. Monograms add a personal touch and enhance sentimental value.
The gift for the maid of honor is often different from the bridesmaids', to reflect her larger contribution to the wedding planning and the special role she plays on the day.
Though your time will be at a premium as your wedding day grows closer, do take the time to put some thought into how you will present your gifts. A thank-you gift that has been wrapped with care shows how much you value the recipient's friendship and support. Enclose a card with a short note mentioning the role the recipient is playing in your wedding and anything they did during your wedding preparations that especially touched you.
There are two occasions when presenting your attendants with their gifts is timely and thoughtful. The first is to host a bridesmaids' party. Whether a casual get-together at home or a formal luncheon or dinner at a restaurant, this event provides an intimate moment for you to address your sentiments and thanks to your attendants only. The other option is to choose a moment during the rehearsal dinner to present your gifts. This allows you and your fiancé to make a joint speech or toast in which you share your thanks to your attendants with your family and close friends.
The flowergirl
- a homemade teddy-bear bride
- a faux-pearl bracelet or necklace
- a children's figurine
- a silver or pewter tooth-fairy box
- a music box
- a pretty picture frame holding a picture of the bride with the flowergirl on the wedding day
- a personalized T-shirt (buy washable fabric-decorating supplies from a crafts store and make your own T-shirt tribute)
- a homemade drawing kit containing crayons, paper, etc.
- - great for keeping busy hands occupied during the reception, too.
- a new lunch box
- a promise to take her to a feature movie
The ring bearer
- a silver or pewter tooth-fairy box
- a music box
- a personalized T-shirt (buy washable fabric-decorating supplies from a crafts store and make your own T-shirt tribute)
- a homemade drawing kit containing crayons, paper, etc. - great for keeping busy hands occupied during the reception too.
- a new lunch box
- a promise to take him to a feature movie
- a picture frame holding a picture of the bride and groom with the ringbearer on the wedding day
Your parents
A modern trend is to give gifts to your parents. One popular option is a gift that symbolizes the ties that bind you to them even as you start your own family. Your grandparents', your parents', and your own wedding portraits, all framed together, make a gift that fits this category beautifully.
Other suggestions:
- your engagement or wedding portrait in a silver picture frame engraved with the wedding date
- a bouquet of flowers, perhaps an arrangement that echoes the colors and style of the bride's bouquet, to be delivered to your parents' home the morning after the wedding
- an engravable silver tray
- silver or crystal candlesticks
- a figurine
- a piece of art
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