Best bridesmaid gifts?

[jacks888]

Coming out of lurking to ask what were the best little gifts you've received as bridesmaids. I would love ideas! Also - is it weird to give something that you won't necessarily use the day of the wedding? Like a jewelry holder?

[acr]

Best I got was a gorgeous apron from anthropologie

[underwaterrhymes]

I think the best gifts are not ones that you use at the wedding, but rather ones that take each individual person's likes and dislikes into mind.

[McGavin]

I can only remember one gift out of four weddings that I've been in. It's a bracelet, it's very nice but I don't think I've ever worn it besides the day of that wedding.

[auntie]

I'm not a huge fan of costume jewelry to be worn day of as a "gift".

Something individual is always nice. When my niece got married 12 years ago, she gave her BMs Coach wristlets with a small GC to Starbucks (which was sort of an inside joke). DS's old babysitter gave her BP each a pair of LLBean wicked good shearling slippers. They weren't supposed to be worn day of, but there are photographs that say otherwise. She also paid for their custom BM dresses, so they were kind of a gift as well.

I bought my MOH a handknit Scottish sweater from my honeymoon.

[ladystardust]

I've gotten jewelry a few times that I never really wore again. I'm not much if a jewelry person though. I recently received a pretty silk floral robe as a bridesmaid gift and I thought that was nice. We wore them in the morning while getting ready but I definitely will still use it. I gave different glass vases to each bridesmaid. Tried to pick something that seemed like their style. Not sure how much they are used though.

[incognitony]

A gift card to get my hair done for the day of the wedding, and a gift card for a mani/pedi

[achi]

Apr 27, 2015 7:24:01 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

I think the best gifts are not ones that you use at the wedding, but rather ones that take each individual person's likes and dislikes into mind.

Agreed! I tailored each of my BM gifts to their individual interests and they were all so pleased. In my area the traditional gift is jewellery that the BMs are supposed to wear for the wedding, so I think they were pretty relieved when I told them to just wear whatever silver toned jewellery with clear stones they wanted. I figured we all have stuff like that already.

For the last wedding I was in, the bride covered the cost of our hotel room since it was OOT rather than giving gifts. That was much appreciated after spending $400+ on the dress and alterations.

[Deleted]

These are things I've received and appreciated:

1. Silver beaded clutch. I use it all of the time.
2. Pearl earrings.
3. The bride paying for that goddamn hideous dress was gift enough for that wedding.
4. Cash. One bride ran out of time and just gave us all $50 cash.
5. Booze. Bottles of wine or liquor.

[gummybear]

I told each BM I was looking for a new perfume and asked them what their favorite was/one that they were dying to own next. Then I bought them what they suggested.

Sneaky me!

[papie]

I was only a bridesmaid once, and my cousin gave me the same gift I gave my own bridesmaids: paying for the dress/hair/makeup and a framed picture of me and the bride afterwards. 

[cabbagecabbage]

We gave the bridesmaids black pearls, not to be worn at the wedding, and paid for hair and makeup. We gave the groomsmen special ordered chucks that they wore. I wish we had skipped the pearls and given everyone chucks.

[prettyinpearls]

I’ve only been in 2 weddings, and both times I received jewelry. When I was reader, I got the same super-long strand of pearls that the BM’s received, and I wear it quite often. When I was a BM, all of us got a really nice ($$$) pearl necklace and earring set that we wore in the wedding. I also wear it quite often.

But…I’m also the one who wears pearls in some form or fashion every single day, so there’s that, too.

[isabel]

I gave different gifts to my bridesmaids. A nice bottle of wine to one, specialty drink glasses and beer to another, and something I can't recall for the third.

I think they all really liked and appreciated their gifts. They had nothing to do with the wedding.

I was a grooms woman in my best friend's wedding in January. He gave me a really nice bottle of wine and I got the bridesmaid gift as well, which was a pashmina to be used during photos and a robe to be used while getting ready. Those were nice as well and practical. I can definitely use them again.

[underwaterrhymes]

I've been in 12 weddings and honestly can't remember most of the bridesmaids gifts.

I did get a really beautiful rosebud base at one, and thought that was nice.

I had 12 bridesmaids and struggled with figuring out affordable but personal gifts. I wound up giving them beach totes in their favorite colors filled with: brown flip flops and bracelets my stepmom had made, (the only things for the wedding, although the bracelets didn't have to be worn and were cute and not fancy enough to wear another time if they wanted) along with lotion in their favorite scents, a different book each that I thought they'd enjoy, personalized note cards, and a bunch of their favorite snacks. I think they liked and appreciated them but I'm also fairly certain that seven years later none of them are recalling with fondness that awesome bridesmaid gift they got at our wedding. Probably, like me, they don't remember what they got at most weddings they've been in.

We gave the groomsmen personalized (with their names, not with our wedding date) magnetic beer openers that have a pouch under it to catch the caps to put on their fridge and a six pack of their favorite beer. That was a big hit.

[TrudyCampbell]

Gift card to Sephora
Weekend/overnight bag
Simple gold chain necklace with a single pearl

Worst gift IMO is a piece of jewelry that matches the bridesmaid dress but you'll never wear again. I've gotten lots of those.

[shamrockshake]

one of my favorites was a really pretty throw blanket with my monogram. I agree that anything for YOUR wedding/ referencing your wedding isn't a good gift. Exception being my one friend who gave us very pretty necklaces to wear that day but they were just pretty statement necklaces, not "wedding" jewelry, both myself and another bridesmaid who I am also friends with have worn them several times since

[leancuisine]

I paid for their hair, makeup and the hotel suite we all stayed in before the wedding. I didn't care what jewelry/shoes they wore with the dress. As the wedding was not in any of their hometowns (2 hour drive) I tried to make their expenses minimal. It was appreciated.

[Eagles]

I gave each girl a bottle of wine, a different Lolita wine glass, the bracelet they wore for the wedding, and personalized notecards. My Jr bridesmaid got a Lolita ice cream bowl instead. They also had individual vases on their tables at the reception for their bouquets.

[pantsparty]

Money towards their dress.

[kellykapowski]

My hair and makeup done. Seriously, I'd take that 100 times over any little well meaning trinket I likely wouldn't use. Or the perfume thing someone mentioned would be really nice too.

[nikki25]

I have been in several weddings. Honestly, the best gifts were for them to pay for my hair and/or make-up the day of. I never used any of the jewelry, especially the earrings because I am allergic to almost all metal so it would just be wasted, but, I never wore any of the necklaces or bracelets either.

Oh I totally forgot, but I was given an awesome blanket monogrammed with our ( DH and I) initials which matched our wedding invites. I was married only 6 months before her and she was my MOH. It was incredibly thoughtful.

[delawarejen]

I've never gotten anything I actually wanted (and worse yet, if it's engraved or monogrammed you can't give it to Goodwill). I once received a snowglobe!

Money towards the dress, or paying for hair/makeup are good ones. I dislike jewelry as a gift, unless you really know the taste of the person you're buying for.

[Deleted]

My sister gave us personalized tote bags. I'm not sure I'd say it's an AMAZING bag but we've all used them quite a bit since then. It's just a canvas bag but it's a good size.

[tacoflavoredkisses]

I gave my bridesmaids each a pair of Kate spade earrings and a hanger with their name in the wire.

I've been a bridesmaid one time and my gift was a bracelet and clip on earrings I was required to wear. I didn't have pierced ears at the time but we couldnt possibly not all match.

[alicenelson]

Apr 27, 2015 8:15:33 GMT -5 FormerlyRR said:

We gave the groomsmen the silk Hawaiian shirts they wore in the wedding, and I gave my two ladies a beaded clutch (still wish I'd bought myself one), and filled it with fun stuff. I think perfume, lip balm, fancy kleenex, and a pretty necklace. I din't tell them to wear it, but they both did.
alicenelson, do you still use/have the clutch?

I do!  And the necklace, which I just wore last week.  I still have the fancy kleenex, too--it was too pretty to use!

[sugarbear]

I gave a personalized Lands End tote to each of my bridesmaids. Inside was a pashmina that coordinated with their BM dresses (though I didn't care if they used it) and a gift card to a nail salon that was local to each of them.

We gave the groomsmen flip flops with a built-in flask.

I think the best gift I got was a cute bracelet, but it's too delicate for me to wear every day. I don't change my jewelry much, so it just sits on my dresser. For two of the weddings I've been in, I don't think I got anything... at least, nothing memorable.

[pinkyp]

One of my favorite gifts I received was a leather travel jewelry case. I've used that thing tons in the 4 years that I've had it. 3 out of my 4 bridesmaids have mentioned that they got a lot of use out of the canvas totes that I had their gifts in. They were B/W damask with their first initials in their favorite color.

[LeggsBenedict]

I just gave them gifts I knew they would use. my moh got a coat I knew she wanted and my brother got tickets to see jim gaffigan.

[AHappierHour]

The first time I paid for their hair and makeup.

This time I think I'm going to do the same and give them nice flip flops.