About the Registry

One of the first questions that should come to your mind when you’ve been invited to a wedding is whether or not the couple has registered. This makes gift-giving super simple as they have told you exactly what they want and you’ll know you’re not buying a duplicate. The problem with registries is that many see them as impersonal so you are definitely within etiquette bounds to foray off the registry into something that they will always remember coming from you.

If you don’t know if the couple has registered or not, you can ask the bride’s parents or the members of the wedding party. Generally this info won’t be found on the invite and the couple will rely on word-of-mouth.

Money and Price

Wedding gifts can get expensive and you’re definitely not expected to go broke because your best friends got married. Pay what you can afford but you should expect to pay a little bit more if you brought a date to the wedding. Never take into consideration the style of wedding or reception they’re having. How much you spend on the wedding gift is about what you can afford, not them.

Many guests wonder if it’s appropriate to give cash as a wedding gift and it’s not only accepted and appropriate but it’s usually very welcomed! Make sure you do it properly though. Instead of handing the groom a fistful of cash at the reception, bring a cheque and quietly hand it to the best man or members of the family.

Timing

Once you’ve found the perfect gift, do not wrap it up and bring it to the wedding with you. If the couple has registered, they will provide an address where gifts can be sent and this can be done as early as several weeks before the wedding.

If you can’t attend the wedding or weren’t able to send a gift beforehand, proper etiquette states that guests have up until one year to send gifts. However, get the wedding gift as soon as possible and ideally before the couple returns from their honeymoon. This will prevent you from becoming ‘the guest who forgot the wedding gift’ – which is really poor etiquette.

To Send or Not to Send?

If you won’t be attending the wedding, etiquette states that you should still send a gift. After all, the gift is to symbolize your happiness for the couple, not an obligation because you received an invite.

Many couples choose to include, “No gifts, please,” on their invitations but don’t take this as law. It’s a nice gesture for the couple to make so that no one feels awkward about buying a gift but they’re not likely to refuse a small token of your congratulatory wishes, either.

Your bridesmaids, up until this point, have planned your bridal shower, stuffed invitation envelopes, helped take things to and from the different venues, and have gathered your RSVP list – not to mention acting as a middle man between you and everyone who has a question about the wedding! Your bridesmaids are playing such a big part of your wedding day because these are your closest friends and they have been happy to do all of this for you! But now it’s time to thank them in return for not only all of their hard work but also for all of their love and support and well, for just being your girls! Here are some great ideas to get you started.

Jewelry

Jewelry is by far the most traditional and most popular gift to give bridesmaids. Jewelry is not only great because just about everyone loves it but also because you can pick it out and make sure that everyone’s jewelry matches. You can choose anything from full jewelry sets to small bracelets or earrings. If you can personalize the gift by engraving it with the bridesmaids’ initials or your favorite quote or verse.

Flip Flops or Tennis Shoes

You may not think these are very elegant but they are gifts your bridesmaids will be eternally thankful for! Give them a pair of tennis shoes in the same color as their dress or use a silk ribbon in your wedding color and wrap it around the thongs of flips flops. When the ceremony’s over and it’s time to kick up their heels on the dance floor, your bridesmaids will be thrilled that their tootsies will be comfy!

Personalized Bags

If you know that all the women in your wedding party wear makeup, you can get them a personalized makeup bag with their name embroidered on the front. If you don’t know if they all wear makeup regularly, you can put together a small tote bag filled with products that they can pamper themselves with – foot soak, pumice stone, nail file, facial masks, and all different kinds of lotions and potions – everyone loves a good pampering!

Photo Albums or Picture Frames

Picture frames always make great gifts as everyone always seems to have a use for them but make these extra special by buying beautiful frames and placing in each one a picture of all of you at some point throughout the wedding planning process. Maybe there’s a particularly funny moment from your bachelorette party or a nice candid of you around the cake at your bridal shower – this will put a very personal touch on this kind of gift!

Photo albums are always nice and tell your bridesmaids that you will be delivering sets of photos to fill them with when you get them back. Remember not to give out the professional photos that you paid big money for but rather the candids that were taken. Buy a simple photo album and decorate it yourself with silk, ribbon, lace, and anything else that’s pretty!

The Modest Budget

Just because you don’t have a small fortune to spend on your bridesmaids gifts doesn’t mean that you can’t still get them beautiful jewelry sets. As with all things, you simply need to get creative. If you’re having your wedding in a church, you could buy jewelry sets with silver or gold cross necklaces and matching earrings. These are generally inexpensive and would fit the theme of the wedding very well. If you’re having a beach or summer wedding, you could give your bridesmaids jewelry sets of necklaces and bracelets made from seashells or coral. These will blend in beautifully, add to the theme, and look absolutely gorgeous!

The Moderate Budget

If you have a bit more room in your budget, you may want to consider birthstone jewelry sets for your bridesmaids. You can still make sure they all match by placing the stone in the same setting but this also makes for an extra-personal gift for your bridesmaids that they will cherish for years to come.

Rhinestone jewelry sets are another popular choice for bridesmaids’ gifts. These lend all the sparkle and elegance of diamonds without you having to spend more on them than your wedding!

The High-End Budget

The most traditional, and the most expensive, bridesmaids’ gifts are pearl jewelry sets. These go well with any dress and can be worn by anyone.

Don’t go overboard with the jewelry sets you give your bridesmaids. You do definitely want to show them your thankful by giving them something but they are also just as pleased and honored to be a part of your wedding. Plus, they definitely don’t want you to go into debt over what they wear as their jewelry for that day.

Whatever your budget, it’s also a nice idea to get the bridesmaids’ jewelry engraved, even if it’s just their small initials on the back of the necklace. This is a nice way to still make the gift personal to that specific bridesmaid. If the design you’ve chosen doesn’t allow for this, wrap a small note in with the gift telling her how thankful you are to have her as part of your big day!