BMs, What would *YOU* want as a gift?

sockmiser

With the wedding under two months away I'm starting to look into gifts for my lovely bridesmaids. But the question is,  what? I have 4 bridesmaids total, my two older sisters, my best friend of 9 years, and my 9 year old niece. They are all completely different people - so I have decided to getting them all matching gift will just not work. Beside does anymore really want matching monogrammed necklaces or totes? Nor will alcohol, as there is a minor and a Mormon among them. They have all been so helpful and supportive the last thing I want to do is get them gifts that suck. 

So my question to you all is, what would you like as a bridesmaid gift? Picture frames? Non matching jewelry? Scarf? Maybe a gift card for you and your man to enjoy together? Any and all ideas are greatly appreciated! 

LarraO2530

I think since you already know a uniform gift won't do, taking each girl's personality into account will help a lot. What does each girl like? What does your 9 year old niece enjoy doing? Is there a really great restaurant one of the girls has been talking about but she hasn't been able to try it? Something like that. I know for myself, I am a beach bum so I do love totes and beach towels and reusable tumblers. Picture frames are nice, my cousin gave each of us a framed pic of her with us during the "getting ready" period of her day. I think practical gifts are more the thing now, something your BM will be inclined to use again that fits her style/personality.

Maggie0829

I think since you already know a uniform gift won't do, taking each girl's personality into account will help a lot. What does each girl like? What does your 9 year old niece enjoy doing? Is there a really great restaurant one of the girls has been talking about but she hasn't been able to try it? Something like that. I know for myself, I am a beach bum so I do love totes and beach towels and reusable tumblers. Picture frames are nice, my cousin gave each of us a framed pic of her with us during the "getting ready" period of her day. I think practical gifts are more the thing now, something your BM will be inclined to use again that fits her style/personality.

The bolded is something I would like. I would also love gift cards to restaurants or a cute purse/clutch.

I would hate picture frames because we rarely display pictures of people around the house and I especially hate "cutesy" picture frames.  Just not my thing.

But like PP said, think about each girl individually and what they may like as a gift.

sarawifenow

I would love the scarf! But that is just me...I will also second Maggie about loving gift cards.

twotimemob

What would you give each one of them for their birthday?  Treat your BM gift as a birthday gift.

Kauris

I'm getting my BM something from their registry, since it's still active.

netskyblue2

I'd love a giftcard to a coffee shop, that's something I rarely treat myself to. Or movie tickets...something fun. I'm not really a "keepsake" person.

[Deleted User]

I would love a gift card to anything or some comfy pjs. I wouldn't mind receiving any gift but most of that monogrammed stuff you see every where is not my thing (tumblers, necklaces, bags, etc.).

Jen4948

I guess for me the best gift would be some kind of gift card.  I'm not into anything monogrammed or marked "Bride's Wedding" or "Bride and Groom's Wedding" or anything like that.

sockmiser

Thank you ladies! A lot of great answers. Have to agree with all your dislike for monogrammed  stuff or gifts stamped with he wedding date. It just seems so self centered. 

Last night I found some wonderful scarfs on Etsy - they even had one for my niece. All unique and fitting to their individual styles. Along with those will be gift cards based off what I know and like. For my MOH, and extra special night out on the town with her husband while I watch her two kids. 

starbright2013

I despise monogrammed things and never use them. BUT you know your own BMs best, and some of mine love monograms! 

I've been very torn over BM gifts - my mom seems to think I should be giving them things related to the wedding or useful for the wedding, butttt I really like the "shop for them like it's their birthday" situation. 

When I think about the BM gifts I've received I can quite easily pick two examples for a perfect contrast. 

One bride gave each of us a tote after the wedding with a photo album in her wedding colors that we could use for wedding photos OR other ones, along with champagne glasses for the wedding toast that said "bridesmaid" or "maid of honor" on them, anddd...some other trinkets I don't remember. I put the photo album in the yard sale and have no idea where the glass is - not because I don't love the bride, but all my photo albums are in black and the one she gave me was mainly brown and just didn't fit. 

Another bride treated us to lunch and manicures OR pedicures the day of the rehearsal. She rented out a salon and we hung out together and then went to the rehearsal from there. Oddly enough, that was my favorite BM gift. I didn't have to worry about finding time for a mani/pedi in the midst of wedding shenanigans (I should mention though that this was my older sister - I was also the MOH and one of three people who knew the area well enough to run errands - the other two being my mom and the bride...) nor did I have to pay for it. That was really great. 

I also would rather do something more personal than giftcards, but unfortunately that's as far as I've gotten at this point. Still searching for other ideas but I talked to a few people (two of them BMs) and they all said that giftcards would be their top choice. Perhaps to Starbucks, a restaurant, or the movies for a treat to de-stress after the wedding. 

penelope4612

I'm getting each of my bridesmaids a cute clutch, a small item that they'd like (i.e., a bottle of wine, candy, a bottle of skinny girl margarita) and then a gift card to a place I know they'd like (starbucks, sephora, and movie tickets).  I didn't end up doing this, but if you order clutches off of etsy you can have them put a small label inside that says whatever you want (i.e., "thank you for being in our wedding" or something like that) so that it could be a token of your wedding without making the item less likely to be used.

Cruz506

I have always been torn about BM's gifts. I have paid over 200$ with shoes, dresses, hair, wedding gifts, & alterations. Therefore, as a BM I would expect some thought into a BM gift. I don't even think brides need to out-do and go over board on gifts, but something with thought behind it is I think what all BM's ask for. I DO 100% agree with everyone who has said gifts with "bridesmaid" or have the wedding date on it is really a no-no. They will never use it/wear it again.
I have been in 3 weddings- 2 of them I recieved the jewlery I'd be wearing for the ceremony. The other, which I still use and love, is a traveling bag with my first name inital on it. It's practical and she even put some lotion and other goodys in it.
As a learning experience, I will be giving my bridesmaids a few little gifts that aren't wedding related. I have considered getting them something with their names on it, but I am cautious of this because two of my bridesmaids will be getting married after me so I am sure they will be recieving enough gifts with their new last names on them.

KeptInStitches

@Cruz506, I'd consider staying away from anything with their names on it. A lot of people don't like things that are *that* personalized.

Gina0887

Can't go wrong with wine for me Or a massage certificate, etc. Something saying, "Here, relax and have something for yourself." Maybe that's the student, mom, full time working, and planning a wedding in me

abrewer5

sockmiser said:

With the wedding under two months away I'm starting to look into gifts for my lovely bridesmaids. But the question is,  what? I have 4 bridesmaids total, my two older sisters, my best friend of 9 years, and my 9 year old niece. They are all completely different people - so I have decided to getting them all matching gift will just not work. Beside does anymore really want matching monogrammed necklaces or totes? Nor will alcohol, as there is a minor and a Mormon among them. They have all been so helpful and supportive the last thing I want to do is get them gifts that suck. 

So my question to you all is, what would you like as a bridesmaid gift? Picture frames? Non matching jewelry? Scarf? Maybe a gift card for you and your man to enjoy together? Any and all ideas are greatly appreciated! 

I was haivng a similar issue. I decided to get my girls Coach wristlets from the outlets with a gift card to their favorite store and rather than a gift card a candle for my cousin in her favorite scent from Yankee. I knew my sister (also my MOH) wouldn't care much for Coach so I decided to get her a Pandora bracelet she's been wanting. I would just treat it like you were buying them a birthday present.