Epic Gifts ideas

12042008

Hey everyone! First off, YAY!!!! We're engaged!!!!! SOOOOO exciting!!!!!!!!!!! Anyways, back to post! We're only going to have 3 people on each side for our wedding party. My love will have his baby brother (20yrs old), his high school best friend and his close friend. I will have my high school best friend as my maid of honor, and two close friends. We're a young couple (24&25) and we want to give our bridal party an awesome gift! We don't want to break the bank either! I've been looking on pintrest for ideas. I've seen a few cute ideas but I'm not crazy about them. Wanted to know what you all were/have given your gals/ and groomsmen?! My love wants to give his guys something along the lines of SUIT UP. Can't wait to hear your ideas and input!
Hope you all had a great Holiday!
xo,
Lola

atlastmrsg

Non-bridal things.  I swear, if I get another bridesmaid tank, tote bag, clear travel cup with a wine glass shaped part inside, wine glass in general, or robe Salvation Army is going to have to start my own department.  I never want to wear any of the bridal party stuff ever again, and I don't need one wine glass that doesn't match my others/a wine sippy cup.

Think nice presents, not matchy matchy bridal party gifts.  Alcohol.  Mani-pedi gift card.  Massage gift card.  Starbucks gift card.  Whatever the person likes in real life, not wedding world.  

Beyond a set of pearl stud earrings I received when I was a lot younger when I didn't have a set, I always hope it's not jewelry, too.  Picking out jewelry for someone else is really hard.  I can't think of many pieces of jewelry I have that I wear that were gifts, unfortunately.  It tends to be random stuff that I'd never pick out on my own.

AddieCake

You need to shop for them individually like it's their birthday or Christmas. Take your wedding out of it. What would you get these people as gifts? Most "wedding-y" gifts are not really gifts for people b/c they generally don't like them or have much use for them. 

mlg78

Do your girls have Pinterest accounts?  For one of my bridesmaids I bought jewelry from Etsy that she'd pinned on her Pinterest. Do they collect something you can add to the collection? A favorite bottle of wine along with some new wine glasses?  Fancy teas with a personalized mug?  Those are all things I gave my girls.  My husband gave an awesome poker chip set to his best man, baseball memorabilia, liquor with monogrammed glasses...and a couple other gifts I can't recall.  They all got different things and they were all thrilled.

kat1114

I shopped for my bridesmaids like it was their birthday, and I did not buy them anything remotely related to my wedding as a gift. I also got them all different gifts to reflect their different personalities.

Examples:

-One of my girls really likes Humans of New York, and she is expecting her first child. I got her the HONY coffee table book, and the new Little Humans book.

-Another girl really loves elephants, so I got her an elephant jewelry box from Urban Outfitter.

I would steer clear of anything on Pinterest. Don't worry about trying to be cutesy. Just shop for your girls and guys like you would for any other gift giving occasion, and you'll be fine!

Lauderdale Pink

This is THE time of year to start looking because every store is holding their after Christmas sales.  Maybe you want to give each lady a small piece of jewelry to wear to the wedding.  Your FI can go to Marshall's T.J. Maxx or Ross and start looking for the really nice beer mugs they sell for holiday gifts. I know a lot of the ladies don't love pearls anymore, but, if that is your taste, you can get some really nice strands at reasonable prices from Walmart (yup, I am serious).  

mlg78

Lauderdale Pink said:

This is THE time of year to start looking because every store is holding their after Christmas sales.  Maybe you want to give each lady a small piece of jewelry to wear to the wedding.  Your FI can go to Marshall's T.J. Maxx or Ross and start looking for the really nice beer mugs they sell for holiday gifts. I know a lot of the ladies don't love pearls anymore, but, if that is your taste, you can get some really nice strands at reasonable prices from Walmart (yup, I am serious).  

Nooooooo!  Jewelry for the wedding is not a gift...and unless all the guys WANT beer mugs then that isn't a nice gift either.

AddieCake

I hate when people buy me jewelry, and my husband would have no use for a random beer mug. 

jenna8984

mlg78 said:

Do your girls have Pinterest accounts?  For one of my bridesmaids I bought jewelry from Etsy that she'd pinned on her Pinterest. Do they collect something you can add to the collection? A favorite bottle of wine along with some new wine glasses?  Fancy teas with a personalized mug?  Those are all things I gave my girls.  My husband gave an awesome poker chip set to his best man, baseball memorabilia, liquor with monogrammed glasses...and a couple other gifts I can't recall.  They all got different things and they were all thrilled.

Same here! My girl pinned a bracelet 5 times so I got it for her. Not to wear at the wedding since it's a casual style. I also got her the eye shadow palette she was drooling over at Sephora and she freaked out excited when she opened it. My maid of honor also got a bracelet she had pinned, and a trial for NatureBox. They deliver snacks to your door every week for 3 months, which was perfect for her since she's in medical school and doesn't have a lot of time to snack at the hospital during shifts. So these little packs of nuts and stuff were perfect for her locker. Anything on Pinterest that's like a monogrammed makeup bag or something is stupid. 

AddieCake

jenna8984 said:

Anything on Pinterest that's like a monogrammed makeup bag or something is stupid. 

I don't think blanket statements like this should be made. If we're shopping for individuals, there ARE individuals out there who would like that. One of my bridesmaids would have LOVED that. Instead, she got a monogrammed lunch tote, which she also loved. She monograms everything,including her grocery bags and brings her lunch to work every day. 

novella1186

I stalked all my girls' pinterest accounts to find out what kind of styles they're into right now. Then I hit an awesome sale at Macy's and got them all a super nice purse in their personal style. Then I filled each purse with stuff that fits them; one girl is into make-up so I went to Sephora for her. Another girl is into cooking so I got her cooking stuff, etc. I also gave each one a different necklace or bracelet, depending on which they tend to wear (NOT meant to be worn for the wedding), a Babylips lip balm cuz that stuff is awesome, and a couple other random things like tea, a scarf, etc that fit their hobbies/personalities. It's what I would give them for their birthday (but I spent a little more than I would for a birthday just cuz they all have to spend some amount of money for the wedding and I wanted to give them lots of fun stuff to enjoy)

I agree with PP, the matchy-matchy wedding themed gifts are pretty awful. Don't do that! A gift card to a spa, tickets to a show/game/event, or anything else you know they'd truly enjoy would be the best.

climbingsingle

Ditto on shopping like it's their birthdays. 

I've received jewelry before that was party of the wedding uniform. And I never wore it again. It sits in my jewelry box. 

rooz103

Ditto PP with the individualized presents, but if you're struggling for a gift idea for guys, my go-to gift for younger guys is a set of Wurkin Stiffs magnetic collar stays. They're great because it basically turns any button down into a "nice" collared shirt, plus they're non-metallic, so it can go through TSA with no problem. It's not useful for shirts that are high quality (because the collars stay crisp all day), so it won't work for everyone, but for a guy in his early to mid 20s who might not have a good set of collared shirts, it can come in handy. They're also only around $20 at Nordstrom Rack. 

My FI's side got gift cards to their favorite restaurants, and I did the same for my guy BFF as well. We also got a couple of them penguin cufflinks since penguins are their thing and they have a use for cuff links; otherwise, I don't think they'd be well-received. 

I did get jewelry for my sister because she was regretting that she had forgotten to bring a pair of earrings up for the wedding. Under the guise of offering to let her borrow a pair of mine, I figured out what kind of jewelry she was looking for and bought a pair of sapphire earrings in her style. If I had not clue on what she likes, I would have stayed clear of buying jewelry. 

If you're really looking for a similar-but-not-the-same gift, how about gift cards or subscriptions? One BM is getting a subscription to Craftsy since she's on a DIY kick, and another BM is getting a subscription to a snack-delivery service since she's always hungry. 

Knottie13445143

Hi! There are so many awesome things that you can do. I was on a budget so I made some of my gifts. The groomsmen cards I made looked like little suits! I could show you pictures if you want

floridabride44

I did nice foil-pressed personalized stationery from Minted.  $49 for 15 notecards, and you can always find a coupon code. It's nice stationery, and I got each girl a different design to suit her personality. I like the idea of something personalized but not something tacky monogrammed that they'll never use again.

I also like the ideas that other people have mentioned of getting each person something totally different, as if you were just shopping for them for Christmas. I would definitely advise against anything that they have to wear to the wedding, or a robe/shirt that says "bridesmaid" or anything that won't be useful past your wedding date.

mlg78

hsgator said:

I did nice foil-pressed personalized stationery from Minted.  $49 for 15 notecards, and you can always find a coupon code. It's nice stationery, and I got each girl a different design to suit her personality. I like the idea of something personalized but not something tacky monogrammed that they'll never use again.

I also like the ideas that other people have mentioned of getting each person something totally different, as if you were just shopping for them for Christmas. I would definitely advise against anything that they have to wear to the wedding, or a robe/shirt that says "bridesmaid" or anything that won't be useful past your wedding date.

If you're going to drop $49 on someone I'd hope you'd get them a helluva lot more than 15 thank you cards.

floridabride44

mlg78 said:

hsgator said:

I did nice foil-pressed personalized stationery from Minted.  $49 for 15 notecards, and you can always find a coupon code. It's nice stationery, and I got each girl a different design to suit her personality. I like the idea of something personalized but not something tacky monogrammed that they'll never use again.

I also like the ideas that other people have mentioned of getting each person something totally different, as if you were just shopping for them for Christmas. I would definitely advise against anything that they have to wear to the wedding, or a robe/shirt that says "bridesmaid" or anything that won't be useful past your wedding date.

If you're going to drop $49 on someone I'd hope you'd get them a helluva lot more than 15 thank you cards.

Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!

levioosa

hsgator said:

mlg78 said:

hsgator said:

I did nice foil-pressed personalized stationery from Minted.  $49 for 15 notecards, and you can always find a coupon code. It's nice stationery, and I got each girl a different design to suit her personality. I like the idea of something personalized but not something tacky monogrammed that they'll never use again.

I also like the ideas that other people have mentioned of getting each person something totally different, as if you were just shopping for them for Christmas. I would definitely advise against anything that they have to wear to the wedding, or a robe/shirt that says "bridesmaid" or anything that won't be useful past your wedding date.

If you're going to drop $49 on someone I'd hope you'd get them a helluva lot more than 15 thank you cards.

Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!

Not really.  I am probably in the very small minority of the population that still writes letters, and I still don't think I'd prefer stationary as a gift.  Plus I already have a bunch of stationary. 

floridabride44

@levioosa Well good thing you're not one of my bridesmaids then! Wasn't thinking of how much stationery you already owned when I was buying my gifts

levioosa

hsgator said:

@levioosa Well good thing you're not one of my bridesmaids then! Wasn't thinking of how much stationery you already owned when I was buying my gifts

sames52915

For the guys we are doing beer of the month club memberships (probably 3months -haven't decided yet/have to look into pricing) for the best man & 5 of the groomsman. They are all very into craft beers and its something they will love. The last groomsman is not a beer drinker at all, so we are thinking of doing either some sort of gourmet food of the month club (he's a big foodie) or else he also loves whiskey so I was thinking a nice whiskey decanter/glass set & a bottle.

For the girls I'm doing a mixture of same and person specific gifts. I bought jewelry sets for them all, its a simple pearl earring/necklace set. Its not something that I am planning on making them wear to the wedding and I don't expect them to unless they want, but its a set that I thought was beautiful and classic, and I know they would all like it. I'm also planning on getting them some sort of comfy flats -nothing expensive and fancy, probably the roll up kind they can throw in their purses. I figure it'll be nice to have something comfortable once they take off their heels! And a great thing to have on nights out. Besides that I am going to get gift certificates and probably throw in a few little things  for each one based on what they love,

AddieCake

hsgator said:

@levioosa Well good thing you're not one of my bridesmaids then! Wasn't thinking of how much stationery you already owned when I was buying my gifts

Do all your bridesmaids like and use stationary?

mlg78

hsgator said:

mlg78 said:

hsgator said:

I did nice foil-pressed personalized stationery from Minted.  $49 for 15 notecards, and you can always find a coupon code. It's nice stationery, and I got each girl a different design to suit her personality. I like the idea of something personalized but not something tacky monogrammed that they'll never use again.

I also like the ideas that other people have mentioned of getting each person something totally different, as if you were just shopping for them for Christmas. I would definitely advise against anything that they have to wear to the wedding, or a robe/shirt that says "bridesmaid" or anything that won't be useful past your wedding date.

If you're going to drop $49 on someone I'd hope you'd get them a helluva lot more than 15 thank you cards.

Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!

Not quite. Clearly people agreed with me.  I'm a huge fan of thank you notes and sending cards to people to brighten their day.  That said, I'd be bummed if I dropped money on a dress and all the other expenses that come with being a bridesmaid to only get 15 freaking thank you notes as a gift. 

floridabride44

AddieCake said:

hsgator said:

@levioosa Well good thing you're not one of my bridesmaids then! Wasn't thinking of how much stationery you already owned when I was buying my gifts

Do all your bridesmaids like and use stationary?

Nope they hate it and never use it. Which is why I got it for them as a gift. 

floridabride44

mlg78 said:

hsgator said:

mlg78 said:

hsgator said:

I did nice foil-pressed personalized stationery from Minted.  $49 for 15 notecards, and you can always find a coupon code. It's nice stationery, and I got each girl a different design to suit her personality. I like the idea of something personalized but not something tacky monogrammed that they'll never use again.

I also like the ideas that other people have mentioned of getting each person something totally different, as if you were just shopping for them for Christmas. I would definitely advise against anything that they have to wear to the wedding, or a robe/shirt that says "bridesmaid" or anything that won't be useful past your wedding date.

If you're going to drop $49 on someone I'd hope you'd get them a helluva lot more than 15 thank you cards.

Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!

Not quite. Clearly people agreed with me.  I'm a huge fan of thank you notes and sending cards to people to brighten their day.  That said, I'd be bummed if I dropped money on a dress and all the other expenses that come with being a bridesmaid to only get 15 freaking thank you notes as a gift. 

I'd prefer to get 15 of something really nice and personalized rather than 100 of something cheap and generic. Some people prefer quality over quantity. To each her own  

artbyallie

ETF: boxes broke, screw it

Yeah, but these are still mass-produced cards, aren't they? I bet you could find hand-embossed ones on Etsy for a better price. Paying over $3 per card is just an insane waste of money.

floridabride44

artbyallie said:

ETF: boxes broke, screw it

Yeah, but these are still mass-produced cards, aren't they? I bet you could find hand-embossed ones on Etsy for a better price. Paying over $3 per card is just an insane waste of money.

Totally agree, hence the coupon code that I mentioned! 

mlg78

hsgator said:

mlg78 said:

hsgator said:

mlg78 said:

hsgator said:

I did nice foil-pressed personalized stationery from Minted.  $49 for 15 notecards, and you can always find a coupon code. It's nice stationery, and I got each girl a different design to suit her personality. I like the idea of something personalized but not something tacky monogrammed that they'll never use again.

I also like the ideas that other people have mentioned of getting each person something totally different, as if you were just shopping for them for Christmas. I would definitely advise against anything that they have to wear to the wedding, or a robe/shirt that says "bridesmaid" or anything that won't be useful past your wedding date.

If you're going to drop $49 on someone I'd hope you'd get them a helluva lot more than 15 thank you cards.

Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!

Not quite. Clearly people agreed with me.  I'm a huge fan of thank you notes and sending cards to people to brighten their day.  That said, I'd be bummed if I dropped money on a dress and all the other expenses that come with being a bridesmaid to only get 15 freaking thank you notes as a gift. 

I'd prefer to get 15 of something really nice and personalized rather than 100 of something cheap and generic. Some people prefer quality over quantity. To each her own  

When did I say I'd prefer 100 of something cheap and generic?  I spent about $50 per girl in my wedding party and they got fantastic gifts that they each like individually as it catered to their own interests. 

floridabride44

mlg78 said:

hsgator said:

mlg78 said:

hsgator said:

mlg78 said:

hsgator said:

I did nice foil-pressed personalized stationery from Minted.  $49 for 15 notecards, and you can always find a coupon code. It's nice stationery, and I got each girl a different design to suit her personality. I like the idea of something personalized but not something tacky monogrammed that they'll never use again.

I also like the ideas that other people have mentioned of getting each person something totally different, as if you were just shopping for them for Christmas. I would definitely advise against anything that they have to wear to the wedding, or a robe/shirt that says "bridesmaid" or anything that won't be useful past your wedding date.

If you're going to drop $49 on someone I'd hope you'd get them a helluva lot more than 15 thank you cards.

Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!

Not quite. Clearly people agreed with me.  I'm a huge fan of thank you notes and sending cards to people to brighten their day.  That said, I'd be bummed if I dropped money on a dress and all the other expenses that come with being a bridesmaid to only get 15 freaking thank you notes as a gift. 

I'd prefer to get 15 of something really nice and personalized rather than 100 of something cheap and generic. Some people prefer quality over quantity. To each her own  

When did I say I'd prefer 100 of something cheap and generic?  I spent about $50 per girl in my wedding party and they got fantastic gifts that they each like individually as it catered to their own interests. 

monsansa

mlg78 said:

Do your girls have Pinterest accounts?  For one of my bridesmaids I bought jewelry from Etsy that she'd pinned on her Pinterest. Do they collect something you can add to the collection? A favorite bottle of wine along with some new wine glasses?  Fancy teas with a personalized mug?  Those are all things I gave my girls.  My husband gave an awesome poker chip set to his best man, baseball memorabilia, liquor with monogrammed glasses...and a couple other gifts I can't recall.  They all got different things and they were all thrilled.

OH MY GOSH. Thank you so much for saying this! I have been trying to pick out handbags or a nice piece of clothing for each of my girls, which is challenging to do from scratch even though I know them well. But sure enough, every one of them has some sort of Pinterest board with clothes they like! Now with a little sleuthing I can get them something I know they want. (Can't believe I hadn't thought of that already!) Genius.

PrettyGirlLost

mlg78 said:

hsgator said:

mlg78 said:

hsgator said:

mlg78 said:

hsgator said:

I did nice foil-pressed personalized stationery from Minted.  $49 for 15 notecards, and you can always find a coupon code. It's nice stationery, and I got each girl a different design to suit her personality. I like the idea of something personalized but not something tacky monogrammed that they'll never use again.

I also like the ideas that other people have mentioned of getting each person something totally different, as if you were just shopping for them for Christmas. I would definitely advise against anything that they have to wear to the wedding, or a robe/shirt that says "bridesmaid" or anything that won't be useful past your wedding date.

If you're going to drop $49 on someone I'd hope you'd get them a helluva lot more than 15 thank you cards.

Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!

Not quite. Clearly people agreed with me.  I'm a huge fan of thank you notes and sending cards to people to brighten their day.  That said, I'd be bummed if I dropped money on a dress and all the other expenses that come with being a bridesmaid to only get 15 freaking thank you notes as a gift. 

I'd prefer to get 15 of something really nice and personalized rather than 100 of something cheap and generic. Some people prefer quality over quantity. To each her own  

When did I say I'd prefer 100 of something cheap and generic?  I spent about $50 per girl in my wedding party and they got fantastic gifts that they each like individually as it catered to their own interests. 

This.

Stationary?  Really?

So you bought them a gift that is actually intended for them to use on someone else?