Tote bags as part of the bridesmaid gift.

suteki325

Hello everyone,

So my plan for the bridesmaids gifts that I will be giving is to order each girl a tote bag customized with her initials, and then fill each one with individualized gifts each girl would like. I'm looking online for the tote bags and I'm kind of overwhelmed as to all of the different options there are. For anyone who ordered tote bags for their bridesmaids, which company and/or site did you use? I want to make sure they're not "flimsy" bags, I want them to be pretty well-sized and sturdy. Thanks for any replies!

AddieCake

Thirty-One is always a good option for bags. 

artbyallie

I would most likely not use a tote with my initials. What about a reusable grocery bag? Food Lion has some nice ones that look really sturdy with rigid sides. I have a couple bags of different types that I think are Vera Bradley or at least similar knock-offs. I like them okay but the patterns do tend to be kind of loud and maybe not everyone would carry one. I kind of like that I can spot mine easily.

tpwkalyn

I second the Thirty-One choice for bags.
They are sturdy & they have a lot of design/monogram options! 

southernbelle0915

I would not want another tote bag - initials or not. This is a super common gift that's over-given, IMHO. And due to that, I have a million tote bags. 

Could you put the tote bag money toward enhancing the personalized gift? You can just give the gift in a gift box, that's much cheaper.

redoryx

I was in a wedding where the bride gave us HUGE canvas, well, tote bags from I think LL Bean. Like, more than just a tote bag it's more like an overnight bag (maybe even 2 nights LOL) that I use a ton.

tammym1001

I got tote bags for all of my girls with their names on them. My wedding was 9 months ago and they use them pretty much daily to lug all their stuff to work and school and they are still holding up. I got these ones in the black with white polka dots:

http://www.exclusivelyweddings.com/Weddings/Wedding-Party-Gifts/Bridesmaid-Gifts/Totes-Beach-Bags-Lunch-Totes/Mesh-Bridesmaids-Totes

yogablossom

LL Bean!! My friend bought us all LL Bean totes with our names on them for her wedding and I LOVE IT! I use it all of the time! She filled them with various stuff--a bottle of wine, a jewelry travel pouch with our names on them, and a pair of earrings inside the pouch. It was a super thoughtful gift that I use all of the time.

And I don't think you can have "too many totes".  I use this tote to bring to work and the gym. If I got another tote from someone else, I would use one for work and one for the gym. Or you could use another one for an overnight bag, or a beach bag.  I think totes are great gifts and are VERY functional and useful.

climbingsingle

Another vote for LL Bean. 

I personally can never have too many tote bags. They're great for when we go camping or take the boat out. 

snarkymaid

I like tote bags enough, but I dislike my name/initials on things. I know my name, and I don't want to broadcast it to the world when I'm walking around.

levioosa

I might be the UO, but I love my tote bags and wouldn't mind getting more.  I would rather have a pretty design than my initials though. 

dcbride86

I also love tote bags, and would love getting this as part of my gift!  I think this is a "know your crowd" sort of thing

[Deleted User]

I got my girls Thirty-One bags. But I opted not to get their initals put on them because what if someone else in their family wanted to use the bag. I got each girl a color/pattern that I felt went with their personality. Since we got ready at the church the girls put all their stuff for getting ready in the bags and then put their regular clothes into them after putting their dresses on. While we were doing the receiving line, two of the husbands went into the room we were getting ready in (they offered to do this for us) and grabbed the bags. They knew which ones belonged to their wives & just put those in their own vehicle & the others were put onto the limo bus. It was great when you say a certain print, you knew it was your bag.

Dreamergirl8812

I love tote bags but wouldn't want my name/initials on them. I think it's a little tacky and childish, and for some reason it bothers me to walk around showing strangers my identifying information.

But I can always use another cute tote bag.

Jen4948

By personalizing things with names, initials, etc., you take away the other person's freedom to make whatever use of "gifts" they see fit...including selling or giving them to someone else who might appreciate them better without the personalization. Even those persons who might otherwise like them enough to keep them would probably prefer them unpersonalized so they can do that themselves if they want to.

Just something to think about.

suteki325

Thanks so much for all the suggestions! I'll be sure to check the different companies out. And that's a good point, about the personalization - I guess it could be seen as a little tacky or childish. I don't know if I would like a tote bag with my own name emblazoned on it, either. Plus it's always easier to find colors and prints for each girl individually than try to please them all with the same bag.

bananasplit472001

I am doing the same thing and I ordered mine from etsy for $9 a bag.  That was a pretty good deal and the bags and very sturdy and great quality.  

ohmrs2014

I purchased Tote Bags and matching travel makeup bags for my girls, from the The Knots website.  My girls loved them.  They use them all the time.

JoanE2012

Another vote for LL Bean tote bags!  I bought myself their super huge boat and tote bag to use the day of my wedding.  They have all different sizes.  I'd definitely skip the personalization thought.

SP29

Tote bags are cool, but I agree, no initials or monogramming! 

aod30000

I'm doing the same thing. I ordered personalized bags from zazzle.com for each of my bridesmaids. Its not meant to be a gift but just a cute way to package the individual gifts (chambray shirt, jewelry, mini champs, & assorted makeup) I'm giving them.

atlastmrsg

Say no to tote bag.  Put towards useful gift.  I swear, each time I go to Goodwill, there are at least two tote bags in the box.  I. Don't. Want. Another.

Now some wine or alcohol or Starbucks gift card or nice olive oil....I can get behind that.

flantastic

aod30000 said:

I'm doing the same thing. I ordered personalized bags from zazzle.com for each of my bridesmaids. Its not meant to be a gift but just a cute way to package the individual gifts (chambray shirt, jewelry, mini champs, & assorted makeup) I'm giving them.

Please don't tell me the chambray shirts have their initials or name embroidered on them and you want them to wear these for getting ready pictures, or that the jewelry is to be worn with the dress... because that's not actually a gift to them, it's a gift to you. I have no idea what mini champs are, and I don't wear makeup, so I hope your girls do.

aod30000

The shirts DO have their monograms and I do like the photo ops that gives us. Jewelry is not to be worn at the wedding, I bought each girl a piece I thought they would love. Also, they all do wear makeup and really into it so I bought brands I know each of them uses. I'm also paying for their nails, hair and makeup for the day of (they all chose to do it even though it was all optional.) I understand that they may never wear they shirts again, it doesn't count as a gift to them again which is why I'm giving additional gifts.

flantastic

aod30000 said:

The shirts DO have their monograms and I do like the photo ops that gives us. Jewelry is not to be worn at the wedding, I bought each girl a piece I thought they would love. Also, they all do wear makeup and really into it so I bought brands I know each of them uses. I'm also paying for their nails, hair and makeup for the day of (they all chose to do it even though it was all optional.) I understand that they may never wear they shirts again, it doesn't count as a gift to them again which is why I'm giving additional gifts.

This sounds okay, but please tell me you will allow them to wear pants with the shirts.

aod30000

Obviously...why would they walk around in their underwear? Thank you for being concerned about my girls but they will be just fine and pretty happy with everything. I shopped for each one like it was their birthday minus the shirt although I know my MOH will definitely wear it again. 

flantastic

aod30000 said:

Obviously...why would they walk around in their underwear? Thank you for being concerned about my girls but they will be just fine and pretty happy with everything. I shopped for each one like it was their birthday minus the shirt although I know my MOH will definitely wear it again. 

One never knows... I've seen too many getting ready pictures which are clearly staged but which feature the long button-down shirt and no pants look, and I always really hope that everyone was comfortable with that idea but assume that they weren't and didn't know how to say no. So I have to check.

cheeseburgers11

Instead of embroidering the bag you could get a keychain with the name or initial and clip it to the handle. Having it easily identifiable might be helpful if they decide to use them on the wedding day, especially if they're all the same color. FWIW I like tote bags and always have a use for them, but I would prefer if they didn't have my name embroidered, especially in a cutesy font like Curlz MT or Comic Sans which I've seen a lot of on Etsy.

princessgracekelly

So much monogram hate on this thread, lol. I live in the South, please save me from the monograms.

I am in the pro-tote-bag camp so long as they are big and sturdy enough to lug around a laptop. However, I know my MOH is nuts for messenger bags, another bridesmaid likes those backpacks with leather trim and buckles that are becoming popular, and another will only let you pry her worn Reptar backpack from her cold, dead hands. It is definitely a "know your crowd" sort of thing.

dcbride86

flantastic said:

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aod30000 said:

Obviously...why would they walk around in their underwear? Thank you for being concerned about my girls but they will be just fine and pretty happy with everything. I shopped for each one like it was their birthday minus the shirt although I know my MOH will definitely wear it again. 

One never knows... I've seen too many getting ready pictures which are clearly staged but which feature the long button-down shirt and no pants look, and I always really hope that everyone was comfortable with that idea but assume that they weren't and didn't know how to say no. So I have to check.

Ew, what?  Brides force BMs to wear a shirt with no underwear?  I would be SO uncomfortable!  I have a big butt, and would not want to just walk around with my butt hanging out of an oversized shirt. 

redoryx

dcbride86 said:

show previous quotes

flantastic said:

aod30000 said:

Obviously...why would they walk around in their underwear? Thank you for being concerned about my girls but they will be just fine and pretty happy with everything. I shopped for each one like it was their birthday minus the shirt although I know my MOH will definitely wear it again. 

One never knows... I've seen too many getting ready pictures which are clearly staged but which feature the long button-down shirt and no pants look, and I always really hope that everyone was comfortable with that idea but assume that they weren't and didn't know how to say no. So I have to check.

Ew, what?  Brides force BMs to wear a shirt with no underwear?  I would be SO uncomfortable!  I have a big butt, and would not want to just walk around with my butt hanging out of an oversized shirt. 

Oh yeah, I've seen them on Pinterest and shit. It always kills me, because I look at them and think Either the bride magically doesn't have any fat friends or she obviously didn't ask them to be a BM because it would have gone against her vision for that particular photo.