Something bold, something new
Sherry Amatenstein
Nightmare scenario: it’s 3 AM on the morning of your rehearsal dinner and you awake in a cold sweat. Yikes! You’ve forgotten to buy the bridesmaids’ gifts.
According to bridal expert Charity Curley, this is a common scene. The producer of iVillage.com’s Wedding Center explains, “Brides have so many items on their must-do-now list that presents for their attendants often become an afterthought. By the time they realize it, they don’t have the time or budget to get gifts that really mean something.”
Luckily, we’ve caught you before that nightmare. Check out the gift suggestions below to fit every budget:
BREAK THE BANK - $$$$$$$$$
Got oodles of “moolah” to splurge on your buddies?
Here are gifts that range from $100 to $250:
* Monogrammed silver bracelet.
* Earrings in bridesmaid’s birth stone.
* Subscription to a monthly club, based on the bridesmaid’s interests: plants, sweets, wine, books, tea, CDs, etc.
* Classes the two of you can take together after you come back from the honeymoon (golf, cooking, and art for example).
* A gift certificate for a post-wedding day of R&R at a favorite spa.
ONE BRIDE’S EXPERIENCE
With nostalgia making a big comeback, 28-year-old Erin Gifford who married in October 2001 won raves for her thoughtful bridesmaids’ presents:
“I bought each bridesmaid a special gift along with a related charm bracelet. For example, I met one bridesmaid during childhood when selling lemonade in front of my house. In addition to wrapping up a nice pitcher, glasses, and lemonade mix, I included a silver charm bracelet with a lemonade stand charm. Another bridesmaid and I had gone to Mardi Gras together so I bought her hurricane glasses, a Mardi Gras poster and feathered Mardi Gras masks. The silver charm bracelet included a Mardi Gras mask charm. Each gift was under $100, including the bracelet.”
LEAVE CHANGE IN THE BANK-$$$$$
Curley says, “Even if you’re basically buying each woman the same gift, you can do a little something to personalize each one. For instance a picture frame can be monogrammed and include a photo of you and your friend together.”
Here are other gifts in the $50 to $100 range:
* Monogrammed keychain.
* Bath oil and lotion assortment in the bridesmaid's favorite perfume.
* The shirt (pants/scarf) you know she has been panting after.
* Gift certificate to her favorite store - or one for decadent lingerie from a favorite boutique.
* A gorgeous handbag, stuffed with a little note of thanks from you.
ONE BRIDE’S EXPERIENCE
Eve Alexander’s big day isn’t until June 2005 but the 28-year-old has already found some great gifts for her attendants, designed and made at a local boutique:
“I have a total of nine, so I needed to find something affordable. I opted for a trendy summer bag - one we can design on our own. At the specialty shop, we each picked out our own fabric and style and then the on-site craftsmen made the bags for us.”
BANK ACCOUNT?! WHAT BANK ACCOUNT?-$$
Your bridal party has gone all out for you (flying across the country for the ceremony, for example) and you want to do something really special. However, you and your intended are on a tight budget.
Here are some gift ideas that range from $25 to $50:
* A gift certificate for an activity (two movie tickets, one round of golf, for example) along with a heartfelt thank you note.
* A scrapbook full of memorabilia for each bridesmaid. Include anything the two of you shared over the years from letters, ticket stubs, old photos,birthday cards, emails, etc. Be sure that the album or box is nice enough that she would be proud to display it on a bookshelf or coffee table.
* Personalized T-shirts emblazoned with the nickname of the bridesmaid, a funny memory concerning the two of you and a note of thanks.
* A donation made in the bridesmaid's name to her favorite charity (ACLU if she's a lawyer; ASPCA if she’s an animal lover).
* Subscription to the bridesmaid's favorite magazine, along with bath gels, candles or aromatherapy beads to enjoy with it.
* Gift certificate for manicure, pedicure and spa treatment.
* Throw your buddies a slumber party and hand out fancy bikini briefs wrapped in multi-colored tissue paper.
ONE BRIDE’S EXPERIENCE
Lisa Dawson Altschuler, a 28-year-old who wed in 1999, gave a very memorable gift to each member of her bridal party: “I created my wedding on a very limited budget, but came up with a gift that I felt meant more than just some trinket. I found a scrapbook titled The Story of Our Friendship and filled in the pages concerning our friendship together. Stuff like ‘The first time we met, I thought this,’ or ‘I remember one time where you were there for me,’ and so on. It was very personal and unique.”