On Friday morning, after I shared my usual Things I’m Loving Friday post, I received a comment from Amanda. She loved the framed verse that my sister gave to all of her bridesmaids on her wedding day and requested a follow up post with additional bridesmaid gift ideas.
An excuse to write about something wedding related!? Sign me up!
Prior to my own wedding in 2010, I had never been in a wedding myself and wasn’t sure what to give my wonderful bridesmaids on my wedding day. I wanted to find a gift that would let my best friends know just how much their friendship meant to me and how much Ryan and I appreciated them being such an integral part of our special day.
Here’s what I ended up giving to my fabulous bridesmaids:
- Wishbone necklace (from FreshyFig on Etsy) because they helped make “all my wishes come true” along with a cheesy poem I wrote
- Eco-friendly tote bag with their initials
- Embroidered towel wrap
I got married before the days of Pinterest (I am both bummed about this and extremely grateful for this at the same time) and I wish I would’ve done something craftier and more personalized for each girl, but I still see my girlfriends wearing the delicate wishbone necklace, so I’m happy that particular gift seemed to go over well!
Since my own wedding, I’ve had the honor of being a bridesmaid in six weddings (and I can’t wait to stand up with my wonderful friend Kristen at her wedding in July) and since my friends are basically the jam, I’ve received some extremely thoughtful and memorable gifts.
Here’s a highlight of some of the wonderful bridesmaid gifts I’ve received and ideas I’ve stumbled upon or brainstormed that I think might be a hit with bridesmaids out there!
Bridesmaid Gift Ideas
- Vintage Cocktail Ring
This gift absolutely blew me away. My friend Merri lives in New York City and shopped around to find vintage cocktail rings to give to each of her bridesmaids. All of our rings were different and she had a reason for choosing certain rings for each of us which I thought was incredibly thoughtful. Since all of our bridesmaid dresses were different, the funky rings simply enhanced the eclectic look of our dresses. I still wear my ring all the time and love jazzing up an outfit with a piece of jewelry that means a lot to me.
- Makeup Bag
My friend Michaela gave all of us beautiful makeup bags that she bought on Etsy. It’s the perfect size for traveling and has since become my go-to makeup bag for face wash, lotion, toothpaste and floss when I travel. Some pretty and affordable makeup bag options under $10: Romantic rose cosmetic bag, Tribal print teal makeup bag
- Necklace with Special Meaning
I will often see the beautiful and delicate necklaces made by Dogeared pop up for sale online on HauteLook and I always think they would make such a fabulous gift for bridesmaids. Since each necklace comes with a quote or special meaning, I think this makes them the perfect gift for bridesmaids since they already have a thoughtful message attributed to each necklace. (Some of my favorite necklaces: Best Friend Ever, State Charm <—personalized to each woman’s home state) I also love the idea of an initial necklace for each bridesmaid. (Pretty initial necklace options: Olive Yew lowercase initial necklace, Kate Spade initial pendant)
- Nail Polish + Nail File
My friend Laurel added a bottle of beautiful lilac nail polish to our bridesmaid gift bags and I loved that she selected a polish color that matched our dresses. Whenever I paint my nails with the soft purple color, I think of her special day!
- Bracelet or Earrings to Wear with the Bridesmaid Dress
It’s always so nice not to have to think about what to wear with your bridesmaid dress and I know I appreciate it a lot when a bride-to-be says not to worry about accessorizing the dress. Plus, it takes the worry about selecting something the bride may not like out of the equation! As someone who doesn’t have her ears pierced, I was very moved by two of my closest friends when they actually had clip on earrings made for me to wear with my bridesmaid dress so I could match the other bridesmaids. Talk about extra thoughtful!
I love this alternative to a robe or towel wrap. I may be partial to this gift idea since I sleep in soft boxers nearly every night, but I think many bridesmaids out there would love lounging in comfortable shorts that look cute, too! Whether they wear them on the day of the wedding to get ready or not, I think most women out there welcome a cute addition to their pajama drawer. (The boxers pictured above are from the Etsy store Lola Lane Gifts.)
My sister received a personalized tumbler for her best friend’s wedding and I thought it was adorable. Since I use a tumbler or water bottle every single day, this gift gets point for practicality, too! (The tumblers pictured above are from the Etsy store All4MyGirlz.)
- Comfortable Dancing Shoes
This can be something as simple as a throw-away pair of flip flops! At my wedding we had a basket of cheap Old Navy flip flops on display for women to slip into so they could comfortably dance the night away. It was a huge hit! (You may see the basket here.) My friend Leah gave her bridesmaids blush pink Toms as a bridesmaid gift and everyone really appreciated them. (I saw TOMS on sale on Zulily last week, so they do go on sale sometimes!) An added bonus to this gift? The more comfortable bridesmaids feet are, the more likely they are to tear it up on the dance floor!
- Framed Quote or Bible Verse
My sister gave all of her bridesmaids a little bag packed with thoughtful items, but my favorite was, without a doubt, the framed Bible verse she chose for each of us. When Leslie gave us our gifts, she explained that within the bag was a small picture frame with a Bible verse framed in it that she chose specifically for each of us. It meant so much to me and I thought this was such a unique and heartfelt bridesmaid gift.
- Unique Robes
When I found these Plum Pretty robes I thought they were way too cute! I love the idea of patterned or floral feminine robes and love wearing super-comfy clothes when I get ready for a wedding, so this is right up my alley. Here are some more affordable options: Vertical stripe robe, Undersea blooms satin robe (I also see tons of cute, inexpensive robes at Marshalls and TJMaxx all the time!)
- Mini Champagne Bottles
If your crew of bridesmaids is anything like me and my girlfriends, a mini bottle of champagne for each bridesmaid will definitely be a hit. It’s a small addition to a gift bag, but I know we loved it when my friend Leah made them for all of the bridesmaids to sip on while we got ready for Merri’s wedding.
Questions of the Afternoon
- What is one of the most memorable bridesmaid gifts you’ve ever received?
- For the married folks: What did you give your bridesmaids?
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Note: This post is not sponsored in any way and is simply a list of some gifts I think would make fabulous bridesmaid gifts. Some affiliate links are included and I sincerely appreciate your support!
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When are you doing a recap of your sister’s wedding? I know lots of people are anxiously awaiting it! 🙂
Hopefully soon! Whenever I get the pictures from her photographer. I didn’t take nearly enough photos on my own to do a recap!
These are fantastic ideas! My cousin gave us all personalized jewelry boxes and a set of pearls which I thought was so thoughtful.
When I got married I gave the girls initial necklaces that I purchased on etsy. They were a huge hit and I love seeing that the girls wear them quite frequently.
All wonderful ideas! I need to get started thinking about these for sure! I love the idea of the water bottles since we’re a pretty active group, too!
These are all such unique and great gifts to give! I never had bridesmaids (had my brother standing for me, and my husbands sister standing for him) since it was planned in SIX days. So I kinda missed out on this part. Love the ideas though!! Awww.
Most “memorable” was that dress that I had bought for me .. a hideous orange/brown wild west inspired number that was so ugly that The Cinderella Project didn’t want it for their free prom dress for teens stock!!! … we were dressed as the WHORES in the saloon. The bride was the Madame and the groom was the sheriff. BURNED THAT SUCKER. (The boots I had to buy – $400!)
I gave my bridesmaids their plane tickets to our destination wedding (my MIL and FIL ‘s house in Spain so no cost to them other than passports, and their outfits)
Love these ideas…Pinterest is such a time suck I am glad that it was not around when I married!!!
I received a vintage book purse as my gift for being part of my BFF’s wedding. My sister-in-law gave her bridesmaids Kate Spade clutches. I gave my bridesmaids a personalized tote bag filled with a personalized wire hanger, personalized beach towels, and statement necklaces.
I love that you did a blog post on this, I’m pretty sure I debated doing most of those gifts too, they’re all fabulous ideas. We really struggled with getting unique groomsman gifts though, and we can’t be the only ones who did. I think a second post on groomsman gifts would be an awesome resource!
Love these ideas!
I’ve only been a bridesmaid twice, but for one wedding there were just three of us and we got little coach wristlets and a sephora gift card (I use the wristlet all the time!) and for the second we got bracelets with the infinity sign and a little pearl on it, so cute and we all wore them for the wedding.
In one wedding I was in, the bride gave each bridesmaid a bag with: a delicate handmade rose gold ring she got from etsy, anthropologie mugs with our initials on it, a picture book of pictures of us with the bride through the years, plus earrings to wear the day of the wedding. They were small gifts, but very thoughtful and useful!
I love the boxers, robe, and the Bible verse!!! So special and unique!
Oh my Julie, thank you so very much for including our Plum Pretty Sugar floral bridesmaid robes! It means the world!
xo
http://www.PlumPrettySugar.blogspot.com
They are gorgeous!!!!
Great ideas, thank you!! I’m getting married in October- this post will be useful 😀
When I got married I gave each of my girls a necklace and earrings that were hand made by a member of my family. I thought it turned out perfectly and they could wear it on the day of!
Great ideas!
Thank you, Cathy!
Great ideas!
Such cute ideas! Who knows when I”ll get married…but I’ll definitely have to keep a few of these ideas in mind. 😉
I got adorable jewelry and a monogrammed jewelry case in the last wedding I was a part of!
I’ve been a BM 17 times and a majority of those were in the 90’s. I have more versions of pearl necklaces and earrings than I can count. I’m thankful, but have lots.
For me, I loved it when my friend (the bride) would write a note. While it is an honor to be asked to stand up with a friend, it can get very expensive. Sweet, friendship words meant the world to me!
Something to add, my sister gave her bridesmaids a small eye shadow set which was lovely.
I also added nail polish to my bridesmaids gifts, but instead of giving them a wedding color I gave them a polish with a name that reminded me of them. Like ‘lilacism’ for the girls obsessed with lilacs and ‘adore-a-ball’ for the baby of the family. I had a ton of fun reading all the names and finding the perfect one for my girls.
That is so creative!!
My friend Joy surprised me & my friend Kim at her wedding (the same day as Leslie’s) and asked us to be bridesmaids as soon as we got there. We have known each other for over 20 years & we were so touched! She had a great beach bag monogrammed for each of us, a Smashbox lipgloss, pearl earrings & a monogrammed bracelet. I was totally blown away. Such a treat to stand up for our girl & lovely gifts to take with us.
I gave all of my girls a monogramed white robe to get ready on the wedding day in! They all still wear their robes, too! My color was grey, so the robes have a pretty embroidery of their first initial 🙂 Mine said, “Mrs. Ingle” 🙂
These are such great ideas! I especially love the TOMs idea and the monogrammed water bottles! Such practical yet awesome gifts. FUN post!
I gave my bridesmaids wired tree of life necklaces with the word “friend” made into them. You can choose any word up to 6 letters and I am happy to see my bridesmaids wearing them all the time. They were also made by an artist in the town I had my wedding reception and I was seeking to support local as much as possible with the wedding. The artist has a shop on etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PurpleBusStudio
When I got married I gave my bridesmaids monogrammed tote bags, ivory pashminas embroidered with their first initial (also in Ivory, very subtle), and pearl bib necklaces to wear with their dresses. My favorite bridesmaid gift so far was
(sorry to leave you hanging) …. my favorite gift so far was a patterned garment bag with our monogram. My girlfriend got married in San Francisco and we were all traveling for the wedding, so it was a cute and practical way to travel with our dresses!
Hi Julie,
Great gift ideas above.
I gave my bridesmaids earrings to wear in my wedding (each were a little bit different, but all black and silver chandelier style) and Victoria’s Secret sweatpants to wear while we got ready (and during the slumber party we had the night before the wedding). The big gift I gave each was a monogrammed mirrored jewelry tray from Pottery Barn, which is something super fancy that I myself would like to receive but would never get for myself. Here’s a look at it http://www.potterybarn.com/products/dresser-top-jewelry-trays/
I love weddings too! Wish I had more single friends left, but only a couple left.
Thanks for sharing!
Ashley
My sister received one of these jewelry rolls for a bridesmaid gift. It isn’t very sentimental, but super practical! Too often these gifts are expensive for the bride and don’t end up being used by the bridesmaids.
https://www.stelladot.com/shop/en_us/p/accessories/travel-makeup-bags/bring-it-red-ikat
A perfectly timed blog post as it’s on my list of things to do this week to organise the bridesmaid presents for my Summer wedding!
I’ve had necklaces as gifts both times I’ve been a bridesmaid so far but I always wear the same cross necklace I’ve had since I was a kid each day so never even took the gift jewellery out of the box! I wanted something quite personal for my bridesmaids and you’ve got personal covered several times here with your ideas! Thanks. 🙂
I love the tumbler idea!
I gave my bridesmaids a gift certificate to the salon where we were getting our hair and makeup done, a Luxe Link purse holder with their initial, a necklace from Dogeared that had special meaning between the two of us, and a jewelry travel bag. When I’ve been a bridesmaid I’ve received a pearl necklace/bracelet/earring set, Coach wristlet, duffle bag, Willow Tree figurine, and gift certificate to the salon where we were getting our hair and makeup done. Getting the gift certificate for the salon is a staple gift with my girlfriends!
Wowww those are all amazing little gifts! I’m loving the looks of those TOMS, the delicate necklaces, and of course…the handmade gifts like your sister’s frame.
For my friends I bought purses/bags that described each of their styles and personalities. 😀
I love these! I can’t believe I’ve been married 8 months now. I got my bridesmaids jewelry as a thank you.
love all these wedding posts! So helpful!! Thank you. Last wedding I was in, we got coach wristlets and mugs!
Incredible ideas!!! Love the Toms, boxers and rings ideas the best! Totally have to pin this post! Not that I’m anywhere near getting married, have to bag myself the man of my dreams first!
I love so many of these! I wish I would have thought of something a bit more creative for my own bridesmaids’ gifts. I love the idea of the boxers or a cute pair of underwear. Also love the framed verse and wishbone necklace!
I love giving gifts and I might of gone a little over board with my bridesmaids. I gave them earrings that they picked to wear with their dress, Coach clutches, personalized champagne glasses, and personalized hangers with their names. In my defense though I only had two bridesmaids so I could spend a little more than I normally would of. I also might have a shopping problem 🙂
I gave my bridesmaids clutches and matching belts for their bridesmaid dresses. Also brought Champagne in the Limo for us. I think that all ideas are wonderful! Etsy have a lot of nice things but also look for deals in regular stores. Budget is a bitch 😉
I’m with you on the “getting married JUST before Pinterest” boat.! Missed out on crafty stuff, but prob a good thing for that bank account.
The last wedding I was in we wore Toms! So clever and perfect and now I wear them everyday. It is nice to know they go on sale ha.
A specialized framed verse was such a sweet idea by your sister. You got a good one! 🙂
For my bridesmaids, they got little goodies and whatnot, but I did make their necklaces. Which is a lot coming from a craft-challenged gal. My cousin may have helped a bit, but they ended up looking really pretty with their dresses!
Ohhh!! Thanks for this post – I’m getting married next March and just asked 6 of my best friends to stand beside me. This post gives me such good ideas. I love the dresses & dress color from the wedding with the mountain backdrop! Do you know what brand dress that is?
I gave each of my bridesmaids a personalized jewelry box.
I gave each bridesmaid a necklace that I thought she would like, flip flops for dancing (and taking pictures on the football field), and then a funny gift that was a joke between the two of us. For example, my friend Brooke and I met in college when I noticed that we both had giant buttons advertising our musical organizations Christmas show. She’s also a meteorologist, so I gave her a giant button that said “Meteorologists Make Great Lovers”.
Ah! I love all things wedding! Like you, I was married in early 2011, before the Pinterest days. Actually, I’m a horrible decision maker, so it’s probably good Pinterest wasn’t around then. I love the verse idea! I gave my bridesmaids a monogrammed pashmina. We were married in early March, and while the day was gorgeous, it got chilly at night, so they were perfect to wear as a wrap at our outdoor reception. I love all the ideas you posted! I’m all about meaningful or personalized gifts.
As a bridesmaid I have gotten a clutch, hair accessories (for the day), and a personalized tote with t-shirt to commemorate the day.
At my wedding last month I gave nail file + polish, mini champagne (same one pictured!), and cookies with some other “survivial” items like bandaids and safety pins.
My husband gave his groomsmen each a different tie, a bottle of craft brewed local beer, snacks & condom (tee hee). The guys all laughed and appreciated their gifts.
I loved this idea of one wedding I was in: instead of gifts to the groomsmean/bridesmaids, the couple paid for a party bus to take everyone back to the hotel after the reception!
PS if you ever do a post on creative wedding ideas…I have a video for you. My fiance wrote a rap and we put together a video to invite our bridal party to be in our wedding (compliments of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air)
Too silly not to share! 😉
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBBSYihWzIw
great post! I can’t wait to give my gifts to my bridesmaids! I had my aunt make makeup bags and I got earrings for them to wear with their dresses.
When I got married I just had my sister stand for me as my MoH. One of the things I gave her was lightweight pink bathrobe that had “Maid of Honor” embroidered on it, and I had a matching “Bride” one. It was a big hit, and we both still wear them!
These are all such great ideas! It looks like you have been the recipient of some great gifts over the years. My step dad owns a print and graphic company and was able to make me personalized wine labels for each of my bridesmaids. On each label I included a picture of myself and my bridesmaid, along with a quote that I picked out that reminded me of her. I also wrapped the bottle with a ribbon and two bottles of nail polish that were the girls favorite colors. They loved it!
These are all such great ideas!!!! Unfortunately interest wasn’t around when I got married either, 6 or so months after you got married! I wish it was because I would have come up with much cuter bridesmaid gift ideas. I kept it simple and did clutches with jewelry in them.
Awesome list of gifts! These are great to give to friends year round as well! I gave my bridesmaids a necklace and bracelet that went with their wedding day outfit but also able to wear after the wedding.
Such creative ideas! Thank you for the suggestions!!
Oh my goodness, such cute pictures! I love all these ideas, but the water bottle is probably my favorite one. The best bridesmaid gifts I’ve received have been a personalized photo of me and the bride and a pair of flip flops.