Wedding dress, invitations wedding, wedding cake

By Todd Haness

More and more couples are doing things a little differently for their weddings. Many couples have wedding showers co-ed style instead of the traditional girlie bridal showers and some couples are even having bridesmen and groomsmaids attendants that stand up for them but break from the tradition of being of the same gender. Things like this may have shocked our grandparents, but these days weddings are becoming more personal and meaningful to the couple versus strictly following “how it’s always been”. So why not be a little different and plan your wedding party gifts together instead of the tradition of the Groomsmen gifts being left up to the Groom and Bridesmaid gifts being left to the Bride? These three great ideas will help get you on your way to choosing the perfect wedding party gifts for your special attendants.

One way of making the wedding party gifts fun and also meaningful is to choose a theme. This can be particularly simple if there is something that all or the majority of you already do together. One Bride and Groom recently chose golf themed gifts that were suitable for all of their attendants because they had all golfed with one another at various times. They chose items such as an 18 hole golf cooler and the fun insulated golf club drink dispenser that sits in your golf bag with your clubs and made it even more special by including gift certificates for a round at the course nearby for the Maid of Honor and the Best Man. Another variation could be to add a gift certificate for the pro shop or for lunch in the clubhouse. By including something they will use and keep as well as something experiential you will really thank them for sharing in your special day.

Another fun idea for the right group of wedding party attendants is Happy Hour and gifts of home barware. This is especially appropriate for the Bride and Groom who love wine and maybe even goes wine tasting with their friends. There are many items like beautiful wine stoppers and bottle opening tools as well as digital Wine Masters that help guide wine lovers in their selections of the perfect wine that can all be great gifts. Include a bottle of your favorite wine or perhaps a special bottle of a wine that you know your friends love, and you have a lovely wedding party gift sure to delight.

For wedding parties when there isn’t necessarily a common connection amongst the attendants apart from all being in your wedding, there is a way to tie it all together and make the wedding party gifts very meaningful. One couple recently chose a unique gift for each individual but the common link was that each gift was able to be engraved in some way. The Bride and Groom then chose a phrase that is inspirational to them and had all the gifts personalized with it along with the date of the wedding. The attendants all knew this was something personal that thought had gone into whether they received a picture frame with the saying, a money clip or a flask. Each item was chosen with the recipient’s taste in mind, but the common personalization brought it all together with meaning.

Choosing gifts for your wedding party should not be something that adds stress to your planning. These are your special friends and you want them to feel appreciated for sharing your special day, not to mention buying that bridesmaid dress or renting yet another tux! Use these ideas to spur some imagination and creativity to come up with gifts that are not only useful, but are thoughtful and meaningful to the recipient. Combined with a personal note, they are sure to be the gifts that won’t be put away on a shelf and forgotten.