How To Show Your Appreciation: Gift Ideas For Your Bridesmaids

               Your Bridesmaids have all said yes to be a part of your special day.  They have been there by your side every step of the way leading up to your Wedding.  So to return the favor, you want to show them how thankful you are for all of their love, support and guidance they have given you the last few months or so…. But what do you get them?  Are you stumped on what would be the perfect gift?  Well I have listed out a few categories and ideas that I feel your Bridesmaids will absolutely love and even better, they can actually use! 

 

The “Day Of” Gifts

These gifts are for your Bridesmaids to use on the day of your Wedding.  This will not only save them time and money, but it can also help them coordinate with one another. 

·         Matching Nail Polish

·         Jewelry

·         Gift Card to Spa/Hair Dresser that you may be using that day

·         Sewing Kit

·         Fashion Tape

·         Matching Clutches

·         Customized Clothing (Robe, Tank, Sweats) that all say Bridesmaids

·         Mints

·         Advil

·         Makeup/Makeup Bag

Prepare Her for Your Destination Wedding

Are you planning a Destination Wedding?  Well a great idea for a Bridesmaid’s gift is one that would help make traveling a lot easier for them!  Even better… Put it all into a carry-on bag

·         Magazines or Their Favorite Book for the Flight

·         Headset

·         Neck Pillow

·         Tickets to a Show/Sporting Event or a Gift Card to a Restaurant at your Wedding location

·         A List of Restaurants, Things to Do, Places to See

·         A Customized Luggage Tag for their Luggage 

·         Camera

Pamper Her

Every girl appreciates a good pampering.  After all of the stress she has endured during the planning of your wedding, she would really appreciate a relaxing day to her self.  

·         Silk Pajamas/Robe

·         Monogrammed Towels

·         Slippers

·         Gift Certificate to a Local Spa or Boutique

·         Makeup/Makeup Bag

·         Lotions

·         Her Favorite Color Nail Polish

·         Facial Masks

·         Perfume 

All of Her Favorite Things

If she is one of your bridesmaids, then I would assume you know her pretty well.  By customizing each gift for your Bridesmaids, it will give it a personal touch that they will truly appreciate.

·       Fitness Lover: Personalized Sweats, Gift Certificate for Personal Training/Class, Yoga Mat, Light Weights, Water Bottle, Hair Bands

·       Loves to Cook: Recipe Book, Personalized Apron, Small Cooking Appliances, Colorful Colander, Cookie Cutters

·       Gardener: Gardening Tools, Small Plant, Gift Certificate to Local Gardening Center, Seeds, Pale

·       Movie Buff: Tickets to a Local Movie Theater, Her Favorite DVD, Popcorn, Candy

Wine & Dine Her

What better way to make your Bridesmaid feel appreciated then to wine & dine her!  Here a few ideas to make her feel special! 

·         Her Favorite Bottle of Bubbly

·         Sample Cheeses

·         Wine Club Membership

·         Gift Certificate to her Favorite Restaurant

·         Wine Bottle Opener

·         Chocolates

·         Gift Certificate to a Winery

·         Customized Wine Glass

After you create your perfect gifts for each of your Bridesmaids, there is one more touch that needs to be added!  I highly recommend writing a personalized letter to each and every one of them, stating how thankful you are to have them in your life and by your side throughout the Wedding process.  This not only shows your appreciation, but it also adds a personal and loving touch! 


BBFN (Bridal Bliss For Now),

Olivia

Bridal Show

You’ve got the ring, you’ve called your family and friends to share your good news, and now, you are registered to attend a Bridal Expo to start the journey of planning your big day.

Depending on where you live, and the time of year, you will most likely find a wide variety of expos, trunk shows, boutique events and Bridal seminars to attend, all geared to helping you plan the perfect day. Each show has its own unique, creative format for providing this information.  Feeling overwhelmed as to which showcase(s) to attend? 

Here are some tips and tricks to help you figure out which shows are best for you to attend:

Define your expectation of the show

What are you looking to get from the show? If you are looking to gather information and special offers from a large number of vendors about their services, then one of the larger shows is a great place to start. If you are looking for design inspiration, be sure to look for a show that is being hosted by a décor company. Wanting a better idea on how to start planning your wedding? Look for a show that features a wedding planner to help point you in the right direction.

Decide how much you are willing to spend on a ticket?

There is a wide variance in the cost of these events, some are free and some can cost upwards of $100. One factor in cost is what kind of food and beverage, if any, is being served. Another consideration is what you, as the bride, will take away from the event. Will you get a Swag Bag full of goodies? Some of these events are hosted as fundraisers for different not-for-profit organizations as well.

Are you looking for an intimate experience or a large crowd?

Some events will draw hundreds of brides and their friends and families. Some smaller shows will only have 10 – 20 brides in attendance and will offer a more intimate experience for the attendees.

What shows are your already selected vendors participating in?

If you have already selected a venue, florist, photographer or some other vendors for your big day you will want to find out what shows they are participating in. It is likely that the vendors they work with will also be in attendance. This is a great opportunity to meet those vendors in person and set-up appointments to discuss their services.

No matter which show(s) you decide to attend you will surely have a good time and take away information that will help you plan your day.

Best of luck, and hope to see you at one of our events!

BBFN (Bridal Bliss For Now),

Olivia

For our Bride: The Balancing Act and Making Your Dream Wedding Come True

Being a bride is a balancing act in many ways. One of the toughest jobs you have is to keep all of the decision makers involved in your wedding happy. You have to establish priorities as a couple, and decide on what means the most to you. Then…

You need to figure out who else will be contributing to your wedding budget, and what spoken or unspoken expectations come with that financial contribution. Even if there are not immediately spoken expectations, they are there. Your father may be making a small contribution and seem laid back (but he assumes you want him to walk you down the aisle), your grandmother may want to pay for your gown (as long as it’s not strapless), mother may tell you that she trusts you to select a menu (as long as it doesn’t include fish), and his mother may make a passing comment that she knows a photographer (but what she is not saying is that she fully expects you to use said photographer).

Here are a few tips to help you navigate these tricky waters:

• Start the conversation early – the earlier you start to talk about each person’s vision for your wedding, the better. This gives you the most amount of time to find common ground.
• It is your day, be careful how often you assert that – everyone wants you to be happy with your wedding day. The memories will be most vivid for the two of you. BUT, you will surely earn the title of Bridezilla if you overuse that statement.
• Be prepared to make concessions – as you and your fiancé decide what is most important to you, also start to think about areas that you are willing to bend to keep people happy.
• Listen to others’ wishes – while you may be exhausted of listening to others opinions, you never know when someone will offer up a suggestion that you truly are excited about.

The old cliché is true, you can’t keep all of the people happy, all of the time. It is definitely in your best interest to figure out which people are most important for you to please, at least some of the time.

BBFN (Bridal Bliss for Now),

Olivia