06-15-2016
Gifting Advice for the Bride-to-Be
FILED IN: Bridal Party & Groomsmen Gifts, Education, Wedding Welcome Gifts
Posted By: Jamie Kutchman
Image credit: Krista A. Jones Photography
I have a confession to make. I didn’t have welcome gifts at my wedding. I know, I know! How can I work at Marigold & Grey and not have spoiled my own wedding guests? Well to be honest, like a lot of brides, it just fell to the bottom of my to-do list. When we got married in 2014, most of the welcome gift inspiration available online was limited to paper bags full of small local treats. This created two problems. 1) It just wasn’t that inspiring. I was obsessed with the aesthetic details of our day and those paper bags just didn’t do it for me. 2) I thought that because they were so simple, they would be easily thrown together the week before. Well of course in the weeks leading up to the wedding, I found more and more tasks that seemed more pressing or more fun than those paper bags and at the end of the day they just never happened.
Despite my apathy towards welcome gifts, I did still participate in many of the wedding gifting traditions and since yesterday was my two-year anniversary, I thought it would be fun to run through my do’s and don’ts of wedding gifting.
DO Make it Personal
I think this especially applies to bridesmaids or groomsmen gifts. I love a good matching robe just as much as the next bride but let’s be honest. Those robes or oversized button downs are partially a gift for the bride just so that you can get those adorable getting ready pictures. Each of your bridesmaids probably has very different tastes, likes and dislikes. Be sure to include something in each gift that acknowledges those differences and embraces them.
DON’T Be Stingy
Now wait, I’m not saying you have to spend 100’s of dollars on a single gift. What I do mean is to take advantage of this gifting opportunity. How often do you get a chance to express just how deeply thankful you are for the most important people in your life? The people surrounding you on your wedding day are the ones that have been there since the beginning, the ones that have nurtured you and your relationship, watched you grow and guided you through the joys and sorrows that have lead you to this day. Thank them, then thank them again. If you can afford to shower them in luxury this is great opportunity to do so, if you can’t don’t worry. A simple heartfelt note among a few of their favorite things shows them that you care and that alone can be priceless.
DO Have some fun with it
I found wedding gifting to be somewhat intimidating. I felt like each gift had to mimic the gravity of the day and I stressed and stressed over what to give. Eventually I remembered that the people I wanted to honor were the same people that would still love us unconditionally even if we never ever gave them another gift. Once I let myself relax a bit, I had so much fun finding small and personal ways to thank the most important people in our lives.
Image Credit: Krista A. Jones Photography
DON’T Wait until the last minute
It seems like parent gifts and bridal party and groomsmen gifts are often some of the last items on a couple’s to do list. Move ‘em on up! These people have devoted the better part of a year celebrating you and your future partner so why would you give yourself just days to figure out how to thank them? Not waiting until the last minute has at least two benefits. First, regardless of how budget savvy you are, wedding gifts can get expensive quickly. By planning and purchasing over a long period of time you can spread out the potential costs. Secondly, how many times have you found yourself throwing a gift together at the last minute only to stumble upon something that would have been perfect just a few days later? That doesn’t happen to you? Well, it happens to me quite frequently and that is why I gave myself plenty of time to curate the perfect gifts for my favorite people.
Image Credit: Krista A. Jones Photography
If I had to offer one last piece of advice, it would be this: As the bride and groom, you receive so much during the wedding process. From engagement parties to showers to bachelor/bachelorette parties to the wedding itself, so many people devote their time, energy and money to celebrating you and your marriage. Soak up every moment and take every opportunity to give back and say 'thank you' to the special people in your life.
How do you plan to gift to those around you during your wedding planning process? Let us know! We'd love to hear from you.
Image Credit: Krista A. Jones Photography
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