Best/Worst Bridesmaid Gifts

Best: A really beautiful card from a friend whose a watercolor artist. It had a misty mountain lake scene done in my favorite colours and she wrote a beautiful calligraphy message about why she asked me and what our friendship means to each other. I framed it and I still have it.

Worst: A Christmas ornament with their dates that said "bridesmaid" and a weird unfocussed picture of the group. I'm Jewish.

Best one i ever got was a homemade apron and a bunch of pie-making tools from my BFF. it was functional, and personal--we've always loved cooking and baking together. i think of her everytime i use the stuff, ten years later.

Man...I wish I had the budget for some of these gifts! I was going to get all my girls an Alex and Ani bracelet to go with their other gifts, but I just cannot afford it now.

I've only been a bridesmaid once and she didn't give me a gift, but she paid for my hair to get done which was nice.

Ok, great thread.

So many great ideas in this thread! I have A LOT of time to think about this, but have been at a loss in terms of what's appropriate to get. The weddings I've been in have all given the bridesmaid monogrammed stuff--I appreciated the gesture and didn't think about it at all until reading this thread because it's their big day! I will def go a different route now, though.

All I have gotten from 3 weddings is cheap pearl jewelry I'll never wear again and a zipper bag that says bridesmaid.

I'll be getting my girls a bottle of wine a personalized box containing a wine tumbler in their favorite color, jewelry personalized to their taste, and a lotion or perfume that they love.

For their wedding day essentials bag I will have their jewelry for the day,

the best leggings in the world and a button up to get ready in, and a cute clutch that matches my colors.

I've never been in a wedding.

I shopped for my girls like it was their birthday. I bought each one a cute box and then filled it with goodies. The three adults had their favorite alcohol. One had some really cool nail polish because she paints her nails every night and she loves doing it. One had a shirt that had to do with a trip we took to Rome together. Three of them had jewelry and the fourth had a scarf because she doesn't wear jewelry, ever (she wears scarves). These are just some examples. I had so much fun doing the boxes and I tried really hard to personalize each one. Nothing said bridesmaid or anything wedding related. I also bought them all robes in their favorite colors to wear while we got ready. They loved them. Your budget doesn't have to be big - I probably spent $100 total. Just be thoughtful.

ETA I also paid for their H/MUA.

Best: A large makeup tote from my cousins wedding. I don't actually wear makeup but it's great for when we go on trips for all our toiletries. I've had it for 8 years and use it all the time.

Worst: The bride paid for our hair and makeup and then told us how our hair and makeup needed to be. We also had to pay the tip for the hair stylist and makeup artist.

I was super careful to not get my girls anything with "bridesmaid" on it!

Worst: those rubber bracelets that say bridesmaid and all sorts of "bridesmaid" accessories and a board filled with pictures of us, which was really sweet thought, but I don't want a board with pictures of just me and her, like we're close, but not that close, so pretty much stuff i'll just put in a box and never use

best: floral robes with no labeling of any sort, but I like robes. If it would have said bridesmaid I wouldn't have liked it though

Best: My friend got us real robes, like... Plush and thick for her November wedding, that were monogrammed and I honestly don't know how I lived without it! But it also came with a cute tote bag that had "getting ready" stuff in it.

Worst: a single wine glass with my first name on one side and "bridesmaid" on the other. Wtf do I do with a single wine glass?

I got my girls rose gold necklaces with a tiny moon charm, they are cute and simple and the moon is special to me... But they are NOT required to wear it at the wedding. I put it in cute totes with some goodies, silly socks, some mini wine bottles, etc. Also, paid for their hair.

Worst: our gift was the bride paying for makeup and hair (that had to be an updo she approved) and she paid for our nails ( but picked out the colors we were allowed to use). It's not a gift if you are dressing up your bridesmaids the way you want them to look.

ETA: I've only been in two weddings. The other bride got everyone personalized jewelry, not for the wedding. I will say I would prefer having my hair and makeup paid for than having some crappy trinket that says bridesmaid.

Im following the post trying to see what not to get my bridesmaids lol...i see alot are against the robes. I personally was thinking it shouldnt say bridesmaid&stuff cause they cant use it later but im thinking itll be great to put their names on it because they will use them later as well as tote bags with their name on them.

I was the maid of honor in a wedding and maybe it's just me but I didn't expect some big fancy expensive gift from the bride. It was an HONOR to stand next to my bff as she committed her life to the man she loves. It is her day, not mine and i loved to serve her without expecting anything in return. It's not about what she gives to me it's about our relationship and the beautiful memories we shared together. I get that it's a way to say thank you but I don't think brides need to go above and beyond. As a bride now, I think something simple but personal to each bridesmaid would go a long way in expressing gratitude and love.

Best: my friend got each girl their favorite perfume, a Kate spade clutch, and contributed to hair.

I personally wouldn't want anything with BM on it. Or my name. I love mugs, glasses, totes, and what not, but I don't need them to have my name on it. I never use the wine glass I got with my name on it a few years ago, I just don't like it.

I agree with you @Kailee

@FutureMrsSimmons - I'm not sure if this has been asked yet or not but what are these best leggings in the world you speak of? I live in leggings & so do my girls!

I see you're having a winter wedding...I'm not sure what your style is, but as one of their gifts I got them white fur shawls for photos, they turned out SO pretty, not cheap looking at all...here is the link to the etsy shop, I also got them a tote bag with their initial on to carry them in.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/228858590/bridesmaids-faux-fur-wrap-set-of-5-furs?ref=shop_home_active_2

Here is a link to the tote

https://www.etsy.com/listing/289280923/custom-initial-canvas-totebridesmaid-bag?ref=shop_home_active_17

From a bride's point of view - Because I knew the bachelorette party was going to be expensive (we went away for a spa weekend), I paid for all of my bridesmaids' dresses, and made sure that they wouldn't have to pay for really anything else. My mom and aunts threw my bridal shower (that is typical for Jewish brides), so my bridesmaids did not have to contribute any money to the shower either. All of my bridesmaids have thanked me for making sure I was cognizant of the cost of being a bridesmaid, and that this was the best bridesmaid gift I could have given them. I'm so thankful that these girls are going to stand next to me this Sunday, so I wanted to make being a bridesmaid as easy as possible for them!

I don't get people's problems with robes. Satin or not, embroidered with bridesmaid or not, I'd still use it at home. You're at home.. who cares what it says?