The Best Practical Thank You for Being My Bridesmaid Gifts

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In all the chaos of wedding planning, it can be too easy to forget to plan your thank-you gifts.

After all the time and money that your wedding party has put into you having a great wedding, it’s critical that you put together a nice, personalized thank-you gift to show your appreciation.

In this post, you’ll learn how to pick the best bridesmaid thank-you gifts.

Are “Thank You for Being My Bridesmaid” Gifts Necessary?

Typically, gifts will be given to all members of the wedding party from the people getting married.

Because of this, your bridesmaids will likely be expecting a thank-you gift.

When you consider the time, energy, and money your wedding party is contributing, a thank-you gift becomes a clear must. To lock in the meaning of your wedding party’s support, write heartfelt, personalized thank-you notes to give along with your gifts.

Knowing that gifts to give the wedding party are expected, factor them into your budget early on. This will help ensure you don’t need to cut them as your budget is tighter.

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How Much Should You Spend on Bridesmaid Gifts?

The amount you spend on your bridesmaid gifts depends on how much 1) your wedding is and 2) how much your bridesmaids are spending on their participation.

Typically, brides spend $75-$150 per bridesmaid gift. Of course, this varies and is very easily adaptable to fit the financial feel of your wedding.

Your maid of honor thank you gift, in contrast, should be much larger and in addition to the bridesmaid gift.

Look at the items you want bridesmaids to be responsible for purchasing and see if any of them can be part of their bridesmaid gift. If you head in this direction, make sure the items you’re incorporating into your thank-you gift are things that your bridesmaids can reuse. If it’s too wedding-specific, it’s not a gift that they can look forward to using – which makes for a pretty bad thank-you.

Well-received gifts that bridesmaids use on the wedding day include nail polish in specific colors, jewelry, shoes, and makeup.

Make sure the thank-you you’re getting bridesmaids is very nice and personalized – which means you’ll be spending some cash. Trust us, it’s money well spent to show them your appreciation.

What to Look for in a Gift

When looking for bridesmaid gifts, many online sources recommend wedding-themed items. These items will include the names of the couple getting married or the wedding date.

While these gifts may look cute to the couple getting married, they’re pretty irrelevant to your bridesmaids. And as a thank-you gift, this can be considered downright cheesy.

Instead, think of practicality first and foremost when choosing your bridesmaid thank-you gifts. Utilize the knowledge you have of these gals to get them a gift you know they’ll appreciate getting.

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Consider the Gift of Experiences

When former bridesmaids were asked what they’d recommend brides get their bridesmaids, gifts of experience were well-loved. In general, try to avoid gifting more “stuff.” If you don’t see a good use for it, try to replace it with a personalized experience.

One of the best thank-you gifts that we’ve heard of was for a Maid of Honor. This MOH put in a ridiculous amount of work for the wedding and financially contributed significantly. For her thank-you gift, the bride planned a trip to Los Angeles for the two of them. They had both had conversations about wanting to visit LA, which made this experience personal and exciting.

Massages before the wedding day, cooking classes with partners, and day-long getaways are wonderful thank-you gifts. Make sure the experience you’re getting is still personal – think through things the bridesmaid has mentioned wanting to do or learn and go from there.

What About Bridesmaid Gift Bags?

If a gift of experience isn’t a great fit, or you’d like to give a physical item alongside an experience, gift bags are a great choice.

There are a few things to keep in mind when putting together a gift bag. First, make sure every piece of the gift bag is something the bride can use past the wedding. Even if some of your components are items to be used on the wedding day, they should be able to be used for other events.

If you can’t think of enough items to make a gift bag worth it, skip it and put those gifts with something else. If you only have a few gifts to go along with something else, you can also choose a smaller bag. Take, for example, a clutch over a tote bag. This way, your gift bag still looks full and complete.

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Bridesmaid Thank You Gift Vs. Proposal Gift

You may be wondering how a thank-you gift compares to a proposal gift.

A proposal gift is relatively small. It may contain a small batter of champagne, glass, and mini goodies. The main purpose of the proposal gift is to ask the person to be a part of your wedding party with a little treat. Typically, proposal gifts will total under $25.

On the other hand, the thank-you gift is given a few days before the wedding. The only purpose of the thank-you gift is to, well, say thank you. This is why putting time and effort into getting nice gifts is important.

Picking the Best Bridesmaid Gifts

While thank-you gifts for bridesmaids will vary greatly from wedding to wedding, there are a few rules of thumb that make your gift amazing.

First, stay away from any wedding-themed gifts. They’re exciting for you since you’re getting married – but irrelevant to your bridesmaids.

Second, make sure the gift total is over $75 and a good reflection of the financial feel of your wedding. Overall, the gift should feel very nice.

Third, consider the practicality of the gift. Ask yourself if this is something you can imagine your bridesmaids using. Better yet, get any items that will be used on your wedding day but can easily be reused for other events.

Finally, make sure the gift is personalized and shows your appreciation for their support in your wedding. Bridesmaids spend significant time, money, and energy to ensure you have a great wedding. Your thank you gift should be personalized and express this.