Bridesmaid Gift Ideas 2013

If you buy the same generic gift for all your ladies and call it a day, your hunt for the perfect present really isn’t that challenging. However, if you want a unique present for each bridesmaid that expresses your gratitude for all her help and support, you have a bit of a challenge ahead of you.

Finding a gift that expresses your gratitude will depend on the personality type of each bridesmaid. We have gift ideas for nearly every personality type out there. Check here for gift ideas that will fit every lady in your wedding party.

The Future Starlet

Tickets for an off-Broadway production at a local theater.
A subscription to a magazine with all the latest Hollywood drama.
A gift certificate to the movie theater.
A gift basket will all the fixins for the perfect night at home – a DVD of the latest Hollywood sensation, popcorn, plenty of sweet treats, and fuzzy slippers.

The Always-On-The-Go Girl

Gift certificate for a zumba class at the local gym.
Photography lessons.
Sailing lessons.
Registration in a glamping expedition.

The Next Top Chef

Custom apron.
Gift certificate for a tour of a local winery.
Table linens.
Non-perishable gourmet grocery items.
Cooking classes with a chef.

The Crafts Queen

Handmade jewelry.
Personalized, handmade stationary.
A quilt.
Homemade beauty products like facemasks, soap, hair tonics or lotion.
Yarn and knitting needles.

The Tomboy

Custom poker set.
Tickets to watch her favorite sports team.
Workout essentials – yoga mat, water bottle, running shoes, rollerblades.

The Anywhere-But-Here Girl

Personalized luggage tags.
A gift basket with a plug adaptor, travel alarm clock, ear plugs, and sleep mask.
A small fleece blanket, perfect for curling up on a chilly airplane.
A cosmetic bag with travel size bottles for beauty essentials.

The Green Girl

A compost pail.
Fair trade coffee.
Bike tire air pump.
Bulbs or seedlings for flowers or herbs.
A gift basket with homemade goodies – breads, jams, etc.

The Outdoor Lover

A gift basket with a beach towel, sunscreen, beach ball, and sandals.
A kite.
A picnic basket with reusable plates, cups and silverware.
A custom cornhole set.

The Family Girl

A subscription to a parenting magazine.
Gift certificate to the zoo.
Family-friendly board games.
Gift certificate to a museum.
Snowman building kit.

The Beauty Queen

Silk pajamas.
Designer clutch.
Manicure essentials – nail polish, emery boards, luxurious hand cream.
A weekend travel package to a spa.

The Gadget Girl

Gift certificate to the app or iTunes store.
High tech headphones.
Blu ray player.
Car adapter for mp3 player/iPod/iPad.
Cordless mouse or keyboard.

About the author: Guest author Jessica Zepeda is a newlywed who is happy the drama of wedding planning is over! Now, she likes to share all her wonderful tips with those brides who are still wading through the process. She has even started a blog of best bachelorette party games and bachelorette party tips.

Surely, you will be able to find the perfect gift for each of your bridesmaids. Every lady has a different personality and each one deserves a gift that she’ll appreciate!

Do you have any great gift ideas we left off the list? Let us know!

Appreciation Gifts For Your Bridal Party

When a newly engaged couple begins to plan out their wedding, typically they choose a few close family members or friends to stand by them while exchanging their vows. The bridal party can be as large or small depending on what the couple prefers. No matter the size of the bridal party, their assistance and support with the wedding is priceless. To show how much you appreciate them participating in your wedding day, give them a gift that they will truly never forget. Here are a few fabulous ideas for the entire wedding party.

Gifts for the Entire Wedding Party

Personalized Beverage Coozies - Have your bridal party drink in style with their name and their role in your wedding displayed on the outside part of the coozie. This is a perfect gift and it can be used well after the wedding is over.

Personalized Shot Glasses - Cheers! Personalize beautiful shot glasses with your bridal party's name and your wedding date. Make them feel extra special by getting Bridesmaid, Groomsman, Maid of Honor or Best Man engraved on the shot glass as well.

Bridal Party Baseball Caps - Are you really in to sports and want to try and incorporate that into your wedding festivities? Shower your bridal party and family members with baseball caps! From the Father of the Bride to your Best Man, these bridal party baseball caps will surely get everyone's spirit soaring!

Engraved Key Chains - Have your bridal party remember how appreciate you are of them every time they get into their car with a engraved key chain depicting their name and a personalized message from you.

Monogrammed Stemless Wine Glasses - Surprise your bridal party by giving them a beautiful set of monogrammed stemless wine glasses. Perfect for both the bridesmaids and the groomsmen!

Gifts Just For The Bridesmaids

Monogrammed Compacts - Show those special ladies in your bridal party that they mean so much to you, by gifting them with a beautiful compact! Every time your bridesmaids search through their purse for their compact mirror, they will be sure to think of you!

Wedding Day Accessories - Give your bridesmaids something that they will cherish for years to come, a beautiful jewelry set, which they can wear on your wedding day. Earrings, necklace and a bracelet would be a thoughtful and gorgeous way to say thank you to your bridesmaids.

About the author: Amanda Cooper is a freelance writer for Wedding Favours Kingdom, which carries an array of wedding accessories, Wedding Favours, and candle wedding favours. Amanda is also a writer for other travel and wedding-related websites. When Amanda is not writing, she enjoys cooking for friends and family.

Selecting Your Attendants

How do you pick your bridesmaids and groomsmen?

Why is it that wedding planning always seems to bog down when it comes to planning out the number of bridesmaids and groomsmen to have in the ceremony? Even if a couple can agree on the number to have, how do you decide which people you should ask to be your attendants?

These questions have been asked by nearly every bride for the last 50 years (or at least as long as women have been planning their own weddings). While the question of who to have as your wedding attendants is a little harder to answer than the number you should have, both questions have fairly simple answers.

How Many Attendants Should You Have?

When it comes to the number of attendants that should be in your ceremony, there really is no “right” or “wrong” number. However, it is with a sigh of relief that most brides hear that there is a general rule of thumb regarding the number of attendants, and that it is based off of the size and formality of your wedding.

- Large and/or Formal Weddings (200+ guests). For large and/or formal weddings, it is generally accepted that between 6-10 bridesmaids and an equal number of groomsmen will be in the ceremony.

- Semi-Formal/Medium Sized Weddings (100-200 guests). For Semi-Formal and/or medium sized weddings the standard rule of thumb is between 1-6 bridesmaids and an equal number of groomsmen.

- Casual / Small Sized Weddings (under 100 guests). For Casual or small sized weddings having just a best man and maid of honor is acceptable, though 1-2 additional sets of attendants is not unheard of.

- Second Marriages. Normally for second marriages there are no attendants, though those with children may choose to have them as part of the ceremony.

How Do You Choose Your Attendants?

Deciding who to ask to be your bridesmaids or groomsmen can provide even more headaches, especially if you come from a large family or have a large number of close friends. Again, thankfully, tradition has a few thoughts on the matter.

- Selecting your maid of honor/best man. Selecting a maid of honor or best man is actually fairly simple. A best friend; someone special on whom you can depend is the traditional choice for a maid of honor or a best man. While many times it is a friend, you can also choose a brother, sister or even father or mother to fill these roles.

- Selecting your bridesmaids/groomsmen. Selecting your bridesmaids and/or groomsmen is a more difficult task, especially if you have a large number of friends or family. But traditionally choosing close friends or family members who are close to you is an acceptable way of choosing your bridesmaids or groomsmen.

While choosing the number of attendants and deciding who those attendants should be can be a sticky point in your wedding planning, hopefully knowing what the traditionally accepted numbers and choices are can help you in smoothing out the details of your big day.

About the author: Sarah Rigos is founder of the leading cash registry, Starlight Registry.

Who Should The Bride Select As The Maid Of Honor?

WEDDING Q & A: Who should the bride select as her maid of honor / matron of honor? Share your ideas and thoughts.

Wedding Invitations and Accessories

Calla Graphics offers the latest in unique, top quality Custom Wedding Invitations and All Occasion Invitations and Announcements, Gifts, Accessories, Favors and Bridal Jewelry.

Wedding accessories we like:

Bridesmaid Gifts
Groomsmen Gifts
Swarovski Bridal
Bouquet and Cake Jewelry
Wedding Favors
Edible Chocolate and Cookie Favors
Flower Baskets
Ring Pillows
Guest Books
Toasting Flutes
Cake Servers
Napkins
Ribbons
Wedding Card Holders
Seating Chart Scrolls
Customized Envelope Addressing and Place Cards
Programs
Menus
Personalized Gifts
Apparel Items

Calla Graphics also carries Baby Shower Invitations, Announcements, Apparel, Couture Christening Gowns and Outfits, Favors, Keepsakes and a full line of Business Printing Products and Holiday Cards. Calla Graphics prides itself on carrying only the finest products and delivering reliable service at an affordable price. Located in Lodi, NJ. By appointment only. Visit www.CallaGraphics.com or call Calla Graphics at 973-473-3889 to schedule an appointment.

Submitted by www.callagraphics.com

From Favors To Food: Common Bridesmaid Duties

Let's assume you're here because one of your closest friends just asked you to be in her upcoming wedding. Exciting, right? Sure, the nuptials may be months away, but you still have a few bridesmaid duties you'll be called upon to do. Depending on the bride, she may or may not ask that much of you. On the other hand, she could have a long list of bridesmaids' responsibilities just waiting for you to complete.

In order to be prepared for the strain, hammering out some kind of a timeline and responsibility list well in advance is always a good move. As the day approaches, the jittery bride-to-be may get a little stressed and hard to reach. Here are some typical bridesmaid's responsibilities that may be asked of you.

A Bridesmaid's Responsibilities

1. Buy the dress: One of the primary bridesmaid duties is footing the bill for the dress you'll wear. Hopefully, the bride will have chosen something that fits within everyone's budget. However, you'll want to purchase your dress in advance in case it needs alteration work or something similar.

Occasionally, some brides choose one style of dress - not an ideal situation for bridesmaids with different body types. Embellish your dress with a cute jacket if sleeveless doesn't suit you or wear body-shaping undergarments for dresses that are too tight or too short.

2. Assemble favors: The bride may ask your help with putting together or dreaming up the favors. These kinds of bridesmaid duties are a great project for all the girls to help with! Based on the wedding's theme or colors, you can come prepared with some ideas in mind and share them with the group. If it's more of a project night, bring some goodies like cookies, wine, or popcorn for the group to enjoy while you assemble.

3. Organize gifts on the wedding day: Ideally, each bridesmaid should have unique bridesmaid duties on the day of the wedding. As part of the other thousands of bridesmaid's responsibilities that have to get done, the bride may ask you to organize the gifts as they are placed on the table and perhaps direct guests to sign the guest book or answer questions about the night's festivities and the venue's facilities.

4. Greet guests on the wedding day: Similar to the above task, a bridesmaid or two should stand guard at the front entrance, smiling and greeting guests as they enter. They should also coordinate these efforts with the groomsmen, who will then usher each new arrival to their table at the church, venue, or reception.

5. Arrive early or on time: In order to keep up with everything that's going on that day, make sure to arrive when the bride asks you to. It's obvious it's going to be a long day, but if you're rushing to the ceremony or reception with ten minutes to spare, someone else will have picked up the slack and performed your bridesmaid duties alone.

6. Carry the bride's essentials: Managing the bride's essentials is one of the most important bridesmaid duties. One of the bridesmaids should keep track of all the bride's essentials. The maid of honor ideally attends to her train while she walks around, perhaps even arranging it for pictures. The other bridesmaids should have tissues on hand, extra makeup, safety pins, and whatever else will keep the bride looking flawless throughout the wedding day.

7. Offer direction to wait staff at the reception venue: It's a given that everyone will be running around to make sure the reception flows smoothly. Part of the bridesmaids' responsibilities should include directing the wait staff in regards to table placement, the cake, the food (whether it be buffet or sit down), drinks, and any protocol. Make sure signs clearly delineate who sits at which table. Verify that the speakers aren't too close to any one table.

8. Collaborate with the other bridesmaids: The night before, create a game plan with the other bridesmaids to ensure you are all on the same page as far as each bridesmaid's responsibilities. Assign roles and duties so that everything goes off without a hitch during the actual ceremony and reception.

9. Ensure the bride's dress is ready to go: Someone will need to be in charge of making sure the dress is pressed, fresh, and ready to go. If it needs alteration work, take it and pick it up. If it needs to be dry cleaned, make a stop at the dry cleaners as well!

10. Provide moral support: Offering a shoulder to cry on or some friendly words will go a lot farther than you could think - and is often more valued than perhaps any of the other bridesmaid duties. She is stressed and tired of planning day after day - being a friend is the most important thing.

Carrying Out Bridesmaid's Responsibilities with a Smile

Sure, all these bridesmaid duties may be a lot of work and a little stressful to boot. Just remember that the bride decided to honor you with the responsibility of standing up for her at her wedding day. Cherish your bridesmaid's responsibilities and take lots of pictures!

Cherie Johnson is the founder and owner of Creative Wedding Favors, the premier site for unique special occasion and wedding favors. Her wedding ideas have also benefited readers of many websites, including Women Of, Wedding Lenox, and The Wedding Guide. Before establishing the company in 2006, she was a professional wedding photographer, chronicling all the special moments of the nuptials and ceremony. Search for favors for your next event by visiting www.CreativeWeddingFavors.com.

Submitted by www.creativeweddingfavors.com