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Thoughtful Thank You Gifts

Thoughtful Thank You Gifts

Gift Ideas For Your Bridal Party

Thirty-one years ago, I was asked to sing at my cousin’s wedding.  At the rehearsal dinner, she presented me with a thank you gift that to this day, I cherish. It was a perfume bottle with stopper, The Rose Manor-Pink by Lenox. I filled it with Opium perfume by Yves Saint Laurent and placed it on my bedroom dresser amongst my makeup and jewelry. Every time I applied perfume, I thought of Cheryl and her beautiful wedding day.

Her wedding memento moved with me from state to state, from apartment to apartment, from home to home always lovingly placed back on my bedroom dresser. This got me to think. I have received multiple wedding thank you gifts. Why was this different? And then it hit me. Cheryl gave it thought. And that is why, her thank you gift withstood the test of time, unlike my scent from 1987!

The thank-you gift list is usually the last thing you think about during the wedding planning process. The meat of a wedding is typically the wedding dress, tuxes,  venue,  menu, photographer, florals, music, bridesmaids dresses, and honeymoon. Then you work on the wedding side dishes,  rehearsal dinner, the limousine, choosing a hotel for guests, the hotel bags, the favors, and then the gifts for the bridesmaids/groomsmen/ parents. But honestly, move the side dish of thank you gifts to the meat portion. Start thinking about your thank you gifts sooner in the process than later. Your family and friends are taking the time to love on you and celebrate your special day, so you want to thank them from the bottom of your heart and not from the bottom of an exhausted barrel of wedding planning!

Thank you gifts should be as intimate as a birthday/ holiday gift. So make it a priority and give it considerable thought of what they would appreciate and use.  These gifts can be expensive, so you want to make sure they are not tossed out or thrown in the back of the closet. You want your gift and your day to be remembered. So here are my thoughts on gifts for bridesmaids/groomsmen/parents/ guests and any others who play a part in your big day.

Who said you have to give the same gift to everyone in your wedding party? You wouldn’t give the same birthday gift to each of your friends/family so why at your wedding? I know it’s easier to pick the latest trendy gift on Pinterest or Etsy and than wrap it, give it and forget it. But consider a more thoughtful approach in presenting your wedding thank you gift. For instance, perhaps your MOH likes to cook. Present her with a soup spoon with the bride and groom names and wedding date engraved on the handle. Or a pretty apron the same color as the bridesmaid dresses. You can have a garment tag embroidered with your names and wedding date. Then have it sewn on the inside of the garment. Trust me. She would use this apron for future dinner parties, not one with the huge word “Maid of Honor” stamped across the front!  Let’s talk about your college roommate who loves wine. A lovely wine stopper with your names and wedding date engraved. She would definitely smile every time she opened a bottle. Your kid sister loves poetry. How about a book written by her favorite poet? You can hire a calligraphist to place your names and wedding date, along with a thank you sentiment, on the opening page. A beautiful thought-filled item will have more meaning, will be used, and cherished.

Now let’s address buying the same gift. It’s okay to give the same gift to everyone but keep it simple and classic, so the items would be used outside of the wedding. For instance, robes are beautiful, but will your friends continue to wear the robe after the morning of the wedding with the title of “Bridesmaid” embroidered on the back?  A better option for the longevity of a gift is to purchase the robes placing titles in smaller print on the front pocket, less ostentatious.  Or here is a thought, no titles at all. Similar to the apron, sew an embroidered tag of the bride and groom’s name along with the wedding date to the interior of the garment. The same thing with jewelry, instead of MOH and Bridesmaid engraved jewelry,  monogram their initials in the front of the bracelet. You can engrave the back with your names and wedding date. The point is to make sure the same gift is used outside of the wedding ceremony. Because wouldn’t it be nice to know that thirty-one years later,  your wedding day is still remembered and cherish by the loving way you expressed gratitude.

Written by Peg Kunz

Gift Ideas For Your Bridal Party

Thirty-one years ago, I was asked to sing at my cousin’s wedding.  At the rehearsal dinner, she presented me with a thank you gift that to this day, I cherish. It was a perfume bottle with stopper, The Rose Manor-Pink by Lenox. I filled it with Opium perfume by Yves Saint Laurent and placed it on my bedroom dresser amongst my makeup and jewelry. Every time I applied perfume, I thought of Cheryl and her beautiful wedding day.

Her wedding memento moved with me from state to state, from apartment to apartment, from home to home always lovingly placed back on my bedroom dresser. This got me to think. I have received multiple wedding thank you gifts. Why was this different? And then it hit me. Cheryl gave it thought. And that is why, her thank you gift withstood the test of time, unlike my scent from 1987!

The thank-you gift list is usually the last thing you think about during the wedding planning process. The meat of a wedding is typically the wedding dress, tuxes,  venue,  menu, photographer, florals, music, bridesmaids dresses, and honeymoon. Then you work on the wedding side dishes,  rehearsal dinner, the limousine, choosing a hotel for guests, the hotel bags, the favors, and then the gifts for the bridesmaids/groomsmen/ parents. But honestly, move the side dish of thank you gifts to the meat portion. Start thinking about your thank you gifts sooner in the process than later. Your family and friends are taking the time to love on you and celebrate your special day, so you want to thank them from the bottom of your heart and not from the bottom of an exhausted barrel of wedding planning!

Thank you gifts should be as intimate as a birthday/ holiday gift. So make it a priority and give it considerable thought of what they would appreciate and use.  These gifts can be expensive, so you want to make sure they are not tossed out or thrown in the back of the closet. You want your gift and your day to be remembered. So here are my thoughts on gifts for bridesmaids/groomsmen/parents/ guests and any others who play a part in your big day.

Who said you have to give the same gift to everyone in your wedding party? You wouldn’t give the same birthday gift to each of your friends/family so why at your wedding? I know it’s easier to pick the latest trendy gift on Pinterest or Etsy and than wrap it, give it and forget it. But consider a more thoughtful approach in presenting your wedding thank you gift. For instance, perhaps your MOH likes to cook. Present her with a soup spoon with the bride and groom names and wedding date engraved on the handle. Or a pretty apron the same color as the bridesmaid dresses. You can have a garment tag embroidered with your names and wedding date. Then have it sewn on the inside of the garment. Trust me. She would use this apron for future dinner parties, not one with the huge word “Maid of Honor” stamped across the front!  Let’s talk about your college roommate who loves wine. A lovely wine stopper with your names and wedding date engraved. She would definitely smile every time she opened a bottle. Your kid sister loves poetry. How about a book written by her favorite poet? You can hire a calligraphist to place your names and wedding date, along with a thank you sentiment, on the opening page. A beautiful thought-filled item will have more meaning, will be used, and cherished.

Now let’s address buying the same gift. It’s okay to give the same gift to everyone but keep it simple and classic, so the items would be used outside of the wedding. For instance, robes are beautiful, but will your friends continue to wear the robe after the morning of the wedding with the title of “Bridesmaid” embroidered on the back?  A better option for the longevity of a gift is to purchase the robes placing titles in smaller print on the front pocket, less ostentatious.  Or here is a thought, no titles at all. Similar to the apron, sew an embroidered tag of the bride and groom’s name along with the wedding date to the interior of the garment. The same thing with jewelry, instead of MOH and Bridesmaid engraved jewelry,  monogram their initials in the front of the bracelet. You can engrave the back with your names and wedding date. The point is to make sure the same gift is used outside of the wedding ceremony. Because wouldn’t it be nice to know that thirty-one years later,  your wedding day is still remembered and cherish by the loving way you expressed gratitude.

Written by Peg Kunz

Brides