Bridesmaids Gifts. What to Get & How Much to Spend

This post is about the girls who will be standing next to you while you marry the man of your dreams: your bridesmaids. Besides your fiancé and your immediate family, they are the ones who have seen you at your best and your worst. They're there for you when you want to go out for a night on the town, but they're also there for you, holding your hair back when you're hugging the toilet at the end of the night. When you need some time to vent about the fact that your guy never remembers to put the toilet seat down, they're there. 

So you want to make sure they know that you appreciate them on your wedding day. You don't have to give them anything crazy, just a little something to say "Thanks for helping me find the dress, put together the invitations, organize the favors, and putting up with my craziness for the past several months." Hopefully you haven't been too much of a bridezilla!

Some brides may wonder what to give, how much to spend, or when she should give them out. After some research, I've found the answers to these questions:

1. What Should I Give?

You could go two ways with this: 1. You can get everyone the same present, like accessories that should be worn on the wedding day, or 2. Go the extra mile and give each bridesmaid a different gift within the same price range. I'm a fan of personalizing things. You could do a combination of the two options and get your bridesmaids the same gift, but put their initials on it. For example, a monogrammed tank top, or a necklace with their first initial on a pendant. You should ask yourself: "Would I want it?" You don't want to give them something that's just going to get lost in a drawer after the wedding.

2. How Much Should I Spend?

There are a few things that a bride should take into account before she buys the gifts. She should determine how much of her budget she can spare, and consider how much her bridesmaids are spending for her. If you have bridesmaids who are spending money on a plane ticket, hotel room, dress, shoes, the shower, and other things, you should probably plan on spending around $100-$150 per girl. If your bridesmaids are local and and don't have as many expenses, anything around $75-$90 will suffice. You're definitely not expected to cover every cent they spend, but you should spend enough to say "Thank You." 

*Side Note: The Maid of Honor usually gets a more extravagant gift, since she's responsible for coordinating the shower and bachelorette party. Just something extra to say "Thanks for going the extra mile."

3. When Should I Give Them Out?

That's up to the bride. Some brides choose to give them out at the rehearsal dinner, while their closest family and friends are around; others opt to give them out on the wedding day during a private moment amidst all of the wedding chaos.