Gifts For Every Season

Finding the perfect bridesmaid’s gift is often a daunting task. Take the time to really think about what would be meaningful, not only to you, but also to your bridesmaids. The appreciation that you are showing for all of their help and support with the perfect thank you gift should be sweet, simple, and meaningful.
Begin your shopping early to find the perfect personalized bridesmaid’s gift. Personalized does not necessarily mean that the gift is monogrammed or engraved with the bridesmaid’s name. Rather, it means that the gift has been carefully thought out, selected, and purchased.

The perfect gift to say thank you with will have special memories attached to it. For years to come, the gift will be cherished fondly as a reminder of the wonderful friendship and camaraderie experienced during this momentous time. A gift that has been selected with the bridesmaid in mind will be treasured more than a gift that has been selected on the basis of expense or affectation.

One of the most popular trends in bridesmaid’s gifts is to pair a necklace and earrings together for the bridesmaids. So many styles and colors are available that the perfect combination is readily discovered. Quite often, the bride will opt to select an ensemble that the bridesmaids can wear on the day of the wedding. Matching gemstones to the color of the bridesmaid’s dresses is a fashionable practice. Likewise, personalizing the jewelry by giving each bridesmaid a jewelry ensemble with her birthstone is considered quite chic.

Petite chandelier earrings paired with the perfect necklace present an attractive picture. Likewise, illusion wire necklaces that attractively show off delicate pearls or fragile gemstones create a seductive look. Sterling silver remains a classic choice- one that is always appreciated for its elegant look.

Another popular choice is a necklace designed with a pendant with a leather cord instead of a chain. The cord can be died to match the color of the bridesmaid’s dress. Monogrammed jewelry, inscribed with the name of the bridesmaid and the date of the wedding, remain a fashionable choice as well.

Personalizing each gift is a simple task with a little careful thought and planning. The art of monogramming has developed into a full fledge service with monogramming occurring on all types of products. Handbags, footwear, totes, leather gifts, key rings, photograph albums, and trinket boxes are among the most popular items to monogram.

Bridesmaid gifts can be theme oriented to match the theme of the wedding. Beach weddings are a very trendy wedding theme and personalized flip flops, tote bags, and beach chairs are quite the rage as bridesmaids’ gifts. In fact, the tote bag can be used to hold a monogrammed towel in addition to the flip flops.

Glassware is another trendy gift idea and includes such choices as Pilsner glasses, toasting glasses, and bud vases. These can be etched with individual names and dates to further personalize the thank you. Ceramic mugs etched with special quotes or personalized with names are coming into vogue as thoughtful thank you gifts as well.

Combination gifts have also risen up on the ladder of gift ideas.

Bestman & usher’s gift are given by the groom to his ushers as a permanent keepsake of the wedding. For the gifts consider fancy pen set, wallets, leather belts, silver frames. watches and desk clock. The bestman’s gift maybe similar but more expensive. The gifts are given during the bachelor’s party or rehearsal dinner.

To save money you can ask your photographer to make a special photo of each ushers and her escort. Select a beautiful frame that will remind your usher of the occasion and put the photo in the frame. This a nice gift yet inexpensive.

A bridesmaid and maid of honor gift are given by the bride as a permanent keepsake of their wedding. For the gift, consider items of jewelry, silver or crystal frame, handbags filled with wedding day essentials like lipstick, nail polish, jewelry and panty hose. The gift for the maid of honor maybe similar but should be a bit more expensive. The gifts are usually presented at the bridesmaid luncheon or dinner rehearsal.

To save money you can ask your photographer to make a special photo of each bridesmaid and her escort. Select a beautiful frame that will remind your bridesmaid of the occasion and put the photo in the frame. This a nice gift yet inexpensive.

The groom’s gift is traditionally given by the bride to the groom. It could be a nice watch, a photo of the bride framed in a silver or crystal or and elegant pen set.

The brides gift is traditionally given by the groom to the bride. It is typically a personal gift such as a piece of jewelry. A string of pearl, pearl earrings, a watch or a gold chain with a heart-shaped pendant holding the photos of the two of you.

Because wedding favors can very much enhance the overall theme of a wedding it is a nice idea to try to get a balance. And don’t forget, any favor can be personalized with a unique thank you note or a short poem on an elegant card.

Seasons
Seasonal wedding favors are a fairly obvious theme. In winter you could give floating poinsettia candles or mini cherub ornaments. In fall you could wrap tulip bulbs in tulle and tie it with a ribbon to create a kind of home made sentimental potpourri. Spring could bring tiny glass ornaments or a personalized seed packet. And in Summer you could give elegant candles or brightly colored ribbons.

Overall wedding plan and color scheme
It makes very good sense to try to tie in your wedding favors with the overall theme of your wedding. Think about what the favors represent initially, and then consider things like color scheme. For example, if you have decided on a traditional white wedding, you could package the personalized candy wedding favors in a box that coordinates with the bridal dress, or give ribbons that match the color of your bouquet exactly.

The best way to select a perfect wedding favor is to determine your budget, number of guests, and to think about what your friends and family might like to receive themselves.
There are many website on the Internet which are dedicated to the supply of beautiful wedding favors. Many of these sites have very interesting innovative ideas for gifts and themes, so if you don’t know quite what to get, you soon will…!

History and traditions of wedding favors

The tradition of giving wedding favors, or ‘bomboniere’ is rooted in ancient European history. It was a ritual of common practice for wealthy aristocrats who were celebrating marriages, christenings, births and birthdays. The bride and groom give small presents, or favors, to their guests and well-wishers to thank them for sharing the momentous occasion. Initially the ‘bomboniere’ were of great value, and were made of expensive materials such as gold, silver, precious gems, porcelain or crystal. The contents of the ‘bombonaiere’ were also of great value, most notably sugar. At the time, sugar was a very rare substance, prized for its supposed medicinal qualities.

Additional meanings have become attached to the wedding favor tradition as time has passed. In total, the wedding favor is a symbol of well wishing for the five most important ingredients of a marriage bond:

Health
Wealth
Happiness
Fertility
Long Life
Essentially, the wedding favor is a symbol of love and respect from the bride and the groom, and a token of well wishing for their deliriously happy future together. In addition, they add to the décor and overall theme of the wedding itself.

Wedding favors have become increasingly popular over the years as more and more people want small keepsakes to remember special occasions by. The actual monetary ‘value’ of the gifts is relatively small now in comparison to our ancient Ancestors. Common favors include ribbons, candles, picture frames, personalized book marks, laminated plaques, candy, seed packets, pillows, balloons and potpourri, amongst others.

Many couples prefer to give the gests something edible rather than an expensive crystal ornament. Candy, sugared almonds, mints and truffles are always a pleasing favor to give. These can be exquisitely gift wrapped in presentation boxes, or personalized by a professional cake decorator, for a relatively small sum of money. The overall effect, however, can be completely sublime!

By Joanne Elliott

Get them a season ticket plan to their favorite local sports team – major league or minor league, depending on your budget. Most sports franchises offer partial season game packs, so you can hook them up with a five-game plan of minor league hockey or a mini-season of baseball, basketball or the like.

One’s wedding day typically falls as one of the biggest, happiest moments in a person’s lifetime. Whether you select an item from the bridal registry or use your own creativity to select the perfect present, commemorate the special occasion with a gift and warm thoughts that come from the heart.

Ahh, the memories. If your best friend or a close relative is just about to tie the knot, think about all your memories together and the best possible gift may come to mind. Create a memory book or a scrapbook for your friend, showcasing many times you spent together. Use your own handiwork to craft a handmade blanket. Pick out some velvety photo albums and elegant photo frames so the new couple can fill their home with happy memories and images of loved ones. Rack your brain for any details about the couple’s first date, the proposal, or any event in the relationship that could relate to a gift of some sort. Indulge them with a gift basket if you think of too many memories!

For spur of the moment, say anything, try anything once type friends, the wedding is sure to be a blast and your gift had better be, too! Ponder a few upscale game sets that would nicely accent their fun style. Check out dartboards that come with their own solid wood cabinet, or look for other social items. Scour the glassware section for a classy margarita set, some shooters, and other useful barware items.