Bridesmaids are the most important women in your life and the people you have chosen to stand next to you on your wedding day. Show your appreciation for them by giving them a well-chosen bridesmaid gift.

Bridesmaid gifts run the gamut in terms of price, style, and individuality. Some brides spend hundreds of dollars, while others chose to spend only a few, or chose to make something inexpensive yet time-consuming. Some people think that the cost of bridesmaid gifts should correlate with your wedding budget. Others say that the more time your friends helped you with wedding planning, the more you should spend on a bridesmaid gift for them. There’s no right or wrong answer – do what feels best to you.

You can also choose to get everyone the same thing, get variations on a theme, or chose entirely different presents for each person. Try to spend about the same amount on each present, except for the maid-of-honor’s gift, which is typically more lavish than the other ones. However you chose to celebrate your wedding attendants, make sure they know how much they mean to you by inclosing a personal note with each present. Here are some bridesmaid gift ideas to get you started and how much you should spend.

Accessories for the wedding

A classic bridesmaid gift is something she can wear on the wedding day, but still use later on.

• A necklace, perhaps with a center stone that matches the dress.
• Beautiful earrings, perhaps personalizing each set to the style of the woman who receives them.
• If it’s going to be a chilly day, a warm wrap or shawl. (Wedding pictures where the women of the bridal party are all wrapped in matching shawls are so befitting of a winter wedding and picturesque. I especially like it when the bride’s shawl matches the bridesmaids’ dresses and the bridesmaid shawls match the bride’s dress.)
• Long white gloves
• In some cultures, it is customary for the bride to give the wedding day attire as a bridesmaid gift.

If you’re having a destination wedding

• A beach towel and a great beach bag
• A gift certificate to enjoy a fun activity during their stay
• A beautiful coffee table book about the destination
• A gift bag full of goodies to help them enjoy and remember their trip. E.g. a New York destination bride might give a guidebook to the city, an “I love New York” t-shirt, a taxi cab ornament, a disposable camera, and some New York food treats.

Memories are made of this

• Personalized Photo albums
• A poem in her honor, tucked inside a keepsake box
• A traditional bridal shower activity is a charm cake, wherein guests pull ribbons attached to charms stuck in the cake before it is frosted. Which charm they receive tells them whether they are going to be the next to marry (a ring charm), have a baby (baby charm), come into unexpected fortune (dollar sign charm), or other prediction. If you chose high quality charms, a wonderful bridesmaid gift is a charm bracelet, given at the same bridal shower.
• a personalized CD of tunes that you both love

Resource; Nina Callaway for About.com: Weddings

Debbie Smith, Event Manager

Different dress, same fabric and colour
For the more traditional brides who want to spice up their bridal party while maintaining the classic uniform look, try having your ladies pick out the same dress (in material and colour) but in different cuts to suit their body type and personality. J.Crew has a fantastic online catalogue.  Offering many style and colour options in chiffon, silk-taffeta, or cotton allowing for the best of both worlds – matching bridesmaids with a splash of individuality.

Same dress, unlimited options
Convertible dresses are all the rage in bridal wear right now. Why wouldn’t they be with hundreds of unique ways to style them, every colour under the sun and varying lengths? These dresses are universally flattering and extremely comfortable. Not to mention can be worn again and again and look different every time. (Bachelorette party/rehearsal dinner/honeymoon outfit anyone? Don’t worry, our little secret.) Check out Twobirds Bridesmaids for their beautiful collection.  My personal favorite is the Rosette mini.

Mismatched dresses
This is by far my favorite bridesmaids style. Having different dresses for each of your bridesmaids is probably the most welcomed concept to women everywhere since the invention of the stiletto. Allow your ladies the freedom to find a dress they love.  One they feel reflects their style and comfort level (with bride approval of course!).   They’ll forever be in your good graces. Plus, they make such unique pictures.

Mismatched dresses in similar shades
If you like the modern idea of mismatched dresses but want to stick with a little tradition, try different dresses in the same colour or shade for more uniformity.

Rent the Runway
For all our American readers, Rent the Runway has just introduced Rent the Runway Weddings. If you haven’t yet heard of this fantastic site, prepare yourself for endless browsing. For a fraction of the cost, RTR allows you to rent designer dresses for a few days at a time. With the new wedding section, brides are able to pick the number of bridesmaids, the colour and length of dress. They are presented with different options to rent for the big day (added bonus: RTR sends you 2 size options free of charge just in case) Sadly, this amazing service is not yet available in Canada, so I am forever jealous until they do so.
NOTE: RTR is by membership only. There is about a 2-week wait to gain access to the site so sign up sooner rather than later!

Let us know where you found the perfect Bridesmaids dresses!

Nicole Gray, Design Assistant

Shutterbug Photography did a stellar job of capturing the special moments of this day. I absolutely love the photos with the bridal party in their rain boots. Those Muskoka granite cliffs… One of my true loves.

Truly inspiring clients,
Elizabeth Johnston, Creative Director