Bridesmaids Gifts

When you're a bride, finding the right way to thank your bridesmaids seems impossible. At least it did for me. These girls went out of their way to do incredibly nice things for me during my engagement and wedding. I thought I'd never be able to fully express how grateful I was. With that, picking out thank you gifts turned into one of the hardest parts of wedding planning. I know I'm not alone. Several brides-to-be have told me they are struggling to find a gift that hits the right note.

Well, luckily I spent all of last year (literally, all of last year) racking my brain for the perfect bridesmaid gift. Here are some guidelines I followed to help narrow the search down.

1.  None of my bridesmaids had similar likes, interests or styles, so getting identical gifts was out.
2. These are supposed to be gifts expressing my gratitude, not one more excuse for me to style the bridesmaids in the theme of my wedding. I decided jewelry or clutches were out, too. I wasn't confident that my friends would like the accessories I picked out. (Plus I already picked out their dresses and advised on the shoes. Isn't that enough, already?)
3. Every. Single. Bridesmaid already had a monogrammed L.L. Bean tote bag from the last wedding they were in. Those were out, too.


Once my gift requirements were narrowed down, shopping became a little easier. I started thinking about robes, and here's why: I wear a bathrobe every morning. It's covered in bleach stains, coffee stains and has lots of holes in it. But since I never wear my bathrobe out of the house, I'm reluctant to replace it. I would absolutely love if someone gifted me a new robe and I hoped my bridesmaids felt the same. Plus, robes would be perfect for them to wear during the getting ready portion of the day.

After some serious Google searching I found these beauties from Plum Pretty Sugar. The robes are affordable (cotton knee-length styles start at $65) and you can place special group orders for bridal parties. I also have to add that I contacted the company because I was nervous they would not arrived in time and I heard back from a real nice person almost right away.

I honestly I haven't kept tabs on my bridesmaids' robe wearing habits since the wedding, but I can say that I wear my new robe (I was gifted one at my shower--bye bye ratty old robe.) every night. If my lounge wear could talk it would tell you it's been terribly neglected since this new robe arrived.
 

Did I really just write an entire blog post about bathrobes? Yup!

If intimates aren't your flavor consider these ideas:

-Custom address stamps. via Etsy
-Birch Box subscription (beauty samples delivered right to their door for $10 a month.) via Birch Box
-Ballet flats in a fun color. via Endless.com

Now stop worrying and enjoy shopping! What gift ideas are on your mind these days? Share your ideas with me. And what's your take on buying wedding day accessories for your girls? Love it or leave it? 

Photos by Cynthia Brown