Amazing Gifts for the Entire Wedding Party

Who's in your wedding party and what would be the perfect gift idea? Your best friend, your sister, your fiancé’s brother…your closest friends and favorite relatives come together for your wedding in a way they might never again to show their love and support for you and your partner on your special day. Thank them with gifts they’ll treasure long after your wedding. Whether you have two or two dozen people in your wedding party, the ideas below will help you get them each a little something they’ll enjoy.

The gift of travel

It isn’t always easy to be in a wedding party, especially if you don’t live near all the bridesmaids and groomsmen. Get gifts for your party that make visiting vendors and traveling for events a little more fun. Monogrammed luggage helps your gaggle of bridesmaids get away from the stress of planning in style. Groomsmen can take their monogrammed gym bags with them on an outdoorsy bachelor party weekend.  For the ladies, we have to say that a girls getaway weekend would be amazing! You owe it to yourself to check out Girls Getaways at 400Eleven! This isn't the case for most, but if you're a distance from friends, set up weekend getaway to say thanks and cover their travel expenses! What bridesmaid or groomsman wouldn't love that? Caution, avoid Las Vegas...or not :)

Sentimental keepsakes

Weddings are always a sentimental time. Emphasize that loving feeling with a photo album of you and your party shopping together, doing DIY projects together, or planning together, as you’ve spent so much time doing over the last few months. A photo album filled with pics from the past is another way to reinforce the bond between you, your spouse-to-be, and your closest friends. You might also give them each a book that has personal meaning, whether that meaning is spiritual, romantic, or particular to you. Add an inscription for an extra intimate touch; it’s an inexpensive gift that they’ll always keep close by. Or, take them out to dinner after you return from your honeymoon and share your wedding scrap book ensuring they're all featured!

Drinks and drinking

After months of planning, many groomsmen enjoy receiving Cuban cigars or Canadian aged whiskey (how about a great Canadian whiskey tour - and don't forget personalized flasks) or scotch and a Cuban cigar as a thank-you from the groom. Glass tumblers and whiskey rocks and shot glasses are a good addition to this wedding party gift for those who appreciate the finer things. Champagne, and the flutes to go with it, say “Thanks, this one’s on me.” Inscribing your names and the wedding date on the glasses will remind your wedding party of their part in the day for years to come.

The gift of relaxation, adventure and fun

For wedding parties who like to get experiences rather than objects, consider a spa day or adventure day with your bridesmaids (how about the best in Canada!), depending on the personalities of your crew. A relaxing massage and facial is the perfect gift for bridesmaids who’ve been running errands to help you out.  Alternatively, a camping trip with no cell reception could be the escape you all need. For city slickers, try theater tickets or entrance to another event you’ve heard your friends mention recently. Maybe they want to try the new club in town? If they’re foodies, you can always take them out for a nice dinner after you get back from the honeymoon.

Fashionable gifts

Always timeless, diamond earrings for bridesmaids or watches for groomsmen are appropriate (and appreciated!) if you can afford them. Budget-friendly alternatives to these expensive picks are everywhere online; there are tons of tasteful styles any bridesmaid or groomsman will love. Cute options are bracelets or earrings that reference tying the knot, or classic gold with an inscription on the inside of the jewelry, or a watch with the date of your wedding. A word of warning: while they’re popular gifts, jewelry and clothes can be tricky to buy for other people. If you want your wedding party to wear certain items of clothing or jewelry during the wedding, it’s considerate to either be flexible about the exact style, or to help them cover the cost of the outfit. If there’s an item of clothing that you really want your groomsmen or bridesmaids to wear, like matching sneakers or heels, buy it for them. However, even if you’re buying parts of the wedding party’s outfit, it’s still appropriate to buy a small token of appreciation separate from any purchase directly related to your wedding.

Make sure the gift isn’t for you

In the same way you’d still buy a separate gift for the bridesmaids if you paid for their matching shoes during the ceremony, you should avoid “gifts” whose purpose is to improve the look of your wedding photos—hiring a makeup artist for the day of the wedding, for example, or paying for the groomsmen to get haircuts the day before. You can cover that type of thing if you know the wedding party wants to get extra dolled up for your ceremony, but it doesn’t count as a no-strings-attached present.

Unique gifts from the heart are appreciated most!

Your wedding party loves you and has put loads of energy into your wedding. Gracious couples will acknowledge the care and time their friends and family took by giving a thoughtful, fun gift to each person who stood up with them at the altar. Beyond the wedding party it's totally appropriate to spend just a few dollars per guest on wedding favors - they'll certainly appreciate!