Bride to Be

Dear Lara –

I am planning a wedding and want to get my bridesmaids nice, classy gifts (read: not some cheesy monogrammed candle holder, cheap jewelry or lame-o frame) but something that is useful, fun and something a girl would want. Do you have any suggestions on what would be good and an appropriate price point?

Thanks,

Bride-to-Be

Dear Bride-to-Be,

Congratulations! This is a very exciting time for you and I hope that you are enjoying the planning process. This is a great question. As both a bride and a bridesmaid I can relate to this dilemma. Many brides feel they need to give the girls something to wear to the wedding. However, I do not think that is necessary unless you want them to all look completely identical. Note: if you happen to have a maid or two that has questionable taste - ie they love spiked dog collars and wear nails in lieu of earrings - then perhaps you should stick to the old matching earring and necklace sets. Just bear in mind that you want to stick to something useful - something that says - thank you. Not, thanks for being here now wear this ugly pearl necklace that has everything to do with me and nothing to do with you.

I think that most women love bags. For some reason we always have a lot of stuff and totes can come in handy. You could go preppy and check out the LLBean monogrammed tote www.llbean.com or you could go chic and design bags for each of your gals at Lill Studio www.1154lill.com. Plus, depending your budget, you can always add something to the tote. Ladies always love a new scarf, makeup kit (Sephora may be the greatest place ever and they are known to throw in some extra goodies for you if you tell them what the gifts are for), a great pair of hoop earrings or a fun cuff bracelet. These are some simple basic ideas that most would love and find useful. In terms of price, I think it totally depends on your budget. But, whatever that is, you must decide BEFORE you begin your quest for the perfect gifts. Otherwise, you may find yourself somewhere over-indulging in purchases that aren't necessary. I would think about what the ladies are doing for you. What are they spending on their dresses? Shoes? Travel? Showers? Obviously you should not feel the need to re-pay them. They want to be doing these things for you. But, it's important to show that you are grateful and appreciative. I think $75 is adequate and the rest is up to your budget. You sound like a great bride and these maids will be lucky to be standing by your side on your beautiful day.

Best,

Lara