The Perfect Gifts for Bridesmaids and Groomsmen

There’s no doubt your friends and family are honored to stand up next to you on your wedding day, but there are costs, duties and small sacrifices that go along with making your wedding perfect. Even though it’s your day, let them know their friendship isn’t going unnoticed by giving them a small, personalized gift. Remember: the best gifts are always something they wouldn’t splurge on for themselves!

For Your Bridesmaids:

Birchbox: Giving a bridesmaid a Birchbox will have them running to their mailbox each month. The service sends recipients a goodie box full of luxury beauty samples, including skincare, nail, hair products and lifestyle products, all from high-end brands. This is truly a gift that keeps on giving and a great way to try out new products without having to splurge for an expensive bottle.

Cute Clutch: The rise of on-line shopping means finding the perfect clutch is easier than ever before. Instead of sifting through department store knock-offs, search online for ‘personalized clutches’ or on a company like Jenna Lou Designs.  Design one to match their dresses or add a cloth flower that looks like your bouquet to their bag. Then, fill it with the essentials they might need for a chaotic day, such as lip gloss, Kleenex, gum and a disposable camera. It will come in handy for the wedding, but they’ll also be able to use it for years to come.

Phone Cases:  Everyone has a smartphone now so help your bridesmaids jazz theirs up. Etsy is full of monogrammed phone case options. You can choose from designs that include paisley, polka dots, sports team logos, cartoon characters, zigzags and more in every color. Then, add monogrammed initials for each bridesmaid. They’re affordable and easy to personalize for a group with lots of different styles.

Robe: Before they don their bridesmaid dresses, have your girls slip into a silky, floral kimono-style robe that they can wear again and again. Plum Pretty Sugar even lets you buy them in sets.  This is an especially fun gift – and makes for great photos – if you have someone coming to do makeup and hair the morning before the wedding.

For Groomsmen:

Whiskey Stones: If you have groomsmen that like to enjoy a cool whiskey or other drink on the rocks, give them whiskey stones.  These handcrafted chillers keep drinks cool without watering them down, and can be first broken in with a celebratory toast to the new couple.

Leather Gloves: Luxury leather gloves are a chic accessory that immediately refine any outfit, but few men splurge on them. Milwaukee’s own Harley Davidson has great driving glove options, even if your groomsmen doesn’t ride.  These are especially perfect for a wedding in the dead of a Wisconsin winter and could keep the groomsmen warm for some outdoor shots.

Headphones: Got groomsmen that are always plugged into the newest tunes from a pair of drugstore headphones? Treat them to quality and stylish headphones. They can even be custom-designed or personalized to suit their individual personalities.

Personalized Meat Branding Iron: Let the grill masters among your groomsmen leave their signature on every burger or brisket they cook from now on. And this can be a gift that keeps on giving – challenge your groomsmen to a grill-off.  Dust off the grill, open a few beers and stick around to judge the tastiest branded steaks – winner gets a golden grilling glove.

For Both:

If you have a wedding party that lives in the same area, or are going to be in town for an extended period of time either before or after the wedding, consider a wedding party gift that can be enjoyed by everyone.

Get tickets to a Brewers game and throw a tailgate, or maybe there’s a concert at the Marcus Amphitheatre that everyone is dying to see.  For a festive atmosphere, take everyone on a brewery tour at Lakefront Brewery or a wine tasting tour at Cedar Creek Winery.

Nice sunglasses also make a great gift for the wedding party, and can make for fun pictures on the big day.