Are you wondering what to buy the bride for the wedding shower? Even if you are a pro at shopping, sharpening your gift-giving skills is never a bad idea.
Here are some tips that could come in handy when choosing something for the bride to be:
What to Spend
No matter what the occasion is, you should always give according to your ability. At a bridal shower, a gift of between 25 and 75 dollars is the most acceptable range. If you have no money, you can get away with giving out a homemade gift, such as an afghan or photo album. Your relationship with the bride, as well as your financial situation should help you to decide what to buy.
It is important to note that bridal shower gifts do not need to be elaborate. This means that it is okay to spend less money than you would spend on a wedding gift. However, if your heart is set on buying a big-ticket item, you should consider splitting the cost with friends to buy a joint gift.
Etiquette
You need to give a gift at the bridal shower and buy a wedding gift as well. If you are aiming to please, you should buy an item from the wedding registry. The bride is likely to have conveniently set on up online, like Blueprint Registry. Your maid of honor needs to take note of the gifts and write down who gives what. The guests should be thanked with a proper thank you note.
Shopping Strategies
The type of invitations made should give you a clue about what gifts to give. If you are going to a couple shower, you should opt for coed registry things, such as espresso makers and barware. On the other hand, if you are attending a bridal tea, you should opt for girly gifts, such as lingerie and fashion items.
Moreover, you should try to relate your wedding gift to your shower gift. If you want to make it a group effort, you could chip in and buy some snorkeling gear or ballet tickets. Ask for some pointers if you are not aware of the bride-to-be’s taste.
Traditions and Superstitions
What kind of pre-wedding celebration would it be without random traditions and superstitious lore? For example, if the bride wants good luck, she should use the first gift that she opens. The maid of honor should also gather all the gift ribbons together and create a bouquet that the bride will carry down the aisle during the wedding rehearsal.
Packaging
You should make sure that you wrap your gift properly instead of throwing it inside a brown paper bag. When wrapping the gift, you should picture how nice it feels to open an elaborately wrapped gift. If you have time, you should wrap the gift yourself. Dress the gift up with faux flowers or fine ribbons.
Just in case your gift is lost in a sea of other gifts, you should add a ‘to/from’ card in the package with your last name. Doing so makes it easier for the maid of honor to keep track of the gifts – the last thing you want is for somebody else to take credit for your carefully considered present.
Faux Pas Alert
You might think that you cannot go wrong among friends, but you would be wrong. Although lingerie is an acceptable bridal shower gift, you should not confuse the shower with a bachelorette party. Therefore, you should probably save the raunchy gifts for other occasions.
No matter what you buy for the bride, you should know that it’s the thought that counts. So ultimately, you should buy a gift from the heart.
