Affordable Bridesmaid Gifts They'll Adore

Robes by JustCottons on etsy, photo by Yasmin Dar

Your bridesmaids are your closest friends, developed over a lifetime of gossip, growing pains and growing up.  While the day is about you and your groom, it’s also about the women (and sometimes men) who will stand beside you at the altar and support you throughout your marriage.  They oftentimes deserve as much recognition for who you are today as your partner. 

As wedding expenses mount, you’ll want to find a thoughtful gift for your ladies that won’t force you to forgo the photo booth/groom's cake/perfect heels in order to afford.  When deciding how much to spend, first note what your budget allows and next consider what you’ve asked them to spend for the big day.  While there is no hard-and-fast rule, practical and personal gifts like the ones below are always appreciated.

Pearl Earrings: Classic and affordable, pearl earrings are the perfect present for ladies.  The delicate, understated jewelry can be worn on a daily basis or paired with a LBD for special occasions.  For the Southern woman who already have white pearls consider a set of chocolate, silver or pink pearls. 

Matching Robes: Your ladies will love something they can use in the future to unwind.  Silk robes   It’s the gift that benefits you too, since they’ll look great in the 'getting ready' shots the morning-of.  Given out at the rehearsal dinner, this gift is good timing.  
or comfortable cotton wrap dresses are the perfect way to say ‘thanks’ and answer the question, “What should we wear for hair and makeup?”

Rain Boots: While a rainy wedding day is bittersweet, rain boots are a great spring gift.  They’re practical, adorable and unusual enough that most girls are in need.  In bright, trendy patterns and bold colors, a charming set of boots also offers a funky photo op on the wedding day, modeled with formal dresses.  These days rain boots come in a range of prices and are sold everywhere from Target to Burberry.  My favorite: Hunter boots.  Though pricier they come with a lifetime guarantee and can be turned into snow boots for the winter (+ they’re gorgeous in gloss!)

Jewelry Travel Bag: It’s likely that at least one of your bridesmaids traveled for the wedding, and 100% certain they all will travel sometime in the future.  The rolls, wraps, cases and boxes designed to keep necklaces untangled and earrings secure will be well loved by your fashionable and worldly pals.  (You might even want to register for this one.)

A few other modern takes on traditional gifts: I love Dogeared necklaces, promising three wishes for the recipient, as well as their line especially for bridesmaids.  A beautiful scarf is a great gift for winter weddings; I especially adore these custom etsy designs here and here as well as the versatile options here in rich colors (or a little less rich here).  A frame suited to their taste is always in style; Hobby Lobby has a great selection that goes on sale (50% off) practically every other week.  Make sure to get an individual photo with each bridesmaid and send a fitted print after the big day. 

Buy their Shoes, Mani/Pedi, Hair & Makeup: It’s like Christmas – the best gift is always money.  Young bridesmaids certainly feel the same way.  Being in a wedding is an expensive endeavor; offering to cover some of the cost of the items your pals have to purchase to stand up with you is a much appreciated gesture.  While your ladies would go to the ends of the Earth for you, it’s nice to be able to afford rent when you return home for an exciting albeit exhausting weekend of celebrating someone else’s big day.

Remember: the last six weeks of wedding planning fly by; consider picking out and ordering your wedding party gifts well in advance (at the 6 month mark is ideal) to avoid a last-minute scramble – or worse, settling for an impersonal token of thanks not nearly suited to your best friends’ awesomeness.  The gifts above won’t spoil, so knock off one more task while you still have the time and sanity to shop with thought. 

Beautiful, Inexpensive Veils on Etsy

 There are simply some things out of my DIY reach.  Veils would be one of them.  At first glance they seem straightforward swaths of tulle; but further consideration reminds you that the shape, edging, lay, seam, material and comfort of the barrette are all important.  These being topics about which I have no expertise, I decided to purchase a veil, but of course wanted to spend as little as possible.

As with most wedding details, an item’s price does not always correlate with the difficulty of its construction.  Even the most inexpensive retail veils I considered – the White by Vera Wang line at David's Bridal – ranged from $108-$198.  Bridal boutiques begin there but long veils (chapel, cathedral) often start at $300 while custom couture looks can cost as much as $3,000.

Where to turn when you stumble upon a too-risky DIY?  Etsy – the home of crafty folks like yourself who have perfected such projects. 

Kasey at Fascinating Bride is one such craftswoman, with 100% positive feedback (mine included) since she opened two years ago.  Her story starts with tutus: she was making the tulle dresses for her one-year old daughter for photo props; when a close friend got engaged and discovered how expensive veils were (despite the cost of tulle), she asked Kasey to try to create a cathedral veil – which she did with great success. Kasey is currently based out of her home in a suburb of Seattle and will be showcased this fall at the Seattle Wedding Expo.  We caught up with her to talk French netting, what inspires her and what’s next. 

How many veils have you made?

I would estimate around 300 veils in the last two years.

What are your veils made out of?

My veils are made of mostly bridal illusion tulle because it is soft and flowy. I have also used other materials such as French netting to make birdcage veils, or the ever expensive silk tulle. Which I was surprised was not as soft to touch as bridal illusion, however it hangs beautifully. However, it is $50 a yard for the fabric so the price goes up 10 fold for that style, it’s the same fabric Kate Middleton used for her veil when she wed Prince William.

Speaking of Princess Kate, what’s trending right now with bridal head pieces?

There are a lot of lace orders coming in; lace dresses are back in style and gorgeous cathedral veils lined with lace has been my biggest hit.

What’s your favorite thing to create?

I love making custom items. It’s exciting for me to try to create something someone else has dreamed up. The result is very satisfying if I can give them just what they were looking for but were unable to find!

Where did you learn to make veils?

Well, I bought a pattern from Joann’s fabrics. That was a TOTAL bust. Then, I started trying to free cut them myself, this worked so much better and now that is all I do. They took me a while to get the hang of, but now it’s second nature. I can cut and sew a veil in about 20 minutes.

What colors are your veils? Sizes and shapes?

I can make the veils in almost any color, but the most popular are white, ivory, and champagne. Sizes/shapes can vary greatly. From short birdcage veils to long cathedral length veils with trains as long as 10 feet behind the bride! Shapes can be a traditional “A” line to a circular veil that has no comb and simply falls from the bride’s head.

Does a veil have to match the dress?

Because there are about a thousand shades of white/ivory/champagne for wedding dresses, this is probably the most asked question. There are not very many shades of these colors in tulle available. The reason is that it’s not very important for the veil to match the dress exactly in color, but more in color pallet. Tulle is so sheer that it tends to take on the shade of the dress. As far as the style, you want to keep it in the same realm as the dress, but it’s your wedding and your veil so whatever makes you happiest is the right choice for you.

Best Wedding Dresses Under $1,000

Wedding dress budgets vary – greatly.  Some brides’ only concern is the dress (all the rest is just details) while others couldn’t tell two white dresses apart.  The gowns below all come in at less than $1,000, meaning whichever side you’re on, you win.

Ruche's Angeline dress - $640

Wtoo's Cyprus gown - $965

 

Blu by Mori Lee's Venice (#5162) - $950

Ann Taylor's Mya Cowl Neck dress - $795

Alfred Angelo's #2301 - $999

 

Vera Wang White's One Shoulder Draped Corset Garza dress - $828

BHLDN's Burnished Organza gown - $800

  

Jenny Yoo's Monarch convertible dress - $850 

Ann Taylor's Goddess V-Neck wedding dress - $550

Which is your favorite?  What do you consider a "steal"?  Show us your finds in the comments!

"To Save the Date, or not to Save the Date"?

That is the question for budget-conscious brides.  When deciding which traditional expenses can be spared, Save the Dates can end up on the cutting floor, and for good reason.

Snail mail is time-consuming, expensive and takes up space.  Timing is critical with Save the Dates.  Collecting addresses can take weeks, while printing, shipping and addressing envelopes adds to the backlog.  For those planning with less than 6-months notice, Save the Dates can end up arriving just weeks earlier than the actual invitations. 

Digital printing is almost always the most cost-effective approach to printed invitations.  Online vendors that have become popular by specializing in just that, such as Wedding Paper Divas and Minted, have Save the Dates beginning at $0.94 and $1.08 respectively for small postcards – though that's for a minimum of 125 cards and before custom colors or edging, not to mention postage and calligraphy.  While Save the Dates differ greatly in style, size and formality, expect to spend at least $1-$1.50 per printed piece.  Postage will be $.33 at minimum – for post cards – or $.46 for a regular-sized card with envelope.  And note: there is only one USPS $.33 stamp, which now features apples (much more appealing than the Hawaiian shirts before.)  Custom stamps from Zazzle – albeit adorable – will run you an additional $.75 per stamp, give or take.

And when was the last time you preserved anything you received in the mail anyway?  With the onslaught of seasonal wedding announcements, your fridge would be an overflowing sea of white and calligraphy if you saved longer than one wedding season.  

A great modern alternative (that’s also eco-concious): emailed announcements.  Yes, many years ago this would have been a faux pas – email was restricted to stationary PCs, older family members didn’t even have email and the designs available were lackluster at best.  But these days you can send stunning (no exaggeration) invitations online, while young and old alike are so glued to their phones and laptops they’ll add your date to their google calendar from an email long before a sealed invitation reaches them.  Another bonus: you are far more likely to have their email than complete mailing address; in fact, you’ll be emailing half of your guests to ask for their mailing address (negating the need for a mailed announcement anyway.)