That time of year

It’s that time of year when a lot of weddings traditionally take place. I was married in June, my sister-in-law was married in June and I know a lot of others who married in June. Planning a wedding takes a lot of thought and time and to make it a little easier here is a list I found for bridesmaid gifts

Accessories for the wedding
A classic bridesmaid gift is something she can wear on the wedding day, but still use later on.

* A necklace, perhaps with a center stone that matches the dress.
* Beautiful earrings, perhaps personalizing each set to the style of the woman who receives them.
* If it’s going to be a chilly day, a warm wrap or shawl. (Wedding pictures where the women of the bridal party are all wrapped in matching shawls are so befitting of a winter wedding and picturesque. I especially like it when the bride’s shawl matches the bridesmaids’ dresses and the bridesmaid shawls match the bride’s dress.)
* Long white gloves
* In some cultures, it is customary for the bride to give the wedding day attire as a bridesmaid gift.

If you’re having a destination wedding

* A beach towel and a great beach bag
* A gift certificate to enjoy a fun activity during their stay
* A beautiful coffee table book about the destination
* A gift bag full of goodies to help them enjoy and remember their trip. E.g. a New York destination bride might give a guidebook to the city, an “I love New York” t-shirt, a taxi cab ornament, a disposable camera, and some New York food treats.

Memories are made of this

* Personalized Photo albums
* A poem in her honor, tucked inside a keepsake box
* A traditional bridal shower activity is a charm cake, wherein guests pull ribbons attached to charms stuck in the cake before it is frosted. Which charm they receive tells them whether they are going to be the next to marry (a ring charm), have a baby (baby charm), come into unexpected fortune (dollar sign charm), or other prediction. If you chose high quality charms, a wonderful bridesmaid gift is a charm bracelet, given at the same bridal shower.
* a personalized CD of tunes that you both love

Do-it-yourself Bridesmaid Gifts

* a handmade scarf
* candles
* soap with a rosebud embedded
* bracelets
* bath salts
* a scrapbook of your friendship together

Pamper them silly

* Gift baskets full of lotions, soaps and other pampering items
* A manicure set
* nice pajamas or robes
* a spa gift certificate
* a makeup kit
* a beauty/makeup application lesson

All that Wedding Planning Makes People Hungry!

* A box of chocolates
* A great bottle of wine
* A French press coffee maker and some fancy or unusual coffee
* A gift certificate to a great local restaurant
* Gift certificate to cooking classes
* Some beautiful wine glasses

List borrowed from: About.com