As we have said before it is now-a-days customary and somewhat expected to get the bridesmaids a little gift to say thank you, for supporting you and generally ‘being there’ on your special day. So what do you do if you are running your wedding day on a budget yet you don’t want it to look like you have skimped or generally not put as much thought into your wedding day?

We have a little solution for you where you can combine the bridesmaid’s outfits, colour coordinate your dress and accessories with theirs, plus give them a gift all at the same time.  It all comes in the form of our new bride and bridesmaids Swarovski pearl Alice bands.

These Alice bands are a really special addition to any bride’s or bridesmaid’s look for the day. If you wanted to go totally mad (which I am sometimes inclined to) you could even have two for the bride and one for each bridesmaid. Because they are subtle and slim line bands you could get away with wearing two as a bride and it wouldn’t hurt at all to be wearing two. You could have one at the front about an inch from your hairline, at a 45 degree angle.  Then with  your hair pinned in curls on top place another about 1-2 inches up at 90 degrees. It would look amazing…especially if you have a really clever hairdresser.  I think it would be a lovely, elegant alternative to a  tiara.

Back to the bridesmaids, these stunning Alice bands come in an array of 12 gorgeous colours so you can synchronise them to match your wedding colours and accessories. The overall look to your day will be stunning and look fantastic on the photos. It really is the little touches that make all the difference.  Plus, and this is my favourite part, they double up as an ideal bridesmaids gift because they are made from real Swarovski pearls, not plastic.

The younger bridesmaids will especially love dressing up in them after the wedding and it will be something that they can keep and treasure for time to come.  You can also tell the groom to mention that you both hope the bridesmaids will enjoy their Swarsovski pearl bands as you wanted something that they could keep and remember from this special day. This way you have made a subtle point that you have got them something, without the presentation of the gift having to take place. Plus because they are Alice bands and not tiaras they really can wear them ovr and over again.

They really do make an unusual bridesmaids gift and are priced at just £24.99 with FREE delivery. Have fun getting creative with the colour combinations!

Unusual gifts from: Boutique To You

Personalized Bridesmaid Chocolate

Is it usual or unusual to give a bridesmaids  gift? Is it acceptable not to get the bridesmaids anything for supporting the bride on her big day?  Hmmm the debate begins.  I recently attended my sister’s wedding in Amsterdam. She is English but lives in Holland and her husband and his family are Dutch.  So let’s look at the this from the guest or bridesmaid’s perspective to start with….so all the bride’s family either flew to Holland or drove. All in all it was very expensive….about £1200 for a family of 4 for 4 days, plus time off work etc. The mother of the bride…my Ma, also made all 3 bridesmaids dresses.  We all paid for our own accommodation, taxis the lot.  I was a bridesmaid (matron of honour) and my little girl who is 5 was also a bridesmaid.

It was boiling hot, the dresses were heavy and uncomfortable, and we were running round like headless chickens all morning trying to get everything in place so that the bride could enjoy her big day. After all, that is what it is all about. The ceremony went fine, although being 5 my little girl was bored out of her mind after 6 hours of standing round but she behaved so well. Dinner came and went, speeches about how wonderful the bride is, speeches about how great the groom is and before we knew it the day was over.  Not one thank you to my Mum for making all the dresses, not one thank you to the bridesmaids) not one bunch of flowers for the mother of the bride and not one bridesmaids gift. I personally did not expect anything …but for my Mum and little girl I actually thought this was really bad taste and completely ungrateful on her behalf. Of course I could not say anything, but I could see the disappointment on their faces and I felt so bad for them…they didn’t say anything either and I made a real fuss of my daughter the next day. Maybe I am alone here but I knew how much effort everyone went to and just a ‘thank you’ would have been nice….

Ok … looking at it from the bride’s perspective, overall the wedding was well organised for food, drink and instructions of how to find the church etc….also there was a note in about going to Amazon and buying a gift from their gift list…(so they remembered themselves!)  Also the evening disco was good, too.  So I don’t think I am being too critical…there is a lot to organise (I know I have done one myself) but the day I don’t think is just about the bride looking amazing and having a great day. It is about sharing the day with your loved ones, not just about being a princess.

Every other wedding I have been to, the bridesmaids always got a gift. For my wedding day  I bought each of them an engraved locket with the date. My mother received a massive bouquet of flowers and also some jewellery. They all (including my sister) looked completely chuffed when they opened their gifts.

So is it usual to buy the bridesmaids a gift? Yes,  I think so. Does it look bad on you not to get them anything? Yes, I think so too. It doesn’t have to be anything flash or expensive, just a little token gesture would be lovely. Just to say “thank you, you’ve been a star and I appreciate it!”

If you want some inspiration and want to make your bridesmaids day be sure you check out our vault of fabulous finds for unusual bridesmaids gifts.

Unusual gifts from: Boutique To You

The term maid of honour was initially used in the UK for the Queen’s female attendant. Bridesmaids are the bride’s attendants per se and the term Matron of Honour was introduced to describe a chief bridesmaid who is already married of mature age. American English led to the chief bridesmaid being called the Maid of Honour. The bride will usually choose her closest friend or sister to be Matron of Honor.

Roman law is said to have given rise to the concept of the bridesmaid because it required ten witnesses at a wedding ceremony to send the evil spirits packing! The role has progressed quite a bit from those days to the present day where the Matron of Honour performs quite a few duties for the bride. She is heavily involved in the discussions and planning for the wedding.

Some of the duties that form part of the Matron of Honour’s role may include:

· Tradition dictates that the Matron of Honour plans and hosts the bridal shower or hen party; she sends out invitations, arranges catering, games and activities and generally oversees the entire celebration. She will also keep a record of all the gifts the bride receives.

· Coordination of the wedding rehearsal and rehearsal dinner is done by the Matron of Honour if the bride is responsible for the proceedings. She helps with choosing the venue, seating and catering arrangements, sending out invitations and overseeing the occasion.

· During the wedding the Matron of Honour stands right by the bride, taking care of things, arranging the train, help with the dressing, acts as official witness, hold the bride’s bouquet when necessary and more.

· At the reception, the Matron of Honour will help oversee the decorating of the venue, making sure everything has been set up correctly, seating and name tags are done and gifts received get recorded.

The Matron of Honour can be given other duties by the bride and this really differs from person to person.

We love writing about weddings and the history of weddings in our articles. Check out our main site at Boutique To You for more articles and tips on wedding planning and bridesmaid gifts.

Unusual gifts from: Boutique To You

Another new gift that seems to be proving a popular choice is the ‘Thankyou Friend’ photo frame.  This is keenly priced and with free delivery our customers seem to purchasing it when they are buying bridesmaid gifts and hen night gifts.

Swing by the wedding gifts section for the full range!

Unusual gifts from: Boutique To You

Bridesmaid Gifts

Most bridesmaids are flattered to be selected for the bridal entourage. That role in a wedding not only gives them the opportunity to play a big role in the ceremony, but also to show how supportive they are of the wedding couple. The bridesmaid gifts that you give should therefore both enhance that charm and acknowledge and appreciate their support. Personalized jewelry, engraved with the initials of each member of the bridal entourage will serve as precious keepsakes that they can wear as well. Graceful necklaces with a pendant of dangling birthstone or a birth sign medallion, perhaps trimmed with love charms, are perfect for a young lady who might be thinking of walking up to the alter herself one day. Elegant bracelets made of shimmering crystals, with dangling love and beauty charms, could be engraved with the names or initials of the bridesmaid to make a lovely bridesmaid gift.

 Soft and fine handkerchiefs embroidered with messages or initials will also be very expressive tokens of gratitude for the bridesmaids. Then again, perhaps a small bouquet of two or three chocolate roses for each of them will be a good statement of how appreciative you are of their sweetness for the occasion. If you want something to keep the event in their memory, you might also have their photos framed in fancy frames with dainty colours. You could have the frames trimmed with a lace strand on which their birthstones are attached. You could go all the way to take a group photo consisting of yourselves and each bridesmaid, one at a time, in order to really show them that they are as important to you as you are to them. And don’t forget those dainty figurines which you can personalize as bridesmaid gifts with their names.

 Your bridesmaid gifts should be simple but beautiful things that you have individualized for them.

Unusual gifts from: Boutique To You

 Special gifts need not be expensive. Bridesmaid gifts that will remind them of their special part on that occasion for many days to come will fill them through and through with that feeling of being special. Personalized photos of the bridesmaids with the wedded pair make excellent tokens of esteem as well as mementos of the happy occasion. On the other hand, beautiful pieces of jewelry with their names engraved on them are also guaranteed to make them feel every inch the distinguished guests that they are. These keepsakes may be further enhanced by birthstones or birth signs. They may be lovely pendants or attractive and graceful rings. It might be a good idea to give them before the wedding itself in order that the bridesmaid gifts can be worn for the occasion.

 If you decided to be generous to your bridesmaids, you could give both personalized jewelry before the affair and the photos afterwards. By personalizing bridesmaid gifts, you can add a lot more value with very little cost. And instead of just putting your bridesmaid gifts away to be forgotten and eventually lost, these personalized items will be kept in a special place to remind people always of that wonderful occasion on which they had such an important role to play.

 Please hop over to the shopping site for our full range of bridesmaid gifts, wedding gift ideas and lots more unusual gifts all with free P&P!

Unusual gifts from: Boutique To You

Unusual gifts from: Boutique To You

Personalized Bridesmaid Teddy

All little girls love teddy bears so why not buy them as a gifts for your bridesmaids and flower girls?

This cute tatty teddy style bear comes in his own dinky little sweater and your personalization is added in pretty pink embroidery. At only £17.99 including free delivery I think it is a lovely bridesmaid gift for not a lot of money.There is also a teddy bear  for all the little pageboys in the same cute little sweater but with blue embroidery.

Allow up to 14 days for despatch once ordered although you can ask for express upgrade for extra £6.95 if you’ve left your bridesmaid gift buying a little bit close to the big day!