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Often one of the last things to check off your list of gifts is that final token of gratitude for your beloved bridesmaids. Today’s Bridal Party Gift Round Up is here to act as a little gift guide to help ease the “What to give?” woes. The items in this next assortment are all about fun, feminine little extras that are the perfect compliment to something practical for the wedding or something completely customized for each girl.

Row One: Stephanie Johnson makes great cosmetic bags, and this one is the perfect size to tote around makeup for the day-of, and well, everyday for that matter. To go the extra mile, tuck a favorite lipstick inside. What woman doesn’t love a beautifully scented (and packaged) soap. For those who want to splurge, it’s also a lovely little item to nestle into a little gift bag for your maids with gift certificate to a local spa. TokyoMilk’s solid perfume is ideal for ladies that are on the go and is just the right thing to pop into an charming clutch.

Row Two: So cute and frilly, Show Pony’s screen-printed totes are a fabulous gift to give your ladies so they can carry their extra goodies from the wedding weekend in style. Anthropologie’s apron collection is not only completely and utterly adorable, but makes for the perfect gift to give your “maids.” Pair it with your favorite cookbook and you have a pretty sweet gift. Brooklyn Book Binder is a one stop shop for hand-bound journals, albums and calendars in a wide variety of prints. Write a little note on the inside of the journal cover, circle a few days on the calendar to get coffee with your maids, fill a photo album with pics from the good ole days. It’s all about personalization with these gifts.

Row Three: Roberta Roller Rabbit is my go-to shop for unique finds, so I couldn’t resist the ultra-hip pouches that comes in her fun, worldly prints and are great for just about anything. Fill it up with your favorite magazines and a bottle of wine for your girls to indulge. This vintage camera inspired photo album is a super sleek book to store fun photos of you and your maids. A completely fun and practical little extra, Funktion hand towels are as cute as can be and are sure to be a hit among your favorite ladies.

Thank you so much to Carrie for inspiring such fun gift purchases! The bottom line…think personality. No need to spend a fortune if your gifts are thoughtful and reflect the personalities of your friends.

Coming up…a SUPER fun wedding with lots of stealable ideas!

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Post tags: Bridemaids, Bridesmaids Gifts, Round-Up
Post categories: Round-Ups, Wedding Favors & Gifts

It’s time for our weekly round-up that our fabulous editor, Carrie, put together especially for SMP readers. This week, we are tackling bridesmaids gifts…gits that are as thoughtful as they are chic, as wearable as they are completely and totally special.

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During our Bridesmaids Jewelry Round Up, one of our savvy readers was looking for a bridesmaid’s gift that was a little more personal than the often-anticipated earrings or necklace. I loved this question, particularly because it speaks so appropriately to the role we ask these ladies to play. Naturally, determined to find some good gift inspiration, I began to scour the web for all things, personal, practical and bit playful in the world of bridal party gifts. This first set is all about a modern take on the classic monogram, which is a brilliant choice if you want your memento to be perfectly customized to each of your maids.

Row One: A touch of gold and delicate silver, gives Anne Kiel’s gilded necklace just the right amount of modern sophistication. It is no secret that the silhouette has made a huge comeback, and the pendent by Le Papier Studio is a clever way to capture your maids personal style. The monogrammed envelope necklace, found on Etsy, makes it easy to tell your ladies how much they mean to you-not to mention the tiny letter inside the envelope is absolutely adorable.

Row Two: By far the sweetest little mirror I have ever seen, Anthropologie’s pocket mirror is a lovely memento to any bridesmaids gift. This delicate coffee mug will remind your ladies of your special day, everyday, and can double as a place-setting for the bridesmaids luncheon. Fill it with coffee beans and tuck a starbucks giftcard inside for even more charm. West Elm’s keepsake boxes are ideal for displaying a classic monogram and a great item to store jewels from the wedding day.

Row Three: I love monogrammed vintage hankies and it just so happens they are the best thing to have in hand while the bride and groom say their “I do’s.” I am so excited to have found this Etsy shop full of colorful renditions customized on vintage china. This gift is truly one-of-a-kind. Everyone can use a nice set of personalized stationary. Hello! Lucky has several delightful themes in a spectrum of bold colors.

So much more coming up in just a bit!

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Post tags: Anthropologie, Bridesmaid Gifts, Bridesmaids Gifts, Etsy, Hello! Lucky, jewelery, Monogram, vintage hankies, West Elm
Post categories: Bridal Party, Jewelry, Round-Ups, Wedding Favors & Gifts

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bridesmaids Gifts, La Plates, Monogram
Post categories: Featured

Here is a glimpse into the process involved in making these…

Material
 
2 colors of cardstock
1 patterned paper
Glue
Scalloped punch
1 3/8” circle punch
1 1/4” circle punch
X-acto knife
Round stamp
Glue
Satin Ribbon
Lip balm (mine was crafted and personalize by http://ll2b.com/ )
 
 
Instructions
 
Print this templatefor drawing instruction (The copyright for the template goes to Renne Ondrajka)
 
1)  For the Outside piece:
a)  Cut a piece of cardstock by 3 1/2” x 5 3/4”
b)  Score it at 2 1/2” and 3 1/4” (the center piece will be 3/4” wide)
 
2)  For the inside holder piece:
a) Cut a piece of cardstock by 3 1/2” x 5 3/4”
b)  Score it at 2 1/2” and 3 1/4” (the center piece will be 3/4” wide)
c)  With an x-acto knife, cut 3 different slices as we can see on the template link.  These cuts will serve to insert the lip balm inside the pocket.
 
3)  Glue the inside and outside cardstock piece making sure to not put glue on the center cuts pieces.  The pieces should open like this:  http://picasaweb.google.fr/MEDRO13/MotifDamaskDiane50Ans#5211949307577820194
 
4)  Decorate the exterior pocket as desired with a pattern paper, stamps or anything else you’d like.  A quick note…before you glue the pattern paper on the outside cardstock piece, put a piece of ribbon between the two pieces. 
 
5)  Insert the lip balm inside the pocket and tie the ribbon.  Voilà !

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bridesmaids Gifts, DIY Project Instructions, Lipstick Pockets, ll2b
Post categories: Contests, DIY Projects

I am a sucker for anything gold, and anything handmade so these little gems were a no brainer…especially because they pair vintage recycled jewelry with new closures and such. I think the lockets and the charm necklaces would make such beautiful bridesmaids gift. They would also be the perfect sentimental gift for your mother or grandmother.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 1 comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bridesmaids Gifts, Ornamental Things
Post categories: Jewelry, Wedding Favors & Gifts

I’m sure you’ve noticed by now… I love simple, gold jewelry. It’s forever classic and elegant and these fit the bill perfectly. They are sophisticated and inspired and yet the prices are insanely reasonable. The freshwater pearl necklace on the top right is only $34! So, they just might fit into your bridesmaid gift budget!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bridesmaids Gifts, Yanina Artisan Jewelry
Post categories: Jewelry, Wedding Fashion, Wedding Favors & Gifts

Here is a little tidbit from Lisa about her new collection…

After being a bride myself and searching everywhere for (for lack of a better word) ‘non-cheesy’ bridal party gifts—–I quickly realized that they did not exist! I started with what seemed natural for me and designed T-Shirts for Miss Bride, Maid of Honour and Bridesmaid with a sophisticated, fashion forward look——-and a cheeky attitude. I also used the softest, most comfortable, flattering tees I could find. Because this is a gift item and I absolutely LOVE Packaging Design, this product wouldn’t be complete without beautiful, chic girly packaging! These are carried in boutiques, as well as sold on my website.

March 30th, at LA’s Premiere Bridal Event, A Soolip Wedding 2008, I launched 3 new products to the line: a Zip Up Hoodie for Miss Bride, Doggie of the Bride T-Shirts (yes, that’s right!!) and Letterpressed Note Cards for the Bridal Party. They are brand new and not even in stores yet.

I looooooove this new line and if I were getting married again, I would have been all over these gifts. Thank you so much, Lisa, for sharing with us!!

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Post tags: Bridesmaids Gifts, Inkbox Design Boutique, Letterpress
Post categories: Wedding Fashion, Wedding Favors & Gifts, Wedding Invitations & Stationery

The best part? Erin will work with brides on their own jewelry, or for their bridesmaids, with collections started at $20 (prices go up from there). She will also give price breaks when you order more than 5 pieces. Pretty good, right?

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Post tags: Bridesmaids Gifts, Erin Gallagher
Post categories: Jewelry, Wedding Fashion, Wedding Favors & Gifts

Aside from the fact that these pieces are gorgeous (so my style), I love that Gina has something for everyone…so many different price ranges, colors and style to choose from. Her new cushion cut stones are perfect…the white topaz for the bride, the sweet colored stones for her bridesmaids. My personal favorite, however, is that amazingly simple, circle necklace in the bottom left photo.

Check out the new Sonya Renee Bridal collection when you have a minute. She takes custom orders and offers nice price breaks when you order in larger numbers.

More fun jewelry finds coming throughout the day!

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Post tags: Bridesmaids Gifts, Sonya Renee
Post categories: Jewelry, Wedding Fashion, Wedding Favors & Gifts

This first set is all about luxury. A great clutch, a beautiful pair of custom earrings, a stunning stationery set…

All of these gifts are perfect for the chic, modern bridesmaid….little pieces of luxury that they’d kill for, but that they might not buy for themselves. There are a variety of price ranges here, but many of these gifts might be out of your budget. Keep in mind, they are just to inspire an idea…all of these items are relatively common and could be swapped out for a lower priced option.

1. A great pair of ballet flats, with a note attached encouraging your brides to dance the night away!

2. Custom earrings designed especially for your brides. This pair was designed by Arianny DeJesus who also designed my own bridesmaids’ gifts. Because we ordered 10 sets of earrings, she gave us a great price break.

3. A stunning desk set filled with note cards & coordinating envelopes, stationery sheets for longer letters and gift enclosure cards…all tucked into a beautiful fabric keepsake box.

4. A great clutch. What girl doesn’t love a perfect little bag. If you want to step it up a notch, tuck a gift certificate for a mani-pedi inside.

5. A beautiful, but simple necklace. This one is by Kate Spade and is on sale right now for $45!

6. A pretty cashmere scarf or pashmina. To make it more personal, have their initials stitched on to one of the corners.

7. A set of journals is a great idea for any woman. To make these even more special, write a personalized letter to each bridesmaid at the front of the journal, letting her know just how much she means to you.

8. A great bikini. Super cute for a fun summer wedding. Buy coordinating (but not matching) bathing suits for your girls to wear if you’re having a poolside bbq.

We have more fun ideas to come, so stay tuned!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Arianny Dejesus, Bridesmaids Gifts, Kate Spade
Post categories: Wedding Fashion, Wedding Favors & Gifts

I am working on getting complete instructions for these, but in the meantime, I found the miniature suitcases at Land of Nod (random, I know). Fill each one with all of the necessities that a bridesmaid would need…a small sewing kit, safety pins, mints, gum, things like that.

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Next, this oh-so-perfect “Kissing Tree.” As an alternative to the clinking of glasses, the guests approach the tree and pluck off a matchbook. The MC then reads aloud what they have to do to have the bride and groom kiss. Things like answering bride and groom trivia, singing a love song with your table and preforming a charade of a “wedding” movie…

From the bride…

“The kissing tree was an alternative to the clinking of glasses. The guest would approach the tree and pluck off a matchbook (if you look closely it has an embossed smooch on it), then hand it to the MC. He would then read aloud what they had to do to have us kiss. The tasks included…answering Bride and Groom trivia, singing a love song with your table, performing a charade of a “wedding” movie, or demonstrating how we were to kiss by kissing someone else!”

To Make the Kissing Tree…

Insert tall, sturdy branches into the base of a vase (using the green styrofoam). Hang matchbooks that have been adorned with fun tasks, to each of the branches. Make sure to only have about 25 matchbooks on the tree so that the game doesn’t get boring or redundant. And, make sure to prep your dj ahead of time so that he understands his job!

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This DIY wreath is so incredibly elegant…

To Make the Wreath…

The round white wreath is made from a Styrofoam round, square edge, wreath and white iridescent tissue paper. Simply cut the tissue into approximate 4″ by 4″ squares, take the sharp end of a pencil, put it in the centre of the tissue, dip it in all purpose glue and stab it into the wreath. Repeat a couple hundred times. Bend some wire to make a hook and glue it into the back of the wreath. All materials from Michaels.

To Make the Wedding/Just Married Banner…

The wooden ‘wedding’/'just married’ banner was cut from 1/4″ wood we found at our local home and garden store. My dad and my (now) husband cut the shape from a template I provided. It was then sanded and stained. The letters I printed on the computer (print the letters as a mirror image on the back side of scrapbooking paper – this way, no lines), cut out by hand and secured with glue. Drill two holes, thread ribbon and attached to the hook in the back.

I have to say, these birch inspired candle holders are one of my personal favorites…I honestly can’t believe that this bride made them by hand, but we have the pictures to prove it. Just goes to show, with a little imagination and a little muscle, you really can create store-worthy details…

I am working on getting the how-to details for these amazing birch candle holders!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2007. | Permalink | 17 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bridesmaids Gifts, Candle Holders
Post categories: DIY Projects