I’m not embarrassed to admit that ours was a budget wedding. And it was perfect. I wouldn’t have changed a thing, even if we’d had ten times the amount to spend. All of our parents generously picked different things to cover, and we paid for a few parts ourselves.
One of those things was gifts for our parents and for our wedding party. I know gifts aren’t a necessity, but they were something that I wanted to do. Much of our wedding party flew in from out of town, and we’re all pretty young and on tight budgets, so I especially appreciate the sacrifices that they made to be there.
I got the girls earrings to ask them to be my bridesmaids (the exact earrings are no longer sold, but they were similar to these). My mom paid for their hairstyles on the day of. But I wanted to do something more.
However, while researching “typical” bridesmaid gifts, I was dumbfounded by the cost of some options. You can easily pay $100 for high-quality pre-made bridesmaid gift boxes (or even $200+ for some!). And while those are convenient options for some–and I loved the idea of pamper kits–we definitely were not up for those options financially.
I decided to make my own bridesmaid pamper bags, and I was very happy with how they turned out! Here’s a little peak at what I put inside.
Nine West Wristlets
Now you’re probably saying what… I thought she said these were budget-friendly! Well, I found these wristlets–all in like-new condition, two with the tags still on!–on ThredUp, my favorite online secondhand store. They were final sale for about a third of the original prices. They had loads of them, so I combed through several pages looking for ones to suit each bridesmaid’s style.
A couple of the girls carried these on the day of the wedding as they were the perfect size for a few cards, some makeup and tissues. Everything a bridesmaid needs for the big event!
The Body Shop Body Butter
I am obsessed with The Body Shop body butter! It’s amazing quality and is one of the only lotions I’ve found that doesn’t irritate my skin. I waited until they had a sale and ordered one in a different scent for each bridesmaid that I thought she’d like.
Lush Bath Bombs
I’d actually never been to Lush before I went to pick out the bath bombs, but now I’m kind of obsessed. I went back to buy my stepmom’s gift a week later! Everything smells so good, and the company itself has great values. I felt good buying from them! I picked out a different bath bomb for everyone. (No pictures because when you remove a Lush product from its bag, somehow glitter instantly coats everything within a 10-foot radius. Not even kidding!!)
A Fun Beverage
For my sister, I got a mini bottle of Prosecco. For my two best girlfriends from college, I picked out a tea from TeaSource. And for my childhood best friend, I knew I couldn’t beat a Starbucks gift card 😛
Thank-You Notes
Finally, I spent an afternoon writing each of my bridesmaids a long note. Not just to thank them for being in our wedding but for being an amazing friend to me over the years.
Writing helped get out some of the emotions before the actual day! I definitely teared up a lot, especially while writing to N. We’ve been friends for 16 years! When we were in elementary school, we used to talk about how we’d be in each other’s weddings someday… now where did I put those tissues?
Packaging
I wrapped everything up in white tissue paper and arranged it in cute bags that I found on Amazon (exact bags no longer sold, but these are similar).
Aaand of course I forgot to take pictures of the final products. I took so few pictures last weekend! Too busy enjoying the moment 🙂
Anyways, all this to say, it’s definitely possible to put together thoughtful gifts on a budget (these worked out to just under $40/bag if you’re curious, including the bags and tissue paper). It takes more time and effort, but I had fun considering each bridesmaid’s personality and taste while I was shopping! One of the most fun wedding projects for me.
For past brides: What was one of your favorite wedding DIY projects? I had so many, but these bags definitely ranked in the top 3! If you’re not married: What’s a fun project you’ve been working on lately? Craft-y or otherwise!