HOLIDAY GIFTS FOR BRIDES AND GROOMS

IDEAS for HOLIDAY GIFTS FOR BRIDES AND GROOMS Copyrights (c) 2005 All Rights Reserved Nily Glaser This is an article in 4 parts. 1. HOLIDAY GIFTS FOR BRIDES AND GROOMS 2. PLANNING A WEDDING - What brides and grooms need. 3. GIFTS OF DOING - How to contribute to the wedding. 4. BRIDAL ACCESSORIES and WEDDING ITEMS brides and grooms need. Many visitors sent A-wedding Day inquiries about holiday and birthday gifts that brides and grooms will appreciate. The typical inquiry is as follows. "I - we have a bride, a groom or an engaged couple on my - our holiday gift list. Do you have any recommendations?" or "What will make a nice Christmas - Chanukah gift for a bride, a groom or an engaged couple?" The general tendency is to gift the bride, groom or engaged couple with items for their home. These gifts are nice but gifts that will help them realize their Dream Wedding will be much more appreciated. Planning a wedding, even a modest wedding on a tight budget, costs thousands of dollars. According to a study conducted back in 2002 by The International Institute of Weddings, the average cost of a wedding in the US was $21,300. It is much higher today. So any contribution, not necessarily in funds, will help the bride and groom have their Dream Wedding. Gifts for the wedding do not have to be expensive. Yet, each item and wedding accessory will become a cherished keepsake. Your gifts will be remembered. Today, theme weddings are very popular and wedding colors are important. So, before you proceed, you may wish to find out if the bride and groom plan a theme wedding. If so, what their theme is. Also, find out about their choice of wedding colors. Having and adhering to this information, will assure that your gift will coordinate well with the wedding. Let's see what a wedding entails, what brides and grooms need or want and how you can contribute. PLANNING A WEDDING When planning their Dream Wedding, a bride and groom put into motion the services of wedding professionals and many wedding supplies and accessories that will put the final touches to the celebration. The fees for services and the costs of the bridal supplies and accessories accumulate rapidly. Though not all couples will utilize all, here is a list of services in alphabetical order: Locations and Services * Accommodations - Bride and Groom, Family, Wedding Guests * addressing and calligraphy * banquet facility * beauty - spa, make-up, nails and hair * catering- * Florists, Floral Designers, Decorators * honeymoon * musicians - live or DJ * officiant - clergy * jewelers * printers - invitations and other wedding stationery if they do not print their own. * transportation - * Wedding Attire - Gowns, Tuxedos Wedding Cakes * wedding gift for - best man, maid of honor, bridesmaids, * ushers, kids, others * wedding gifts for - family, wedding party, other * Wedding Photographers - videographers * Wedding Planners * wedding ceremony site and wedding reception site * They may even have other important considerations. Now that you have some idea of what creating a Dream Wedding Entails. Let us examine how you can give the bride and groom a gift that will be most welcome and very highly appreciated. Choose the gift(s) that are within your budget and if you Can, add participation as follows. GIFTS OF DOING If you have a special talent offer it to the couple. Create 2 emergency kits for the wedding. Create 2 pretty baskets, bowls or other containers and place the following items in each: Deodorant, Non-allergic makeup remover, Makeup, chapped lip protectors, Hair products: gel, hair spray, combs, Bobby pins, Hand lotion, Nail polish, Nail file, Breath mints, Sewing kit, Safety pins, head ache relief tablets, indigestion relief tablets, Ammonia inhalant (in case of fainting), Band Aids, Bandages, Antacid tablets, Facial tissues, Moist towelettes and Pantyhose. On the wedding day, the bride or a bridesmaid will place one kit in the Ladies' rest room and the groom or an usher will place the other in the Men's. If you sew, you may help with the wedding attire. You may not be able to sew a wedding gown. But if you can alter it, the bride can buy a wedding gown off the rack and save a LOT of money. Add a note to a jewelry item(s) or a tiara and you have given a wonderful gift. If you bake and decorate, you may offer to bake the wedding cake, the groom cake or both. If you cannot decorate a cake, consult with the caterer to see if you may offer baked desserts for the wedding reception. This will reduce some of the catering costs. Add a note to a nice tray or cake stand and you'll make one couple very happy. For recipes go to: http://www.a-weddingday.com/recipes/recipes.html If the wedding will be self-catered, you may offer to contribute some of your specialty dishes. Add your offer to some serving pieces and you give the bride and groom real help. For recipes go to: Crafts The above are some ideas. If you come up with others, please share them with us. We'll appreciate it and so will our visitors. BRIDAL ACCESSORIES and WEDDING ITEMS When purchasing a wedding gift choose a gift that will become a treasured keepsake. Personalized gifts, wedding ceremony and reception accessories, and unique items make the best gifts. If you are not a close friend or a family member, you should consult with the parents (moms) of the bride and groom so as to avoid duplication of gifts. If you are a co-worker or a member of the same organization as the bride and - or groom, you may wish to get together with the other co-workers or members and with the combined funds, purchase a more expensive group gift such as a complete collection of matching accessories, silver serving pieces, Personalized unity candles and holders etc... Following is a list of Bridal Accessories and Gifts for the Wedding Before you look for gifts for brides and grooms, find out if they have a wedding theme and possibly their wedding colors. This way you'll be sure your gift will please the couple. Most items are available at A-wedding Day where you can see actual pictures of the items you may consider. Note that this is a very comprehensive list. Some items are needed For the ceremony and reception, while the rest are optional. * Accessory Collections * Air freshener, Mints or potpourri, for the bathrooms * Albums * Arras (for Mexican weddings) * Bible * Bridal Garters * Bubbles or a bubble making machine * Butterflies to release * Cake (Wedding cake, groom cake and if you have children, a kids cake.) * Cake decorations * Cake Toppers - (cake tops) * Candelabra * Candles - personalized, unity, memorial, centerpiece, Favors etc.. * Candle Holders * Car Decorations * A card box or wishing well for cards and envelopes * Centerpieces * Children's Gifts * Chupah cover (Jewish wedding) * Custom Ribbons * Wedding site Decorations * Emergency Kits * Engraved Gifts * Favors * Flower Girl Baskets * Flower girl gifts * Flutes & Goblets * Gloves * Gown Preservation and Carrying Bag * Guest Books, Memory Books, albums and Pen Sets * Hair Accessories * Handbags * Handkerchiefs (Hankies) * Honeymoon basket * Ice Sculpture Molds * Invitations and wedding stationery for print it yourself * Jewelry * Jewelry for Blending Families - When Couple Has Children * Keepsakes and Novelties * Lassos (Mexican wedding) * Memories engraveable platter * Pen Sets * Personalized bridal accessories * Personalized disposable cameras * Personalized candles - Personalized unity candles * Personalized Gifts * Personalized Ribbons - Coming Soon * Place Card Holders * plates, utensils, napkins, and cups if self catered. * Purses and-or Money Bags * Ribbons and tulle - Coming Soon * Ring Pillows * Rose petals * Rosaries (Catholic weddings) - Coming Soon * Seat covers * Shoes * Authentic Sixpence - Sixpence in a crystal shoe * stationery * Tiaras & Headpieces * Veils / Headpieces * Wedding Time Capsules Copyrights (c) 2005 All Rights Reserved