This personalized tote comes in black, pink, blue and gold, and you can even customize the lettering style. I love the rope handle detail, and how spacious they are. You could definitely fit a lot in this bag! $24.95 each.
You can honestly never have too many cosmetic bags. They are just so handy! In addition to cosmetics, I store jewelry, pens, and even tampons in mine when I’m traveling. I love the gold details on this personalized cosmetics bag, $21.50 each.
Guys, I’m kind of obsessed with these personalized sleep masks from Sleepy Cottage. This version says “SHHHH, Sleeping Off Tilley’s Bachelorette,” which you can obviously personalize with the bride’s name and the color of your choice ($22 each). But they have so many other adorable options! Can I suggest the Wake Me For Mimosas version ($15 each)?
Perfect for a bachelorette party favor or to stuff in a beach wedding welcome bag: flamingo and swan drink floats, set of 2 for $12.99!
This sweet botanical travel set ($29) has so much going for it. The bag itself if adorable, with a tropical fern print, and it comes stuffed with a soap and lip balm of your choice, lavender detox salts, and a skin rescue balm.
These personalized champagne flutes are perfect for mimosas as you’re getting ready with your bridal party! $16.95 each.
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I recently spent the weekend in Greensboro, North Carolina, for my wonderful friend Jae’s wedding. We had a packed schedule of activities, including a bachelorette spa day and slumber party, a bridal shower tea party and, of course, the wedding! It was wonderful to spend so much quality time with some of my favorite ladies. I even got to spend the night before the wedding with Jae, which was super special. One unexpected consequence of getting married: it can bring you closer to the women in your life!
I wanted to share one quick DIY with you: the favor tags I made for the bridal shower. My fellow bridesmaids and I had talked about the idea of giving sprinkles as bridal shower favors for awhile, since Jae is maybe kinda a little obsessed with them. So when I saw these adorable sprinkles were 50% off at Paper Source, I jumped on that shizz!
Once we had the sprinkles, fellow bridesmaid Lexy came up with the cute tagline “Sprinkle on the Love for Jae’s Shower” and I set to work making tags to personalize the favors.
The best part? I made a version that you can use! Simply click on the PDF link below for the best resolution. You can download a printable PDF of the tags here.
You can download a printable PDF of these tags for your bridal shower favors here.
Want to get super-crazy sprinkle ridiculous? Paper Source actually has even more sprinkle goodies—including this wrapping paper I’m obsessed with.
Real talk: Throwing a party can get expensive. I’m totally guilty of drooling over bachelorette party favor packs I see on Instagram or around the blogosphere. But then I add up the price tag and cringe a little. Chances are you do not have the funds to drop $100 on a gift basket for each guest. At the same time, you want your favors to be cute. You don’t want to just hand out Advil and Band-aids (little known fact: your guests can supply their own Advil!). So what you want is the Holy Grail of party favors: incredibly stylish but inexpensive items. I get you. I’m here. With bachelorette favors under $5. You’re welcome.
Free swag alert! That’s right, these cute wine labels are absolutely free and you can snag mini Sutter Home wine bottles for only $1.75 each. There’s also a tutorial for creating the little bows to accent each bottle of wine. The perfect thing to greet your friends when they arrive.
Hi, I’m obsessed with these OMG koozies. They are just so clever and cute (and only $5 each!). Plus, I maybe have a weakness for koozies?
Emma Flhair’s Etsy shop is one of my favorites—she’s got tons of cute hair accessories from “Will You Be My Bridesmaid” to “Last Fling Before the Ring.” These Bride Tribe hair ties favors are a complete steal at only $1.75 a pop.
A shiny little reminder that you are absolutely going to have the Best Day Ever. This pack of 12 Metallic Tattoos will run you $26, so that’s only a little over $2 apiece.
Beau-Coup is like affordable wedding favor central, but these pineapple bottle openers really stand out amongst their collection. They’re stylish, on trend and under $5!
Did you know H&M has a home section? I know, me neither, mind totally blown. But it’s a freaking gold mine for low-priced cute accessories, like this candle 2-pack for $4.99!
This post contains affiliate links. Ultimate Bridesmaid carefully selects our affiliate partners to only work with companies and promote products we 100% love. Thank you for supporting Ultimate Bridesmaid!
Sending a “Will You Be My Bridesmaid?” card or present is a newer tradition, but one I love. I actually asked all my bridesmaids over the phone or in person because I felt like it was important to have that personal connection. But I still wanted to send them a “Will You Be My Bridesmaid” gift, more as a “thank you” for saying yes! First, I looked at some of the Will You Be My Bridesmaid cards I’ve loved over the years, but ultimately I decided to create one myself, partially because I just couldn’t decide between all the cute ones out there and partially just to challenge myself to imagine something new.
Andrew and I are getting married in Northeast Harbor, Maine, and it will be the first time that most of my friends are visiting this part of the country. I wanted to give them a taste of what to expect in Maine with my bridesmaid gift box. For the card, I went back through all my photos from our past vacations on Mt. Desert Island to look for a perfect background image. When choosing a photo, I needed to find one that had some negative space where I could easily place text. I chose a picture of the rocky coastline of Acadia National Park that has a bit of fog rolling in off the coast, the perfect neutral backdrop for the text.
I used Photoshop to create the card. I added the photograph as my first layer, then added my text as my second layer and played with a couple fonts until I found one I liked. To make the text pop, I decided to use a metallic gold foil effect. Here’s how to achieve that effect yourself (it’s actually incredibly easy). First, I found an image of gold foil online and saved it to my computer. I added the foil image as my third Photoshop layer. I resized the foil until it completely covered my text, making sure that the foil layer is right on top of the text layer in my Layers palette. Then, simply hover your cursor between the text and foil layers and hold down ALT. A little icon will appear. Once you click, it will create a clipping mask that fills the text with the metallic foil. Magic! Here’s a video that explains the whole process really well.
For the other items in my box, I wanted to include one or two pretty gifts I thought my bridesmaids would enjoy and use in their everyday lives, as well as a few things with a Maine connection. I approached picking gifts with two things in mind. 1. Quality over quantity. When you’re trying to fill gift boxes for five people, the costs can add up quickly. So in order to keep my boxes on a budget, I decided I’d rather pick a few nice items than stuff the box with little trinkets. 2. Pick things my bridesmaids will like and use, not just wedding “themed” items. Some of the items have a Maine theme, it’s true, but I also just thought they were nice and something my bridesmaid would love.
I found the jewelry trays on sale at J.Crew Factory and ordered a different pattern for each bridesmaid. The necklaces nestled in each jewelry tray were picked up during one of my visits to Maine. To go along with the coastal Maine theme, I included a bottle of my favorite Bumble and Bumble Surf products (they smell soooo good and leave my hair incredibly soft) and added a jar of yummy Maine blueberry honey. The finishing touch was a personal note that I wrote to each bridesmaid, thanking them for agreeing to be my bridesmaid and sharing why I was so excited to have them stand by my side at my wedding.
I took a trip to Paper Source for my packing supplies. I needed gift boxes large enough to fit the jewelry trays, but not so large that everything would shift around too much during shipping. I found these white gift boxes that fit the bill and filled them with white and gold shredded paper. I also picked up some gold chevron washi tape to decorate the exterior of the plain white boxes, and a ball of blue and white striped twine which I tied around the honey jars.
So those are my gift boxes! I really hope my bridesmaids will like them and I can’t wait to see them and all of my friends at my bachelorette party this May in Charleston, SC!
Photographs by my amazing bridesmaid, photographer Marisa Jarae (check out her jaw-dropping Instagram for your daily dose of mountain magic).
So guys, I just stumbled across Bow & Drape and now I am obsessed. I know I need one of these bling-tastic totally-custom sweatshirts for my very own, but I just can’t decide what to put on mine! Ever since I discovered these I’ve been brainstorming cute phrases to slap on ’em, and I just had to share with you guys! Here’s how it works.
You can totally buy one of their super-cute designs, like the ones above. OR customize your own, whether it be a soft sweatshirt, a polka-dot metallic pouch, a knit beanie or a snuggly sweater for your furry friend (for reals). And if you’re feeling super-fun, pop on a little flair, like sequin lips or mini French fries.
Obviously my first thought was that these would be awesome gifts, either from the bride to her bridesmaids or vice versa. You could go classic and just get her name in hot pink sequins, or get creative! Add that phrase she’s always saying, a tagline from your favorite show or the way you met (College Roomies, BFFs Since 2nd Grade). Or check out some of my designs below (you can order them here).
After a surprise email from a local seamstress, Shaunda of E’MAGINE Weddings & Events was inspired to collaborate with her to create completely custom bridesmaid robes and dresses. Seamstress Stini and wedding planner Shaunda carried the theme of personalization through the decor and accessories, incorporating wine glass decals to customize the beverages, monogramming on the robes and each bridesmaid’s name stitched into clutches. As a serial bridesmaid (eight times and counting!), Shaunda wanted to create a luxurious inspiration shoot for a bridesmaid luncheon, the perfect way to thank your ladies for being there for you through all the craziness of wedding planning. Charlotte wedding photographer Samantha Laffoon perfectly captured all the little details of the day.
As we discussed in part 1 of this series, Victoria’s Secret has become such a household name in women’s lingerie that it’s often the only option we even think about when trying to figure out where to shop for a lingerie shower. I mean, you’re not going to pick her up a pack of Hanes at Walmart, am I right? Vicky Secret it is! But the reality is there are lots and lots of beautiful (and yes, affordable) brands out there waiting to be discovered. As you survey the sea of gifts at the party, you can be proud that yours is the only one not in a pink striped bag. You might even find a new favorite in the process and end up picking out a little something for yourself! See more alternative lingerie brands here.
True & Co.
True & Co.’s goal is to change the way you shop for lingerie. Each style is crafted to fix common undergarment woes, like slipping straps, spill over, too-tight bands or extra material in all the wrong places. Once you take a short fit quiz about your bra experience, they’ll create a personal shop filled with styles that will work for you. Ask the bride to take the quiz or just opt for one of their can’t-fail, timelessly sexy styles, like the longline lace Bardot or the so-soft-and-stretchy lace Gramercy bralette (seriously the best bra I have ever owned).
Bride not so much the “vixen in black” type? The playful pieces from Honeydew Intimates feature lots of quirky prints and bright colors perfect for a bride with a bright personality. The line also carries a full range of loungewear, so a tomboy bride can enjoy her honeymoon breakfast in a cute pair of lounge shorts and a comfy-cozy top.
This romantic New York-based line extends far beyond lingerie, carrying everything from silky kimonos for honeymoon lounging to flowy sheath dresses perfect for a sunset stroll on the beach. The real stars are their lacy bra and panty sets though—try the slightly naughty Golden Key set in bridal white, complete with a tasseled blindfold ($132).
BHLDN (pronounced Beholden) is a little bit boho, a little bit Victorian and a whole lot of gorgeous. Their lacy underpinnings are perfect for the vintage bride. Plus, there really is something for everyone, as the line runs from sex kitten in thigh highs and a garter belt to demure maiden in a camisole and tap shorts. Treat her to a heritage piece of lingerie with the Guipure Lace Demi Bra, crafted from real Leaver’s lace. Their Painted Petal Robes would also be the perfect gift for the bride the morning of her wedding. (Be sure to check out the Sale section as you can find their signature pieces dramatically marked down at the end of each season and snap them right up.)
Want to splurge on a gift that will keep on giving? Check out SkivvieBox, a monthly subscription service for lingerie (yep, that exists)! At $59.99 a month, it’s a bit pricey, but think about asking each bridesmaid or a group of friends to chip in for a month each. Every month the bride will receive a designer lingerie set valued at $100-$150 and custom-picked just for her depending on her style, whether she’s a beautiful basics or party underneath type.
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