Hot topics for both consumers and webmarketers on WebmasterRadio.FM
Every Wednesday, 5PM Eastern.
Wedding Gifts Tips
Wedding Gifts For Mom
Wedding gifts for mom fall into two categories: gifts for the bride’s mom and gifts for the groom’s mom. What you get them for gifts should symbolize your appreciation for all they’ve done for you over the years and should also reflect their individual personalities. If all your mom has ever wanted was a big glass paper weight with your wedding date engraved on it, then your search is over. Chances are, that’s not the case.
Mother’s sometimes envision a dream wedding for their daughters, something large, lavish, and traditional. If that’s the case, try to stick with traditional wedding gifts for your mother. Sure she’s happy for you, but she may not be really comfortable with the whole idea of a beach wedding, a wedding under the stars, or any other kind of non-traditional wedding ceremony that doesn’t resemble her cultural values. Because she just wants you to be happy, she’s going to sit on that beach (or wherever) beaming with pride. However, she may not be smiling anymore if you try to give her a non-traditional gift like a conch shell bikini! She’ll appreciate something she can use, so keep her hobbies in mind when you pick out the wedding gifts. For example, she might like a personalized leather wallet, engraved gold watch, crystal earrings, or even a personalized golf set. If you’d describe your mother as “earthy”, give her something unique like a pair of shoes made from 100% recycled material and an organic cotton t-shirt. The key is to keep both mother’s feelings, likes and dislikes in mind when shopping for their wedding gifts.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
AmericanBridal.com Tip: Bridal Party Gifts From The Adult Home Party Scene
If you’re trying to plan the best bridal party ever, get the girls together and have an adult home party. There are different perks to hosting an adult home party, like free products after a certain number of sales. If you want the bride-to-be to reap the benefits, host the party in her name. They’re a lot more fun than home parties where the spiciest thing you can buy is a jar of steak seasoning!
Of course, when you’re booking a home party like this, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. Are there any friends who’ll be too embarrassed to enjoy themselves? Are you going to invite anybody’s mother and, if so, will she be offended or will she have a great time with the girls? Although bridal parties are usually just for the girls, there’s no strict rule that says it can’t include the guys too. If you’re the maid of honor planning the party, it’s probably a good idea to include the bride-to-be and the bridesmaids in the planning stages. Surprises are lots of fun, but not when you run the risk of seriously freaking somebody out. Then again, if you know people well enough, you might just want to go ahead, book the party, pop open some champagne, and holler, “Surprise!”
Bridal party gifts come in all shapes and sizes, especially at an adult home party.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Wedding Gifts For Dad
The type of wedding gifts you buy for your father will probably depend a lot on his age and his hobbies. If he’s got a crazy sense of humor and is expecting something a little off-the-wall, you could get him an engraved fishing pole and a bucket of realistic looking fish. Maybe you could even give him a disposable camera to take pictures of the one that “didn’t get away”.
For fathers who are into genealogy, or just like to reminisce, you could put together a disc of hundreds of old photos that he can just pop into the DVD player at home. If you’re a photo-buff, or you know something about Photoshop, you could do it yourself, If not, just check your local business listings (or maybe you already know someone) for someone who provides that service.
Now, if you want your father to really be noticed, personalized license plates make great wedding gifts. There are lots of ideas on the Internet, or you can come up with your own by using a combination of letters and numbers that reflect your father’s motto, sports car, life goal, etc. If you’re the daughter giving your dad a personalized license plate, you could play on the whole cost of the wedding issue (if that’s an issue), the fact that he’s not losing a daughter, but gaining a son, etc. It’s tricky, but with a little brain-storming, you’ll be able to come up with something really unique.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
AmericanBridal.com Tip: Best Man Gifts
Come on guys, don’t panic at the thought of buying your best man a gift! If he’s your best man, he’s probably a close friend- which means you know his likes and dislikes. What kinds of hobbies does he have? Is he into sports? You’ll be relieved to know that you can buy engraved, personalized, sports-themed best man gifts at various bridal sites.
Chances are, your best man will be having some sort of bachelor party for you. Even if that’s not your style, you’ll have lots of opportunities before the wedding to give him a gift. Here are a few ideas:
1) If you don’t want to wait for a bachelor party to give your best man his gift, take him out to the ball game. There are all kinds of best man gifts that fall under this category including personalized baseball bats or engraved baseballs. Depending on where you buy the gifts, prices will vary, but you can estimate a cost of anywhere from $12 to $50 dollars.
2) Take him golfing. The golf course is the perfect place to give your best man an engraved golf luggage tag or an executive golf putter set.
3) In between tennis sets, toss your best man a gift of personalized tennis balls, or a tennis racket keychain. Other best man gifts along the same theme could include tickets to see a professional tennis match or an engraved tennis score watch.
You see? It’s easy. Just use your best man’s favorite sport as a guide, and start looking for the perfect gift.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Wedding Party Gifts From The Groom To The Bride
So, you’re marrying the woman of your dreams and now you have to buy her some wedding gifts and, of course, you want the wedding gift to cause a “gasp” reaction. No pressure! Whether you’re celebrating your wedding vows in a traditional or non-traditional way, it’s all about the romance. It doesn’t matter if she says she’s not the romantic type. Don’t believe her. Maybe she means she’s not into red roses and white lace, but when it comes to the wedding gifts you pick out for her, they have to evoke feelings of romance. What do men fear the most on their wedding day? Doing the wrong thing! Here are a couple of “don’ts” to keep in mind when picking out your new bride’s wedding gifts:
-Don’t give her a cooking appliance of any type. It’s okay for someone else to do it, but the only message you’ll be giving her if you do that is, “Get in the kitchen and cook something.” Even if she insists that she wants something for the kitchen, don’t do it. Tell her maid of honor or her mother to get her something for the kitchen.
-Don’t give her something really embarrassing, especially if she’s opening the gift in front of her parents or grandparents! What constitutes embarrassing? Anything that falls in the “honeymoon toys” category pretty much sums it up. That kind of thing usually falls under the category of unique bridal party gifts.
Okay, those are a few don’ts. Now, here are a few do’s:
-Do give her a gift certificate to a high-end shoe store. Really. She’ll love you forever.
-Do indulge her like a pampered princess with a full day spa treatment that she can enjoy with a friend.
-If money is an issue, you can still give her the gift of her dreams by creating your own book of redeemable “gift certificates” that include things like a ½ hour foot rub, a back massage, a bubble bath complete with wine (served chilled) and cheese. Just make sure to follow through! Don’t forget to include a bottle of massage oil with the certificates.
Good luck with the wedding gifts!
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
AmericanBridal.com Tip: Great Wedding Gifts
When the bride and groom open the present you bought them, the last thing you want to hear is, “Oh…thanks! Another toaster.” Sure they may have a bridal registry somewhere, which is a huge help, but that’s not always the case. Giving them money is the easy way out. No thought required. Unless they start dropping hints, or give you a map and directions to their favorite store, you’re going to have to come up with your own ideas for great wedding gifts. The trick is to come up with something the couple will be able to enjoy together. Technically, a newly married couple can enjoy making toast together with their new wide-slot toaster, but the best wedding gifts are the ones that take them out of their own kitchen. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
1) Gift certificates to their favorite restaurant.
2) A picnic basket filled with their favorite snacks and drinks.
3) A massage oil set of different scents and flavors.
4) Get them maid service for a year so they can spend their time doing more newly-wed things and less dusting.
5) Are the newly-weds building a new house or moving into a new apartment? Give them something practical like a gift certificate to a hardware store.
6) Personalized sheet sets, pillows, towels, etc.
Great wedding gifts are the ones where the bride and groom look at each other and say, “Yeah, we can really use that!”
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Wedding Gifts For Bridal Party
The wedding party usually includes everyone participating in some way in the wedding celebration. That could be groomsmen, brides maids, flower girls, clergy, both sets of parents, etc. They’re the people who are helping to bring the big day together. Many people decide to take the group out to a nice restaurant as the wedding gift to the bridal party, but there are other things you can do as well. Of course, the bigger the wedding party, the harder it’s going to be to come up with unique wedding party gifts. Rather than give each individual person something different as a wedding gift, why not give gifts based on gender and/or age.
Women: The ladies can each get the same gift, just make sure to personalize the gift that you give. You might want to give them each a personalized ladies shaver, gift certificates to their favorite book stores or coffee shops, personalized cameras, blankets, sheets, or something simpler and alternative like a personalized mp3 or cell phone cover.
Men: Gifts for the wedding party should be something you know they’ll enjoy. Maybe it’s a bottle of whiskey, or a weekend pass to a racing event. Maybe there’s an awesome concert coming up that they’ll all appreciate having tickets too.
Kids: If you have a flower girl or ring bearer in the wedding party, don’t forget them! Unique wedding party gifts for them could be a case of bubbles to go through. The bubbles will keep them entertained for hours, especially when you tell them it’s “okay” to spend the day blowing bubbles. Hey, it’ll add to the atmosphere and keep them busy at the same time!
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
AmericanBridal.com Tip: Best Man Gifts For the Cultured Best Man
What’s your best man like? Is he into art or music? Maybe he’s a surfer enthusiast or a guy who appreciates opera and the ballet. It’s easy to find sophomoric gag gifts, but a lot harder to come up with unique wedding party gifts that really speak to a person’s personality. If your best man is an art aficionado, but the rest of the groomsmen are into computer gaming and drinking beer, it wouldn’t make sense to have all the same gifts for the wedding party. In a situation like that, where the guys are so different from one another, it’s a good idea to take the best man aside, maybe have a night on the town with him, and give him his gift without the other guys around. The next question is, what to get for a gift?
For someone with more mature sensibilities, try one of these wedding party gift ideas:
-Is he an artist? Get him some hard-to-find art supplies. If you plan early enough, you should be able to find out (either through him or through another friend or family member of his) where to get the things he needs.
-Is he an avid reader? Judging by the books lying around his place, it shouldn’t be hard to figure out what he likes to read. Why not get a complete boxed set of whichever genre he reads the most?
-Does he have a sports car that’s his pride and glory? Get him a certificate to a specialty car shop where he can buy accessories.
The key here is to take into account the vast differences in personality between your best man and your groomsmen. No matter where you’re getting married, or how you’re getting married, your best man will really appreciate the effort you took to say “thanks”.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
No-Time-To-Get-Creative Wedding Party Gifts
Sometimes the most fun weddings are the ones that give you little time to think about all of the little details that tend to creep up on you. Of course, sometimes they’re panic inducing. If you’re panicked about getting last minute best man gifts, bridal party gifts, or bridesmaids favors, worry no longer. You can relax. Here are a few ideas for last-minute wedding gifts you can buy, from the almost-last-minute gift, to the extremely-last-minute wedding gifts:
ALMOST LAST MINUTE (two weeks to the wedding date):
-At this stage, you can probably order some neat gifts online. Personalized mugs, ties, golf sets, backpacks, business-class engraved pens, and cuff links are quick ideas. Just make sure to check the website’s shipping policy to make sure your order will get to you in time.
NEARLY LAST MINUTE (one week to the wedding date):
-As long as you’re willing to pay for shipping charges, you should be able to order last minute best man gifts. Some bridal gift websites offer free shipping on orders over a certain price, but you might have to pay extra for overnight delivery. If in doubt, ask the company before placing your order.
EXTREMELY LAST MINUTE (A couple days away from the wedding date):
-What the heck have you been waiting for? Okay, don’t panic. You’re going to have to go to the store and buy the biggest, fanciest bottle of champagne you can find. Forget price! You waited too long to worry about price. What you need is an awesome best man gift and you need it fast! However, make sure to check with customer service of that bridal site you were looking at. They just might be able to accommodate you, just ask!
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
The Hunt For Those Unique Bridal Party Gifts
Here’s an idea that’ll get your bridal party acting like kids again; hold a treasure hunt. You can do this as part of the bachelor or bridal party, throw in a few alcoholic drinks, a treasure map for each of the guests, and send them on their way. Part of the gift is in the fun they’ll have, but the tangible part of the gift is what’s waiting for them in their treasure chest. After buying a bunch of unique wedding party gifts, stash them in a “treasure chest” and hide the chest somewhere. Could be indoors or outdoors. Make sure to supply plenty of food and drinks to keep their energy levels up! You can do this a few different ways by either giving each guest their own map to a treasure, or everyone the same map to the same treasure chest. If you’re going with the latter idea, make a rule that says the first person to the chest gets to pick the gift they want.
Make sure to buy small wedding party gifts that are easy to hide. Things like candles, coasters, novelty mugs, slippers, lighters, small picture frames, and candle holders make good gift ideas. Throw in a few gag gifts for laughs if you want. Everybody loves a rubber chicken and, while you’re at it, why not toss in a few whoopee cushions? Sure it’s a little juvenile, but after a few drinks on a treasure hunt, your guests have every right to sink into that mode, and so do you! It’s called inexpensive stress therapy. Have fun and don’t forget to take pictures of the day.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Gifts for the Couple Who Asks for Nothing
If you are looking for a few solid wedding gift ideas, but don't have a registry to work off of, here are some suggestions for gifts:
Money – Cash gifts may seem impersonal to some, but for couples that are not registered the gift of cash can be put towards anything they’d like whether it’s a down payment on a vehicle, a house or just fun splurge money for their honeymoon vacation – it’s a gift that let’s them get what they want.
Reservations – You may not think this is such a big deal, but covering their expenses for a night in a luxurious honeymoon suite before they continue on to their honeymoon can be a real kick for many newlyweds. They can savor the room service, the Jacuzzi tubs and the opulent privacy that every newlywed couple deserves
Gift Certificates – Whether you give them a gift certificate to a wonderful place at their honeymoon destination or to favored restaurants at home; gift certificates are great wedding gift ideas because it allows them to enjoy fine food and a romantic dinner
Bottle of Wine or Champagne – This is a good wedding gift idea for the right couple. Give them a bottle of wine or champagne with a note to not be opened until their 1st wedding anniversary. It’s a charming gift that inspires confidence in their choices and their wedding
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Tokens of Appreciation
Do not forget to plan for bridesmaid gifts. Though some may abandon this tradition, it’s a truly thoughtful tradition of extending tokens of appreciation to the bridesmaids for spending time, effort and their own money in support of you and your wedding choices.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Men at Arms - Groomsmen Gifts
Choosing your groomsmen gifts will take a little forethought. You may want to choose groomsmen gifts that are reflective of the things you enjoy doing together.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
The Personal Touch
Personalized wedding gifts are a wonderful way of celebrating your wedding day. They can be created from a wide variety of things whether they are sports based or more traditional such as picture frames.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Tokens of Appreciation
Among some of the lovely options out there for bridesmaid gifts include several that are frugal and kind to your budget. The best part of these types of bridesmaids gifts is that although they are inexpensive, they are still charming and great tokens of appreciation.
Engraved purse mirrors are inexpensive, attractive and utterly feminine. Compact mirrors are also a very practical gift for many women. They can be engraved with a name, a monogram or even a pet name and quotes.
Jewelry is one of the most often given bridesmaid gifts. The jewelry can be a charm, charm bracelet or even the jewelry purchased for the wedding. This can actually be a frugal choice because you will often want your bridesmaids to wear a certain kind of jewelry
Digital photo albums are a little more expensive, but they are becoming more and more inexpensive every passing day. These are great ways to display photos in your home and they can even have a slideshow option to switch out the image on a regular basis
Spa certificates are a nice treat for the bridesmaids to be used before or after the wedding and can prove affordable on a limited budget, as some spas will offer group deals for buying in bulk. If you’re looking for something different to give as a bridesmaid's gift, this might be the one for you.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Send Thank You Cards in a Tinmely Manner
Wedding thank you notes should be sent out within four weeks of your return from your honeymoon. To take longer than that is disrespectful to those who attended your wedding and sent gifts. The longer it takes, the more your guests will wonder if you liked their gifts. Let them know how much their generosity means to you by sending thank you notes right away.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Men at Arms - Groomsmen Gifts
When you are selecting your wedding party you are asking the men and women to stand up with you and to give you a hand during the wedding. The roles that groomsmen play may not be as obvious as that of the bridesmaids, but they do play a role and they should be honored as the bridesmaids are honored with groomsmen gifts.
Groomsmen Gifts Ideas:
You can purchase individual gifts for each groomsmen or you can choose a gift that covers everyone involved.
The groomsmen gifts are meant to be tokens of appreciation, but that doesn’t mean the
