How to Know What to Buy the Bride

Being invited to a bridal shower or a wedding makes some people cringe. It is not the wardrobe that worries them, it is the gift selection that keeps them up at night. Some people truly put too much stress on themselves- honestly you would think that the bride would weep if she did not open the perfect gift from each and every one of her guests. Even the sweetest bride in the world has too much on her mind to really pay a lot of attention to her gifts at this moment, so aim for something that will satisfy you, and will maybe catch her eye after the dust of this chaotic day settles.

I still hear comments about a gift I put together for one of the very first weddings I ever attended. It was right after graduating high school, and I felt so grown up-my very first adult type event! Even from a young age, I worked a lot, so I bought almost everything by catalog- ( the Internet was not such a big deal back then). One of the companies that I ordered from sent free gifts, but the gifts were never anything that a young woman, still living at home with her parents could use. Now all of a sudden I had a use for these things. I gathered them all up, bought three wicker baskets, some dish cloths and a few odds and ends. I lined each basket with the cloths, and then arranged all of the household freebies and such into each. My gift was so well received that I later learned that the idea had been used for several other bridal showers as well as a few baby showers. The idea is simple: gather items of a similar nature and then put them into a basket, a pretty trash can or a laundry hamper, whatever you feel appropriate.

Give a gift that keeps giving: buy a rose bush or other flowering shrub for the bride. She can plant it in the yard at her new home as a reminder of your thoughtful gift and to refresh the memories of her special day.

If the bride is enrolled in college, or already established in her career, a gift that will help her further herself is always appreciated. If you do not know the bride that well, or do not know exactly what her future plans are, then consider a pretty picture frame or art print. Do not buy huge pictures, especially if you do not know how they will fit into the d’cor of her new home. Stay with small and tasteful and do not be upset if it is not displayed right in the front room.

As a last resort, buy a gift certificate to a local or online shop and allow the bride to shop at her leisure, perhaps after she has returned from her honeymoon so that she can relive some of her pre wedding, wedding day excitement.