Gifts for the Girls

My bridesmaid's pretty much rock the house.  They put up with all my neurotic obsessions (shoes, table numbers, guest list, etc) and calm me down whenever wedding anxiety strikes.  They're in the process of planning what is sure to be a crazy-fun bachelorette party and are also helping my aunt plan my shower.  I can't imagine getting married without these mamacitas standing up there with me and I don't think the journey to the altar would be anywhere near as fun without them.

For being such awesome ladies, of course I want to express my gratitude for all their help and support during my seemingly-endless engagement.

I also take presents very. very. seriously.  You think I'm kidding? I've been known to throw actual temper tantrums about gifts (not my finest hour, believe me, I'm aware of this...Just ask Mr Trail Mix about the time he somehow forgot to get me a present for my 24th birthday- wait, on second thought, don't ask him, it waren't pretty *shudders...)  I'm also known in my group of friends to be the giver of pretty kick-ass presents.  It's kind of like my "thing."

So you know for the bridesmaid's gifts I've been planning and thinking and obsessing about what to get them pretty much since I asked them to do the deed.  Bridesmaid's D, J, JW and MOH Pip, if you're reading this, get outta here!! Half the fun of giving presents is the surprise and I don't wanna spoil it for yas...So g'wan now, git!




I knew I wanted to give them each a piece of jewelry, since we are pretty much all jewelry-whores but I really wanted it to be a gift for them, not just an addition to the attire for the wedding so these are not pieces that they will be wearing as bridesmaids. Instead, I wanted something special they would wear and love for a long time after the wedding, as a reminder of how much I adore each one of them.

After MOH Pip gifted me with a beautiful Satya Jewelry bracelet for my engagement, I was smitten with this line of jewelry and made a (somewhat random) decision that each would receive something from there.  Satya Jewelry has beautiful, yoga-inspired pieces that we've all been known to drool over.  Another big plus is that the company donates a percentage of every sale to the Satya Foundation, a non-profit foundation committed to providing children with yoga and healthy living through need-based scholarship. The only downside to this idea was that the majority of the jewelry is pretty expensive (the pieces I was eyeing ranged between $150-$200.)

Ever the good shopper (I almost never pay full price for anything!) I have literally been stalking the sale section since last June but unable to come up with much that I liked.  I was very close to buying the gifts full price since it had been almost 8 months of coming up empty-handed but decided to hold out just another month or two and keep looking.

But during my most recent bout of insomnia, I decided to check out the website again and lo and behold, the most perfect pieces were on sale. For once, sleeplessness and patience paid off!

Alright, this has been a long lead-up to the big reveal.  Here is what I picked out for each bridesmaid...

For my lovely JW, a beautiful lotus necklace that symbolizes beauty and regeneration:

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For my calm and collected J, simple cherry quartz earrings signifying balance and a stunning carnelian bracelet offering protection:

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For my sassy and spicy D, these unreal ruby chandelier earrings, which are meant to inspire passion and wisdom in the wearer:

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And finally, for the one and only MOH Pip, one of my nearest and dearest since the 7th grade, this delicate aquamarine necklace, which gives the wearer "courage, vision and communication:"

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I have to say, I'm pretty happy with this decision.  I've been to the store to check out the jewelry in real life and it is gorgeous.  I really really really hope everyone is happy with what they receive. And with everything being on sale, I managed to save close to $150 dollars.  The total cost for the gifts, including shipping and tax, was $387.48.  I know that total is still not by any means cheap, even with the sales, but like I mentioned before, I'm the present queen and I just really wanted to give them something special as a thank you for all the effort and time put in towards my wedding.

I actually still have a few other tricks up my sleeves regarding the bridesmaid's gifts, this isn't quite all that I'm getting them but you'll have to sit tight and wait a bit for me to show you the rest.

How did you decide on your bridesmaid's gifts? Was it an easy or hard decision? Are you getting them something they can use for the wedding or not?