I now have a maid of honor and two bridesmaids! Although they have met each other at one point or another, I thought I would be nice to bring everyone together to get to know each other a bit more. So I invited all the ladies over to my place for a meet-and-greet, where I presented each lady with a goody bag.
I put together a goody bag for each of them – hoping this will help us kick off the wedding planning process on the right foot. I think this was a great idea because it showed my appreciation for their future hard work, and they appreciated the nice surprise.
The gift bags included:
- The Everything Bridesmaid Book: 2nd Edition by Holly Lefevre
- Wedding Party Responsibility Card by Alex A. Lluch
- Stickers with funny sayings
- Small notebook with pen
- Chocolates in a small tin
(See below for ideas on how to make less expensive versions of this goody bag.)
Inside the front cover of their book, I wrote each member a “thank you in advance” note. I personalized it by mentioning why I am glad they agreed to be in my wedding party. It was nothing longer than a few sentences. I think it is much more fun to write it in the book versus a card, that way the book can be a keepsake or memento from their adventures in your wedding.
I also gave each bridesmaid the wedding party responsibility card that corresponded to their title. This is a simple gesture to let them know you will expect a few things, and it also lets them know in advance what you will expect. I like this too because now I know what I can typically ask of my bridal party, and use this as a guideline in the future.
The stickers with funny sayings were an idea given to me by a friend. The reality is, when you go to bridal shows, you get overloaded with pamphlets, business cards, booklets, magazines, and all sorts of sales literature. The stickers are to help you remember what you liked, didn’t like, or want to avoid at all costs. I found these stickers at a local bookstore retailer, but I’m sure they can be found just about anywhere. The phrases were: WTF; Really?; Love it!; No way!; Whatever; Not Impressed. I advised the ladies that when we go to bridal shows they should use these stickers as reminders on how they felt about that particular vendor. Then it will be much easier to combine all of our thoughts after. (Note: Look for my future blog about bridal shows and how to prepare.)
The small notebook and pen are for jotting down quick notes and ideas, and even to bring to bridal shows. The chocolates could be eaten anytime, but we all joked that they should be used when we crash from addressing invitations or are pulling all nighters to wrap up wedding favours. I bought chocolates in a tin because chocolate bars can melt and cause a mess, and tins can be reused and filled with other chocolates, mints or pieces of gum.
Homemade Goody Bags
These goody bags were at a cost to me obviously, but since the wedding is a few years away, I can justify spending the price. If you don’t have the resources to purchase these items for every member, make your own!
Book:
Find free bridesmaid advice on wedding websites and print them off on coloured paper. You can hole-punch the pages and use a ribbon or string to tie the pages together. Be as creative as you want! You could even make a title page with your wedding information. Remember to add a personalized thank you somewhere in the bag- whether it is in a card or in this booklet you made.
Responsibility Card:
The wedding party responsibility cards can be made by hand easily. Get some cue cards (we’ve all used them for school speeches or studying at one point or another). Use a coloured marker to make it fun and write the typical responsibilities by hand on the cue card. You can find out what typical responsibilities are by searching online. Check a few websites to make sure they match because there are some whacky ideas out there!
Stickers:
If you can’t find stickers with funny sayings, make your own! Pick up a package of post-its from an office retailer and write sayings on them by hand. Get a pack that includes different coloured post-its and separate each colour into equal parts ensuring every maid gets at least ten per colour. Allocate one phrase to each colour and use a marker to write the saying over and over on each post-it, being careful to not un-stick them. Also, don’t use a marker that will bleed through. It may take some work but the sticker idea is definitely worth it! I would have at least three: Love it, Hate it and Undecided (a.k.a. Yes, No, and Maybe).
Chocolates:
If you can bake, make a homemade treat instead! Cookies, brownies and cupcakes are easy to make and can even be found in a mix at the grocery store. If you like making smoothies mix some up for your meet and greet as a fun drink and conversation topic, and then add the recipe on a cue card in the bag so they can make it at home. You don’t have to include this portion of the goody bag if you don’t want to, but I did to act as a small treat for them.
Let me know what you did for your goody bag. Did you add anything? How did your wedding party ladies react? If you were a wedding party member who received one, what was inside?
To have and to hold,
Elizabeth Honey
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