*I found this stunning feature photo on Pinterest! If it’s yours please let me know so I can give you the credit you deserve!
You guys. Apparently we’re getting a snow storm in Michigan tomorrow. Like what.the.heck. We’re supposed to be seeing buds on our trees… not snow on the ground! While it may not be feeling like Spring here, we totally know that it is. And every year as Spring rolls around, I find my mailbox starting to fill up with bridal shower invitations. (Smooth segue… right? HA)
But in all seriousness, as the shower invitations start piling up, I find myself thinking what do I get them? I know… I can always look at their registry and just order something off of it and the bride to be would be totally happy. But me? I’m super extra when it comes to presents. Like, 95% of the time I have to make it a basket type gift, with a theme and fill it with goodies. I’m ridiculous… I know. But everyone always loves my gifts.
When I think back to the gifts I received for my wedding showers, my favorites weren’t the things we got from the registry. They were the thoughtful gifts, the handmade gifts, and the creative gifts. Because let’s be real… while those kitchen utensils we received were absolutely needed and wanted, they don’t necessarily scream “THIS IS A SUPER THOUGHTFUL GIFT THAT TELLS YOU EXACTLY HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU AND CHERISH OUR RELATIONSHIP.” Am I right?
So how exactly do you buy a gift when you find yourself in the “it’s on their registry but I want to get them something special” dilemma? Easy. Combine them. You know for a fact that the bride and groom spent hours crafting their perfect gift registry. You know they want and need everything on it. So why not choose something from the registry, and then build a gift around it? (I’m telling you… gift baskets are ALWAYS the answer people!) It’s a simple way to marry the two types of gifts in perfect harmony. These simple steps will help you craft the absolutely perfect bridal shower gift.
5 Steps to the Perfect Bridal Shower Gift
Scan the registry. Start by scanning their registry. What is on it that is in your price range? I like to click on a few of the gifts, and leave them open in separate tabs. I go through the entire registry, opening the things I like, and then sift through them, closing out tabs until I’m left with exactly what I want.
Connect with a gift. This sounds strange…. But seriously. If you can make a connection with a gift you need to choose it. For example, is it your BFF that you spent every weekend in college concocting drinks with getting married? Maybe tumblers and bar utensils is the perfect gift for you. Giving a gift that reminds you of fun times you had with the bride or groom helps to make the gift feel a little bit more personal. Then order it immediately. When you find what you love, order it immediately. You don’t want someone else to scoop it out of your hands!
Start shopping for fillers. When you have your main part of the gift, you can start shopping for the “fillers”. The things that are going to go along with the gift, to help make it more personal. So, if you bought those Kate Spade Tumblers that you loved on their registry, start thinking of the things you want to go with them. Cheeky bar napkins, stirrers, coasters, a cocktail recipe book and their favorite alcohols would all be perfect additions to the already perfect tumblers.
Find your basket. Last, find a basket to put them all in together. Be creative with your basket. Going along with the bar theme… could you fit everything into an ice bucket? Did you buy kitchen supplies? Maybe put them all in a nice pot. Or, just find a cute basket (at a place like Michaels) that you can load up with your goodies.
Put it together. Once all your goodies arrive, arrange them in the basket. I always add some of the “basket filler” stuff from the Dollar Tree just to keep everything in place, and give it a festive look. I also always add a bow. Because I love bows! Plus, I think it gives it a finished look.
And that’s it! So simple… right?
Still not sure what to get that special couple in your life? I’m going to share a few of my absolutely favorite gifts I received during my bridal showers.
Last Spring, my aunts on my mom’s side threw a surprise bridal shower for me. It was small (just my 3 aunts, my mom, my only girl cousin on that side, my two cousins girlfriends and my Grandma) and it was so perfect! They absolutely spoiled me, and ordered all the whiteware Trev and I had picked out for our kitchen. From our plates to our servingware, they got us everything. But the best part of that gift? What they did to go along with it. They each hand wrote their favorite recipes on recipe cards. And they had my Grandpa (who loves woodworking) making me a beautiful recipe box that he wrote a special message in the top of. It was the most touching wonderful gift I received, and it is one of my most treasured possessions.
Is it cheating telling a gift my parents got me? I’m not sure. But I’m sharing it anyways because it was SUCH a good idea, that I used it for my cousin’s wedding gift. If you don’t know me personally… you probably don’t know this about me. I’m obsessed with anything Amish. No. Joke. I love going to Amish shops and I would literally buy everything in that store. So, my mom bought me the most gorgeous Amish picnic basket I’ve ever seen. In it, she put two crystal champagne glasses (from the set my parents received as a wedding gift, and the two they used to toast with when they found out they were pregnant with me), a bottle of the champagne Trev and I toasted with when we got engaged, the Kate Spade cake server I’d been wanting, the knife my great grandparents used to cut their wedding cake (engraved with their names and wedding date and our names and wedding date) and a gorgeous blanket with one of our engagement photos on it. Everything in it was so personal and so thoughtful!
Another favorite gift of mine was from all the little girls that were in my wedding. They each gave me a bag FILLED with decorative hand towels. Each little girl gave me 3 for each month. Oh my god. We have SO many hand towels and they are so freakin’ cute. We love them so much! We got winter towels for January, valentine towels for February, St. Patty’s towels for March, Easter towels for April, spring flowers for May, wedding themed towels for June, patriotic towels for July, summer towels for August, football towels for September, Halloween towels for October, Thanksgiving towels for November and Christmas towels for December. I thought this was the cutest gift idea ever! We love these towels, and look forward to changing them at the beginning of each month.
I also loved a gift we received from my Godmother and her family. She spent a bunch of time researching our honeymoon location. She found a restaurant she knew we would love, but would never actually spend that kind of money to go to ourselves. She printed out a picture of it, and gave us money that we were only to use at this location! She had tried to make reservations for us, but couldn’t get a hold of them (since it was a different country and all.) As soon as we got to Banff, we called and made a reservation for later that week. We took lots of pictures and video for her while we were there. I LOVED this idea. And I will for sure be using it for the next bridal shower I go to.
My final favorite gift? A wedding dress hanger with Mrs. Klump and our wedding date on it from my mother in law.
What gifts did you love getting for your bridal shower?? Leave it in the comments to help gift givers everywhere 🙂
Oh my gosh. You guys!! How many of you saw New Girl last night?! My BFF and I were literally squealing the entire last 5 minutes of that episode. So. Dang. Good. I won’t comment on what happened yet… because I totally don’t want to ruin it for you. But trust me. It’s seriously one of the best episodes!
Happy Wednesday everyone! We’re halfway through the week…. Which means we’re one day closer to Friday. I hope you all enjoy your day!
Xx.
Savannah
Savannah Said It 
Toll !!!
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