Weddings are joyous occasions, but they can also be expensive and stressful occasions, too. If you've been invited to the bridal shower in addition to the wedding itself, you'll need to buy a gift specifically for the bride. Luckily, there are good ideas for every budget.
Thoughtful gifts that the bride will appreciate can be bought at every price point. Read on for 21 gifts for the bride at low, medium and high price points.
For smaller budgets (<$50).
If the bride and groom are planning on traveling for their honeymoon, a nice passport case and luggage tag set is a thoughtful gift for the bride's upcoming travels.
A nice photo frame for the happy couple to display a photo from their wedding is a thoughtful and inexpensive gift. This fairly nice frame from Kate Spade New York says "Happily ever after" along the bottom.
Wedding planning can be stressful. This lavender-scented bath soak will help both the bride and groom get a good night's sleep.
Source: Amazon
This three-compartment wine box has room for three bottles of wine. Fill it with a bottle for the couple to open on their one year anniversary, two year anniversary and three year anniversary.
A custom wedding dress hanger is a thoughtful little detail that the bride will appreciate for her special day. This Etsy store will make a custom hanger with the bride's name.
Couples who like to cook will enjoy this well-reviewed cookbook with over 650 recipes tailored for two. This book is incredibly popular — over 250,000 copies have been sold!
This five-piece packing cube set comes in nine fun patterns and colors, including leopard, rose gold, milk marble and gold marble (pictured). If the bride and groom plan to travel for their honeymoon (or like traveling in general), these are a great gift for their upcoming travels.
For mid-range budgets ($51-99).
A fancy candle is a great bridal shower gift. Diptyque's cult-favorite candles are a luxurious bridal shower gift that'll help the bride-to-be make her new home smell fantastic.
This agate cheese board from Anthropologie comes in five different colors (White Quartz, Dyed Blue, Green, Rose Quartz and Amethyst). It's a stunning arrangement for entertaining and makes a unique gift that will remind the bride of you whenever she pulls it out to entertain.
La Mer skincare is expensive — there's no getting around it. However, if there's one time in her life when a woman might want to splurge on this fancy brand, it's in the lead-up to her wedding. To help the bride-to-be glow on her big day, gift her with this set, which includes three of La Mer's most popular products: the Treatment Lotion, Eye Concentrate and Moisturizing Soft Cream.
A warm, cozy throw is always a great gift idea. Add a monogram to personalize this gift. You could monogram this with the couple's initials or the bride's new initials (if she's changing her last name).
This custom print, which has three heart-shaped cutouts for different map locations, is a great idea to commemorate important dates in a couple's relationship. The met, engaged and married three-heart series is a meaningful gift that any couple will be thrilled to receive and proudly display in their home. It'll also help ensure that no one has an excuse for forgetting the wedding anniversary down the line!
Elegant champagne flutes are an excellent gift idea that'll ensure the bride and groom can toast to future happy events in style. This four-flute set is one of a few choices from Cathy's Concepts. There are also
monogram options ($62 for four) and a set with
"cheers" written in different languages ($75 for four).
For a bride headed to tropical climates for her honeymoon, this Tom Ford gift set provides the perfect bright lip, body shimmer and scent.
For larger budgets ($100+).
A nice, classic perfume that won't go out of style is a thoughtful bridal shower gift. If you know the bride's perfume preferences and taste, this is a solid gift idea.
No one really likes vacuuming, so a Roomba is a great gift for busy brides who have better things to do than spend an afternoon vacuuming.
Le Creuset cookware is beautiful and functional. Gifting the bride-to-be with a gorgeous Dutch oven is an excellent idea if she likes to cook. As a bonus, you could buy cookware in one of the couple's wedding colors to add extra meaning to your gift.
An elegant robe the bride can both wear while getting ready on the day of the wedding and beyond is an excellent gift. This luxe option from Lunya is elegant and has pockets (always a plus).
Busy couples who like to cook rave about Blue Apron. According to Blue Apron's website, $120 is the most popular gifting option. This covers a two-week delivery of three recipes on any two-serving meal plan.
Minted sells a broad array of maps of cities all around the world. These gold foil maps, which are sold in a broad range of sizes (the smallest is 5" X 7" and the largest is 16" X 20") and frame options (including white, black and multiple-wood finishes), are a gorgeous gift for a newlywed couple's new home.
Buzzy luggage startup Away allows customers to customize its bags with monograms. Gifting the bride with one of this brand's well-designed suitcases will ensure that she thinks of you fondly whenever she's getting ready to travel with it. --
Lorelei Yang is a New York-based consultant and freelance writer/researcher. Find her on Twitter and LinkedIn.