Favors & Gifts
Wedding Party Gifts
The busy schedule of planning and organising all the aspects of your wedding day is always eased with the help of your bridesmaids and groomsmen. Here at South East Wedding magazine we’ve been doing some thinking about how best to show them your appreciation…
They’ve held your hand, wiped up your tears, softened your jitters. They’ve helped you find the perfect outfit for your very big day and even helped to organise memorable Hen and Stag weekends. Without your bridesmaids and groomsmen, your big day simply would not have been complete. Words alone cannot express your gratitude, so why not reward their loyalty and love with a gift? Help them to unwind and put the stress of organising the big day behind them by giving them gifts with a twist.
For your bridesmaids, organise a getaway in one of the South East’s top Spas. Here in the South East, the eclectic mix of Destination Spas, Day Spas, and Hotel Spas offer a relaxing and fun experience that will be memorable. Choose from a range of spa treatments, facials and body wraps, as well as time in the sauna, Jacuzzi or relaxation rooms. These are guaranteed to help relax knotted, tired muscles. If their free time is limited, choose a Day Spa where hourly treatments will be a welcome respite from the day’s busy schedule.
When it comes to your groomsmen, why not help them to let off some steam by treating them to a hair-raising experience? For example, you could organise a paintballing session at Elite Paintball in Dungarvan, or arrange for them to enjoy go- karting at Kiltorcan Raceway in Ballyhale, Co Kilkenny. Help the truly adventurous to get off the ground with flying lessons at Blue Star Helicopters, based in Waterford, or with Kilkenny Flying Club, or a parachute jump at the Irish Parachute Club in Edenderry, Co Offaly. If they like the water, organise kayaking lessons at Seapaddling.com in Waterford, or a two hour session of kayaking, surfing or sailing at Dunmore East Adventure Centre.
If your groomsman is fond of gadgets and toys, take a trip to Sherwoods in Waterford, Kilkenny or Carlow or feed their love of DIY by buying them handy tools at Woodies DIY, which has branches throughout the South East. These will certainly help keep them busy during the long autumn-winter evenings!
Your wedding day will always rank high on your bridesmaids and groomsmen’s minds, so a novel idea might be to create a permanent memento by inscribing the date of your wedding on a piece of jewellery or other keepsake of your choice. Top jewellers in the South East such as Ryan Thomas in Clonmel or Douglas Jewellers in Carlow will be happy to oblige. Groomsmen may appreciate an inscribed leather key ring, available from places such as Bags of Appeal in Kilkenny.
Nothing captures the emotion of an occasion like a photograph. Give your bridesmaids a locket with a picture of you and your beloved, or give them their own photograph album to get busy with their own memories! Ask your photographer to help you out with some advice here.
Finally, there’s nothing wrong with keeping with tradition. If your bridesmaid is a shopaholic, organise a shopping spree at their shopping centre, whether it’s the all new MacDonagh Junction, or Market Cross Centre in Kilkenny, or the Fairgreen Centre in Carlow. Or replenish their makeup collection with a trendy new-season gift set, available from all leading brands, department stores and the region’s numerous chemists/pharmacy chains.
A voucher for dinner at a favourite restaurant, a case of fine wine or an overnight stay in a hotel to get away from it all are also safe and sure-to-satisfy options. Buying a gift which is tailored to your bridesmaids and groomsmen is an ideal way of showing your appreciation. It will leave a sweet aftertaste, cementing their memory of this treasured occasion. It will also strengthen the bonds you will continue to enjoy throughout your married life
