Your big day is here and your closest friends are by your side. There’s a reason you chose these people to share this special moment with and create a lifetime’s worth of memories. During one of the most exciting (though at times stressful) times in your life, your bridesmaids are so important for advice, support, planning help, and just the pure friendship they offer you.
As much as it’s your special day, you want to make sure that you show them how much you appreciate their presence and friendship with a fabulous gift that captures those sentiments. On what should be one of the most memorable, emotional, and happiest moments in your life, the more gratitude the better, and you’ll put a lot of thought into gift ideas for the bridesmaids that mean so much to you. In fact, research shows that displays of gratitude help people to feel more positive emotions and allow everyone to cherish experiences on an even deeper level. Here are some gift ideas that say thank you with lasting style.H2: Gift Ideas for Bridesmaids: What To Choose?
For gratitude-filled gift ideas for bridesmaids that fit your life-changing moment, your bridesmaids' gifts should rise to the occasion. That means going beyond the standard collection of trinkets and choosing something more personalized and long-lasting.
Professional handcrafted jewelry is the perfect option. After all, you celebrate your lifetime commitment to your partner with rings that signify your bond and deep love. There’s actually science behind this. Studies indicate that marking special life events with a special item “provides a stronger connection to the past special event.”
Jewelry is the perfect conduit for this special connection for you and your bridesmaids too. The right piece has the ability to express gratitude and capture the friendship between you all while giving them a keepsake they can hold close for years. It’s a memory they can carry and wear with them long after the day passes.
Choosing Handcrafted Jewelry for Your Bridesmaids
The unique qualities of handcrafted jewelry are what make it special and one of the best gift ideas for bridesmaids. You have the opportunity to find a piece that truly fits the style and personality of the person you’re giving it to. Handcrafted jewelry is an art that can capture elements of your relationship so that every time your bridesmaids look at it they think of you and moments you’ve shared together.
Where should you start? Artisan jewelers put a lot of thought into the pieces they create. Each component — the design, metals, stones — has a purpose behind it in the context of the final piece. A good place to start in choosing the right handcrafted jewelry for your bridesmaids is to think about what you want it to express.
Related: Unique Jewelry Pieces Every Woman Needs
Symbolic Jewelry
The stones, metals, and designs of handcrafted jewelry can be very symbolic, making it an even more meaningful gift for your bridesmaids.
Gemstones
One of the most timeless and universal ways to instill meaning into a piece of jewelry is with a gemstone. Not only do gemstones add beauty and color to handcrafted jewelry (along with the fact that no two gemstones are the same), each gemstone has its own special meaning behind it.
There are many varieties of gemstones you can choose among:
- Chalcedony is a variation of quartz that has a crystalline structure that can only be seen when magnified. A finished stone has a beautiful layered look to it. This gemstone is commonly found in gray and blue and is known to have a calming effect. It symbolizes a nurturing relationship filled with goodwill.
- Opal is a gemstone that has been consistently considered one of the luckiest stones throughout history. In addition to choosing this stone as a good luck charm for your bridesmaids, it’s also associated with creativity, inspiration, intuition, and imagination. It could be the perfect choice for a creative and artistic friend.
- Turquoise is a popular stone throughout the world for its unique beauty and the meanings associated with it. It’s a fantastic choice for friends who are always there to support one another, as it’s symbolic of calm, stability, and protection. Consider this for the friend who is always there for you when you need them — your turquoise.
- Black spinel is a rare gemstone that represents resilience and the drive to achieve your goals. It’s a beautiful stone that can be a meaningful gift to give to your bridesmaid who you’re been through a lot with, or who you wish the best for in the future.
Interlocking Circles & Chains
The design of a piece of jewelry can hold a lot of meaning as well. One of the most powerful pieces of symbolism handcrafted jewelers can instill into their designs are interlocking circles and chains.
The symbolism of the interconnectivity of rings or linking of two pieces has existed for ages and is a big part of the symbolism behind wedding rings themselves. When it comes to friendship, think of interlocking circles and chains as an extension of the friendship bracelet, which has been the symbol of the strength of a friendship throughout various cultures for centuries.
For a longtime friend who is a bridesmaid or maid of honor, chain bracelets and necklaces are a perfect gift to symbolize the bond the two of you have. You can also choose pieces that feature centerpiece rings that represent your relationship. Two rings can be representative of the two of you (or if you have a group of three to four friends, get everyone a bracelet with rings that represent each member of the friend group). Another option is to choose a bracelet that has a ring for every year of friendship you’ve had together.
Pearls
Pearls are another fantastic choice when considering gift ideas for bridesmaids. As one of the most elegant stones used in jewelry, it’s certainly an appropriate choice for your wedding.
Pearls are symbolically considered very rare. If you want to express how significant and rare a person’s friendship is to you, choosing a pearl is a perfect option. It also has associations with the moon and the planet Venus. Many consider the pearl to represent love because Venus (the goddess of love) also came from the sea.
Style, Fit, and Unique Qualities
The symbolic element of jewelry will definitely add meaning to a piece, though you also want to make sure that the piece of jewelry you choose has the right style, fit, and unique qualities for your bridesmaids.
Style
It goes without saying that you want to gift something meaningful to your bridesmaids, but also something that they’ll want to wear. Luckily, many of today’s most popular styles feature a lot of timeless design to them.
Chain link necklaces and bracelets remain essential pieces of any jewelry collection. Pieces like this that are handcrafted add some unique elements to them, including pops of color from gemstones or a special style of chain like lariat.
Find the Right Fit
Fit can be an important consideration as well. In addition to thinking about the style of a piece and how it matches an individual’s style, you’ll want to make sure that the fit of the jewelry is right for the person you’re giving it to. If it’s a necklace, for example, think about which length and style of necklace will best fit their neckline.
When considering a pair of earrings, take into account the person’s facial structure and the shape of their earlobes. Narrower earrings may complement a round face shape better, whereas someone with a sharper jawline may find curved earrings to be a nice balance.
Related: How to Find the Perfect Modern Bridal Earrings
Unique Qualities
If there's one thing that is a must, it’s that you don’t want your gift to your bridesmaids to be generic. Choosing one-of-a-kind handcrafted jewelry will take care of that for you. You can also choose to look for more unique qualities in the specific pieces you look at. Some of these overlap with the above mentioned symbolic elements in a piece of jewelry — including any of those will make your gift stand out.
Beyond those, you can look for and highlight the other unique elements of artisan jewelry. For one, local handcraft jewelers are very careful about the metals and materials they use to ensure that they are of high-quality and long-lasting. In this way, they also handle them differently through the making process.
Additionally, the small details and care in handcrafted pieces bring new life to timeless designs like pendant necklaces, hoop earrings, and chain bracelets. The difference between a mass-produced commercial piece of jewelry and a handcrafted piece of jewelry is all in the detail and creation process. With elegant jewelry, quality and care stand out.
Make This Moment Last a Lifetime
Just like the rings you exchange on your wedding day, your gift ideas for bridesmaids can represent so much. It’s well worth capturing the memory of your wedding and expressing the gratitude and strength of your friendship by investing in a thoughtful gift.
Liz James pieces are artfully designed to offer quality, beauty, and meaning. Explore our collection to uncover unique pieces that can become the perfect thoughtful gift to the people who mean the most to you.