Why Jewelry is the Ultimate Gift for Your Bridesmaids

Trisha Okubo, Designer at Maison Miru

Your wedding day may be your big day, but let’s be real: it takes a village to make your dreams a reality. And more likely than not, your bridesmaids did more than their fair share to make it happen. Your bridesmaids planned your bridal shower (hello, all of the finger sandwiches and little cakes you can eat). They tried on armloads of potentially unflattering dresses under equally unflattering fluorescent dressing room lighting – all without a whiff of complaint. And they signed up to stand by you and attend to your every need on your big day (including, perhaps, holding your dress as you went to the bathroom). How do you thank your best girls for everything they do for you? Give them the gift of jewelry: something that they’ll be able to treasure long after you say “I Do.”

When I was searching for the perfect gift for my bridesmaids, I considered just about everything that I thought they’d love. A luxury spa day? Relaxing and certainly a treat, but it’d have been a repeat of one of our pre-wedding activities, and it’s only ephemerally enjoyable. Dinner at a fancy restaurant? Likewise, it’s fun in the moment, but it’d only last a single evening. A box of chocolate truffles? Delicious, but ultimately not long lasting. A luxurious robe? This fit the bill as a treat that they probably wouldn’t splurge on for themselves, but it’s so hard to get sizing right, and any wearable gift is wrought with potential figure flattery issues. Nobody wants to be the girl who accidentally bought her friend a robe a size too big. Tickets to an event? It’d need to be customized by bridesmaid to match her interests, and it’d be difficult to keep the gift equitable price-wise between bridesmaids. Way too complicated.

But when I hit upon jewelry, I knew I had a winner. Jewelry is the perfect accessory, as it works for everybody without worries about offending people with the wrong size! Jewelry never met a body type it didn’t like, and it doesn’t discriminate. Plus, it’s timeless. Clothing fades and goes in and out of style, but a beautiful piece of jewelry can be treasured for years to come.

Most importantly, jewelry carries the weight of meaning. Jewelry can say things for you that you may find hard to say. Hearts say “I love you,” an eye symbolizes protection, and a moon symbol recalls intuition and clarity. The gift of jewelry is a tangible symbol of your friendship, a piece of love that you can hold in your hand. When you wear it, you’re reminded of all of the things you’ve been through together: staying up until dawn talking about life, that road trip you took right after college with more than a few mishaps (and manhaps!), and how you were lucky enough to share your big day with your best girls in the world.

I got married before I became a jeweler myself, and I ended up commissioning a designer friend to make bespoke friendship necklaces for each of my best girls, as I couldn’t find anything out there that was just right. After I became a jeweler, I set out to design a series of earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and rings imbued with meaning, so that you could choose the right symbol and message for each of your friends. At Maison Miru, I wanted to create a luxurious, adult version of the friendship jewelry that we all exchanged on the playground with our friends – those lanyard style bracelets that we tied on each other, promising each other that we’d always be there for each other. I wanted to create jewelry that could truly be Love Made Visible.


When shopping for your bridesmaids, your budget will help dictate the kind of jewelry you can afford to buy. When looking at jewelry, you’ll want to be aware of metal composition. Be aware of metal allergies – many ladies have allergies to nickel, so you’ll want to look for jewelry that doesn’t contain any nickel. Solid gold (or sterling silver) is the most long lasting, but also by far the most expensive. For brides on a tighter budget, look for gold plated pieces with a thick plating that will extend the life of the jewelry. My goal at Maison Miru was to keep the pieces affordable (weddings can be SO expensive!) – so our series of bridal jewelry features a thick plating of 14k gold over solid brass, all nickel-free. But if you can afford to spend a little more, gold filled pieces (which are similarly gold over a base metal, but must be at least 5% gold) can be a good compromise as well.

If you choose a piece of jewelry that has shared meaning for you and your friend, something that makes you both smile, it’s hard to go wrong. And if you’re very very lucky (as you were, when you found your husband-to-be), you’ll pick a piece that she’ll treasure forever.

Bridesmaids Gifts for a Hitch-Free Wedding

Guest Post: Jessica James 

Besides the groom, your bridesmaids are some of the most important people on your wedding day! From all the pre-wedding planning help, the early morning hair and makeup session, to the choreographed dance to your favorite guilty pleasure song, they’ve been and will be by your side to make sure your special day will be perfect and unforgettable.

For all these reasons and more, it’s important (and should be fun!) to really put some thought into their bridesmaid gift. Bridesmaid gifts are a perfect opportunity to say thank you in a unique way.

Get Practical

For the bride and bridesmaids alike, being in those dresses and shoes all day can quickly cause discomfort and, as a result, lower levels of confidence. A quality set of intimates or underwear that provide comfort and support to the body, but also flatter without disturbing the way the dress falls, would be a wonderful gift. With the constant changing of the styles of bridesmaid dresses, it’s important to pair the proper undergarment to ensure you remain comfortable and confident in your dress all day long. For more information on pairing the right underwear and dress check out this graphic from Adore Me.

And finally, a pair of sleek flats to go along with the undergarments would be the perfect finish. Everyone can wear the proper shoes down the aisle, but then be able to dance the night away with their feet protected and comfortable.

DIY-It!

When you get to gift buying, your budget will probably be pretty tight, but this doesn’t mean your gift has to skimp on quality or meaning A great way to come in under budget while still putting in meaningful thought is to mix a few diy gifts into the mix! Think of homemade friendship bracelets, bottled cocktails, shoe clips, embellished ribbons, and so on.

Going the DIY route is also an excellent way to customize your gifts for each person. Aside from simply engraving their name on something cute like a clutch, wine glass, or notebook, you can also think of ways to decorate using their own style — flowers for the more feminine one, or a bold and colorful design for the tattoo aficionado. The options are endless, and you can even turn it into a craft activity for you all to do together!

Go Traditional

You can’t go wrong with anything that can be labeled as “classic” or “timeless.” First on that list? Jewelry. Whether they are for the wedding day or not, jewelry is always a welcome idea. The piece you choose can accent their dresses, such as bracelets or rings, and are perfect for giving each bridesmaid a touch of glam or a way to show off their personality. Necklaces are also a great option and you can even personalize them for a gift they will never forget (and hopefully be able to wear again)!

Lip balms, face washes, and the like are also timeless bridesmaid gift ideas. Homemade lips balms made with essential oils are an easy diy item. It’s a great cost cutter and a way to add a unique scent reflective of the season or favorite flavor.

A face wash or scrub will come in handy too, especially the morning after. It’s a great way to help rejuvenate you before any next day brunch or other activities you may have planned.

Whatever you choose, consider handing out the gifts early when everyone is getting their hair and makeup done. This will certainly start the day off on a bright note. No matter what you decide to gift them, always keep in mind that these are some of your closest friends and relatives and it’s important to show them the same amount of love that they are giving to you. After all, weddings are all about expressions of love, so be sure to share that love with your bridesmaids!

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