Will you marry “moi” ?

We understand brides who wish to thank their bridesmaids by offering them a gift worthy of the friendship, support and encouragement they have given you during the months of planning your wedding (we are sure you have driven them mad with the details !). But we also understand that you don’t want to opt for the customary necklace or earrings or order one of those cheesy personalised gifts at an online wedding store.

That’s why we’ve come up with our own exclusive Top 5 list of fabulous bridesmaids gifts, guaranteed to suit all types of bridesmaids from the most sophisticated and chic to the most down-to-earth and practical.

Make every day happy : A message that deserves to be shared with all those we love, especially on our wedding day ! This site proposes a fantastic selection of fair trade accessories created by Aissata Malhaire. The company’s origin stems from a beautiful human and ethical adventure. All products are 100% handmade. We love the selection of bags embroidered with its spangly leitmotiv. They are perfect to wear around town or on the beach. Add a little glitter to your bridesmaids lives. This collection is sure to please the most discerning bridesmaids around.

My Tikka Shop : This is another favorite of ours. From the laptop covers to the iphone and/or MP3 covers, each with a great selection of unique fabrics to choose from, to the handbag organiser, make-up bags and purses…you will be spoiled for choice! Perfect for the most practical and chic bridesmaid.

Laptop covers:

Handbag organiser :

Tutti Frutti Cordials : For the fun and funky bridesmaid, why not offer her a selection of mini cordial fruit drinks to mix the perfect colorful non-alcoholic cocktails to sip at home, at a party or alongside the pool? The bright bottles contain original flavors such as banana bonbon, cactus, chewing gum, crumble, poppy or liquorice and will add a splash of color to any kitchen. They also sell spray oils (olive and basil or olive and truffle) which are simply divine!

Cocktail mixing party : For those of you who have bridesmaids who like the real deal, why not treat them to a girly evening in, with a twist! Invite a professional barman to come and teach you how to mix the perfect cocktail before creating your own and sampling them all! Guaranteed to get you giggling and tipsy by the end of the demonstration. Make sure taxis are ordered to ensure everyone makes it home safely or invite everyone to crash at your place! A simple online search will provide you with names of local companies offering this service. Shaken not stirred please J

Decadence and Indulgence : Perfect for bridesmaids with a sweet tooth who love to indulge! Offer them one of this site’s unique and affordable combinations of chocolates with champagne, chocolates with tea, chocolates with flowers and other decadent gift ideas.

…and for those of you planning your perfect destination wedding in France, think about asking your wedding planner to order the gifts and have them delivered directly to them, thus saving on shipping costs and leaving some much needed space in your baggage for the million and one other things you will need to pack J Happy shopping!

Wedding favors no longer have to consist of the traditional – and let’s face it, boring – tulle bags filled with sugared almonds. Even Granny doesn’t eat those anymore! Get creative when contemplating your wedding favors. Here are some of our favorite picks…

Match your wedding favors to your wedding theme

If you are hosting a beach wedding on the Mediterranean Coast in the south of France or on the Amalfi Coast in Italy, why not provide comfy flip-flops and propose a stroll along the beach at sunset or a personalized beach towel?

Respect the season

For a spring or fall wedding when there is the risk of a chill in the air during the evening, provide the ladies with a pashmina (shawl) to match your color theme and mini bottles of whiskey to warm the guys up from the inside.

For a high summer wedding, fans are a great way to fend off the heat or pretty summer parasols. Bulk buying from dedicated websites in Asia will reduce the costs despite the transport expenses.

Winter weddings provide a multitude of wedding favor possibilities. Why not consider white fur or fake fur handwarmers for the ladies and matching gloves for the men or heated hand warmers in the shape of hearts or a personalized Christmas bauble to take home to decorate the Christmas tree!

Get the party started

To pack out your dance floor, distribute maracas or kazoos or even rally towels for a bit of fun.

Eco-friendly favors

For those environmentally conscious couples, several ideas spring to mind. Personalised packets of flower seeds of your favorite flowers or locally made organic jams in recycled pots that match your wedding colors. Alternatively, give a double use to your dinner table centerpieces by offering them to your guests as favors. A group of small glass vases with a different herb planted inside each one are great giveaways and look fresh and attractive as centrepieces.

Sweet tooth

If you’d like to stick to the food theme, why not provide bags or mini tubes of love heart sweets or personalised M&Ms with your photos printed on them!

Luxury wedding favors

If you really want to spoil your guests who have travelled from far and wide to attend your destination wedding, think about providing them with personalized gift baskets/bags. Include some local specialties such as a mini bottle of champagne or wine, Calissons d’Aix (mini almond marzipan cakes – see photos below) for weddings in Provence or Foie gras for weddings in the south-west…to name but a few!

As you can see, the sky is the limit, or should we say your budget is the limit! Whatever you choose, make sure it’s meaningful to you and corresponds to the theme and ambiance of the wedding.

Photo credits : Wikipedia; www.prixmoinscher.com; www.oriental-decor.com; www.lovehearts.com; www.mymms.com; www.calisson.com

If you or your H2B are tech-savvy socialites who wish to wow their guests with a wedding invitation unlike any other then this posting is for you!

Imagine the surprise on your guest’s faces as they open their inbox and see a personal message from you with a link to a video…but not just any video! By clicking on the link they will discover your very own video wedding invitation.

Make it as professional or amateur as you like and as fun as you like. For those of you on a tight budget, simply grab your camcorder and film yourselves together or separately talking about each other, how you met and the proposal, before coming together and inviting everyone to your wedding.

Don’t forget to clearly state the date, the venue, the dress code, the theme (casual, formal, etc.), whether children are invited and any other important messages you wish to communicate. Tell them how to RSVP or direct them to your wedding website to do so. Wedding websites marry very well with this type of invitation and will give your guests the opportunity to get more information about the venue, directions, etc. after viewing the video.

For those of you who are more creative or tech savvy, why not integrate some photos from your holidays or birthdays you have celebrated together. The video footage can be filmed by you or you could hire a professional videographer. Don’t forget to integrate music to add to the overall effect and why not some special effects?

There are web agencies that can create tailor-made video wedding invitations for you or you can choose from some more standardized templates. These are good options if you don’t have much time or if you are far too camera shy to appear on the film in person.

The most important thing is to enjoy yourself when creating or choosing the video and ensure that it accurately reflects your lifestyles, your humor and personalities. Here is one we particulary enjoyed viewing: Not Your Average Wedding Invitation.

Follow through with the video theme on the day of your wedding by setting up a video booth where your guests can make their own short videos as souvenirs for you to view and keep after the big day!

Check out this YouTube page for more inspiration.