Quote:
Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger
ok.. thanks?
How about this, are you married? What did you do for all of the above?
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It was a touch tongue in cheek, but that basis remains. However:
1) Gifts depend on how well I know the couple being married. Do I know them really well and know that they need [x]? Personalized gift. Don't know them too well? A cash envelope works nicely, amount to be determined by how well I know the couple in general.
2)Bridesmaids USUALLY pay for their own dresses, because they keep and use them afterwards. Groomsmen generally pay for their own rental. Unless they really want a suit...I've used "going to a wedding" as an excuse to buy a nice new suit that I needed. If the bride and groom want something a little special (the aforementioned wedding in my previous post, they wanted special shoes for everyone in the wedding party) they will tend to cover that themselves.
3)Most of the ladies will do the 'work'. The nature of the friendship/relationship will determine who does what and how. Generally, the ladies do the planning, and the guys make the logistics work. Some Maids of Honor want to be the "personal assistant" type, most don't, having lives of their own to manage. Usually during the day of, one bridesmaid and one groomsman are the "point people", who deal with situations as they arise and need dealing with (the chairs didn't show up on time, the brides dress needs some adjusting, etc) - The two 'point people' usually aren't the Maid of Honor or the Bestman, they are usually busy keeping the bride and groom on the level and don't have the runaround time.
4)Every wedding I've been part of the wedding party of, the bride and groom have given small personalized "thank yous" to the wedding party members. It can be something simple like personalized cuff links or tie clips for the guys. What ladies give to each other, I couldn't tell you, though I'd imagine it's something along the same lines. Something small, not terribly expensive, generally related to the event in some way, and clearly a "thank you" for being part of the ceremony.