What to Tuck in Your Bridal Shower Swag Bags
Feeling a little stumped about what kinds of favors to hand out at your next bridal shower? Try rethinking the issue: treat your guests to bridal shower loot bags instead (otherwise known as swag in the celeb world).
It's okay if your budget doesn't accommodate red-carpet swag like spa passes, cosmetic dental work or the keys to a Ferrari. Just by including an assortment of small but cute items, you're sure to hit on something that brings a grin to each guest's face — even if Amanda's a Precious Moments fan and Valerie only wears DKNY.
Small but thoughtful items are easy to find, and plenty of websites will monogram them for you. Popular choices for bridal shower swag bags are decorative cookies, designed to match the occasion. Wedding cookies of any kind (cakes and doves or hearts and bells) are sure to be a hit. What's more, food is always a welcome addition to any swag bag, adding elegance ... and bulk!
Other hot items for shower swag are wedding-themed candles, lip balm, mint tins, key chains, wine stoppers, frames, paperweights, tea tins and infusers, seed packets, incense, scented sachets, and even cookie cutters and coasters. If you've got the imagination (and we know you do), you can include and personalize pretty much anything.
But it's nice to organize your bags around a theme, to pull them together. Tea is one idea that's easy and elegant. To start, buy some personalized mini-packs of tea ... or even regular tea (many herbal brands, like Celestial Seasonings, come in appealing individual wrappers).
Along with your tea, add a colorful coffee mug or a delicate tea cup (ideally themed to match the wedding or shower). Include a few designer cookies or wedding candies, and you've got yourself a swag bag. Want to go further? Tuck in personalized mint tins, themed cookie cutters, or even an elegant tea infuser.
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Does the hostess of the bridal shower also need to bring a gift for the bride?
barbara,
usually all the bm and moh pitch in on one gift and give it to the bride.
I feel the time invested planning the shower along with the expense involved is a very large gift. Whether Emily Post agrees or not, I personally feel giving the show is gift enough.
Karen,
Whomever is hosting supplies the favors. All the bride is supposed to do is show up and be “showered” with gifts!
When you give a bridal shower….does the bride supply the favors or the hostesses?
Hi Katie,
If you are invited to both the bridal shower and the wedding you should buy a gift for both of the events. Usually what you would give at the bridal shower is significantly smaller than for the wedding. For example: you may want to buy the bride a pretty piece of lingerie for the shower, where as for the wedding you would get the couple a blender, or a coffee maker. Nowadays however things are not always by the book with a lot of weddings. If you chose to get the couple a really nice gift, like say a piece of furniture, or help them with extra cash for their honeymoon, then that is a different story. The gift giving is all up to you, and chances are if you chose to only give the bride one gift, she won’t miss the second. After all she is probably already getting quite a few gifts anyhow, and if she’s really your friend, she’s not going to squabble about not getting two gifts from you. That’s my advise, but you should use your best judgment. She’s your friend, only you will know how things will play out.
Hi Tina,
Not sure where you heard that, but as far as I know you give the prize to the person who wins the game. Why does the bride need it? You are probably giving away trinkets anyway, and the bride is not going to care if she gets the prize. (At least she shouldn’t any way.) She’s already getting a whole bunch of gifts that each guest had brought, why not give the guest the prize that they won in the game? I have been to several showers, and I’ve never seen anyone give the prize that was won by the guest, to the bride. I also read probably every etiquette book that was out there at the time of my wedding a few years ago, and I never read anything like that.
MY QUESTION IS AT A BRIDAL SHOWER, WHEN THE GAMES ARE PLAYED AND PRIZES ARE WON, ISN’T IT PROPER BRIDAL SHOWER EDIEQUITTE TO GIVE THE PRIZE TO THE BRIDE?
Is it necessary or correct to buy the bride a bridal shower gift as well as a wedding present?