Sentimental Bridesmaid Gift Ideas

Your bridesmaids have given you money, weekends and a lot of patience. Sentimental bridesmaid gifts thank each woman for the friendship, not just for standing next to you. The ideas here work whether you have two bridesmaids or eight, and most can be made personal to each one. Our top pick is a song about your friendship, either one per bridesmaid or one for the whole group.

Hear a song Songbond made

This one was made for another family. Yours would carry her name and your stories.

12 sentimental bridesmaid gift ideas

1. A song for your bridesmaids ($39.90). Share how you met, the road trip that went wrong and the joke only the two of you still find funny, and Songbond turns it into an original song. Make one for your maid of honor, or one for the group that names every bridesmaid.
2. A sealed letter for each of them. Tell each woman about one time she showed up for you when she did not have to. Leave the letters on their chairs on the wedding morning.
3. Her birthstone on a fine chain. Her stone, not yours, so the gift is about her. Usually $30 to $90.
4. The worst photo from the year you met. The bad haircut, the dorm room, the costume party. Print it and frame it properly. Usually $20 to $50.
5. A monogrammed robe or pajama set. She wears it for the getting-ready photos, then for years of lazy Sundays. Usually $30 to $60.
6. Bracelets that match, with one difference. One charm that is the same on every bracelet and one that is only hers. Usually $20 to $60 each.
7. A book with a note on the first page. The one you passed back and forth in college, or one you think she needs this year. Write why you picked it. Usually $15 to $30.
8. A night away together after the honeymoon. A cabin, a spa or a good hotel, to say thank you when things are calm. Usually $100 to $300 each.
9. A candle named after a place you shared. Have the label printed with the name of your old apartment, your summer beach or the diner you practically lived in. Usually $25 to $45.
10. Her own portrait from the day. Pay your photographer for five minutes of solo portraits of each bridesmaid, then send her the best one framed. Usually $50 to $150.
11. A keepsake box for the small things. Give her an empty box on the day. Afterwards, fill it with her place card, a pressed flower from her bouquet and a menu. Usually $20 to $50.
12. Covering her hair and makeup. The most practical sentimental gift is taking a cost off her. Usually $80 to $200 per person.

How to choose for each bridesmaid

You do not have to give every bridesmaid the same thing. Many brides give one shared gift to the group and add something small and different for each woman. What matters is that each one can see herself in it.

• If she is your oldest friend: the song, the photo from the year you met or the letter.
• If she is your sister or cousin: the keepsake box, the portrait or the matching bracelet.
• If she has spent a lot to be there: covering her hair and makeup, or the night away.

Give them on the morning, not at the rehearsal

The rehearsal dinner is the usual time for bridesmaid gifts, but the wedding morning suits sentimental ones better. It is just the women in the room, and nobody has to hold it together in front of a crowd. Put each gift on her chair with her name on the tag and let everyone open them at the same time. If you are giving a song, play it last, once hair and makeup are done and everyone is sitting down. Keep a box of tissues within reach, and tell the makeup artist the plan so touch-ups are ready.

Make a song for your bridesmaids

Create a song for your bridesmaids. Tell us about your friendship and it is ready within 24 hours. If the wedding is tomorrow, express delivery gets it to you in about an hour.

Also in the Journal: songs for the sister of the bride and a thank-you song for a friend.