Who Do The Bride And Groom Buy Gifts For? [And Gift Examples]

There is a ton of work that goes into planning a wedding. While the groom and bride may take on much of the planning and responsibilities, close family and friends will more than likely get involved. Should they be given a gift in appreciation? Is it expected that the bride and groom do so? Here is what you need to know. 

So, who do the bride and groom buy gifts for? The bride and groom typically will purchase gifts for anyone who plays a significant financial role in the wedding, such as the parents. People who dedicate a lot of their time planning (such as the Maid of Honor) or take on a lot of responsibility (such as the Groomsmen) are also people to consider. 

The answer isn’t always the same for every bride and groom – and it does depend a lot on circumstances.

Besides, they may pay for other things, such as the dress, hair, and makeup in the case of the maid of honor or the suits in the case of the groomsmen.

In such contexts, these could be considered gifts in themselves. 

Nevertheless, weddings are expensive. There is no denying that.

And it can all quickly get out of hand.

So, here is what you should consider when buying gifts for people.

Who Gets A Gift From the Bride and Groom?

The bride and groom traditionally buy gifts for anyone who plays a significant role. It can be broken down into two categories – those who financially help you for your wedding and those who spend time planning and participating. Sometimes one person will check both boxes.

As you can imagine, there are quite a few people who will make your wedding planning and the wedding itself a lot less stressful. 

Those are the people that you definitely want to consider thanking with a gift. 

Besides, it is a nice gesture and sign of appreciation.

That being said, there does come a time when you have to draw the line.

You can’t get gifts for your whole wedding! 

So, look for this criterion and then decide whether it makes sense. 

Financial Investments

Not always, but often the bride and groom’s parents will take turns helping out with financial costs.

Traditionally speaking, the father of the bride pays for the wedding while the parents of the groom pay for the rehearsal dinner. 

If tradition is held both these things can be very expensive so getting gifts for your parents as a way to thank them is certainly recommended. 

If your parents do not pay for the wedding but still invest a lot of time planning, it may be worth at the minimum taking them out to lunch or dinner. 

Valuable Time Spent

Your wedding party is likely going to spend lots of time and money to attend and make your wedding and all the other experiences great. 

It is traditional for the groom to get his groomsmen a gift as well as a bride to get her bridesmaids something. 

Usually, because the maid of honor and the best man play a slightly more responsible role than the rest of the party, they have a gift slightly different than the rest.

This isn’t always necessary as some may feel shy about giving a gift that is deemed better. 

However, if you want to give them something a little more special, you can do this privately or send them out separately. 

What Gifts Do The Bridge And Groom Give?

This is completely dependent on how much the groom and bride want to spend and what type of gifts may have personal meaning to them, and whom they are giving the gift for.

While there are no rules really on what gifts to give their wedding parties and other guests, here are some common examples:

Jewelry

Jewelry for bridal parties is very common. 

Bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and anything of the sort are to be considered a great thank you gift to the maid of honor and other bridesmaids. 

You can make each one person, or you can give all the same. 

Sometimes brides will get them monogrammed for an extra touch. 

Alcohol Flasks

A cool dude gift for the groom’s party is a flask. 

Sometimes you may get little nips to go along with it and make it an alcohol assortment thank you. 

You could also get bottles of their favorite drink and have the labels custom created. 

Alcohol is always a good gift for those who drink. 

Personal Attire

Shopping for clothes generally isn’t a gift that’s given. 

However, clothes that can be monogrammed and personalized is! 

Robes, flannels, hoodies, yoga pants, and other things are a great way to give a fun gift that is trendy and reusable! 

Rubs and Spices

Rubs and spices are a great idea to give to the groomsmen. 

This is something that can always be used and is generally loved. 

It’s not as personal, but it is a for sure hit. 

Some companies can make it personalized as a thank you to your friends. 

How Much Should The Bride And Groom Spend On Gifts?

The bride and groom should budget anywhere between $25-$100 on a gift per person. Although, it really is up to the bride and groom how much they want to spend and certain people will have more expensive gifts than others.

For instance, the bridesmaid and best man often will be put in a separate category than the rest of the pack. 

Your parents should also be put in their own category. 

Here’s one way of looking at it:

You should spend as much money as you can afford in relation to the support you are getting from each person. 

Here are some examples to think about. 

Bridesmaids And Groomsmen

For wedding parties, it is common to spend around $50 per person. 

This number can fluctuate based on your budget and based on how many people are at your wedding. 

For instance, if you have a large wedding party, you may want to bump that number down to $30 per person. 

You may also feel like the girl gang is doing more work than the boys club, and something you can discuss with your partner is spending a little more on the girls than the guys. 

This isn’t unusual as the guys may care less about receiving gifts. 

Maid Of Honor and Best Man

The maid of honor and best man arguably should receive something a little more than the rest of the crew. 

That’s not set in stone, but they are likely to help more with planning the wedding than the others. 

Especially for the MOH. You may consider also getting them the same gifts as everyone else and then tacking on something special just for them. 

Maybe another $25-$50. 

That number is also not set in stone, and if you want to spoil them, no one will complain! 

Common add-ons can be a nice personalized bottle of wine, personalized accessories, etc. 

Anything that is going to be a little more meaningful and has a personal touch to it. 

Do The Bride and Groom Buy Gifts For Each Other?

While it is not standard, it certainly is traditional for the bride and groom to get a wedding gift for each other. 

You may have discussed out beforehand that the gift needs to be small for budget reasons, or you may instead want to tie it into your honeymoon afterward. 

Sometimes the bride and groom will get each other a gift to open up on their wedding night.  

Other times it may be more public like at the wedding itself. 

It would also be perfectly normal for the maid of honor and the best man to deliver the gifts to the new Mr. and Mrs. 

So, what are some of these gift ideas? 

Some are more elaborate than others. 

Jewelry

Sometimes the bride and groom will be each other memorable jewelry. 

The bride may buy her soon-to-be husband a beautiful watch, while the groom may buy his new wife earrings, a necklace, or something of the sort. 

Personal Artwork

The couple may get each other customized pieces for their new home to start their lives together. 

An enlarged photo of them, a relationship map, and engagement photos are just a few of many examples of why custom art can be a wonderful gift for one another. 

An Experience

Depending on where you go for your honeymoon buying an experience is a great idea. 

Couples massages are never a bad thing to buy, but neither is sky diving or any activities that you feel like the two of you will enjoy on your honeymoon!

Keep It Personal

Nothing says thank you like a personal gift. 

In this entire process, with regards to whom you should get gifts for, just remember to keep it personal. 

What’s meant by that is those who are close to you and are helping out a great deal deserve gifts and a thank you.

It’s very customary to buy gifts for your bridal parties and your parents if they are helping out a lot. 

Suppose your auntie or someone else close to you makes significant financial contributions. In that case, it’s never a bad idea to thank them with a gift. 

How much you spend is entirely what you can afford. 

It’s the thought that counts, which is why something that is well-thought about means so much more than the price. 

Normal ranges are listed above because really anything goes, but if you are having a hard time ballparking, refer back to the how much section above. 

Just remember you don’t have to buy anything for everyone who is coming to your wedding. 

Just go down your list of time and money spent, and this will make things much clearer.