Wedding Party Crap, I Mean Gifts

I was perusing one of the many (and we all know that I mean MANY) internet stores that offer wedding day "essentials." By wedding day essentials, they include the ring bearer pillow, flower petal baskets, guest books, favors, attendant gifts, and parent gifts. I was looking around the site to see what kind of attendant gifts the site had.

A few of the gifts were quite good: for example, a travel cosmetic bag. A travel cosmetic bag is quite practical and there is the opportunity to use the bag again. Flasks and "beverage" (read beer can" holders are also practical, but a little overdone. In terms of flasks, the leather just makes them bulkier, aside from the fact that people might be offended that you are promoting the practice of secret drinking.

The site also lists some awful gifts, of which most are photo gifts. As a bridesmaid myself, I can honestly say that I might hate some of these gifts. Not that I don't love the couple whose wedding party I'm in, but I just don't think I would ever use the photo gifts in public. For example, a messenger bag with a photo of the happy couple on the entire side of the bag is listed as an attendant bag, along with a jigsaw puzzle of a photo of the happy couple. Of the two, clearly the jigsaw puzzle is the least ego-driven gift; people can use that in the privacy of their own homes. The messenger bag employs a totally different psychology.

As a bride, I don't think that I would even want my bridesmaids to want to carry a bag with our picture on it. I understand that it shows that the gift is highly personal, but I think it's more meaningful to get a gift for your friends that they will be able to use again, and when they use it, they'll be able to remember the fun that they had at your wedding.