Groomsmen gifts are gifts given to the men in the wedding party, including the best man and father of the bride. This is an area that most people are unfamiliar with, and there are many ways people can make a mistake.
Going Cheap
Groomsmen gifts should be nicer than party favors but they don’t have to cost a lot. The average groomsmen gift costs thirty to fifty dollars per gift recipient. If you’re hosting a smaller, cheaper wedding, then you could spend twenty to thirty dollars per gift and it be fine as long as it is still personalized. For example, don’t give people who don’t drink a ten dollar bottle of wine. Another rule of thumb you can use is giving them a gift worth about one quarter what they’re spending on you, including tuxedo rentals and wedding presents they’re giving. The challenge here is that you may not know what they’ve spent until after the wedding, and you’re
supposed to give the groomsmen gifts before the wedding. Note that it is common to give the best man something that costs a little bit more or is a personalized item while everyone else received the same watch or general memento.
Giving Gifts that Lack Forethought
We’ve already mentioned the mistake of giving people who don’t drink alcohol, since it is such a common mistake. Giving men’s accessories is generally a safe choice if most of those in the wedding party are working in an office environment. Giving them tools is another option as long as it isn’t so specialized that they have no use for it. The best groomsmen gifts are useful or fun for everyone, but they won’t be tossed in the trash a week later because the person got bored with it. Watches, coasters and a few other items fit into this category. On the flipside, big bulky gifts are so inconvenient that they’re always a bad choice. This is why groomsmen gifts tend to be knifes and multi-tools, not toolboxes.
Leaving People Out
If you don’t give groomsmen gifts, it might be considered rude but might be chalked up to ignorance of etiquette. Or they may think you spent all the money on the bachelor party. However, it is a major mistake to leave people out when handing out groomsmen gifts. You don’t just give one to your best mam You give one to the other men in the wedding party like your father and your soon-to-be father in law. You should also give gifts to the ring bearer and ushers.
Giving the Gifts at the Wrong Time
You can give the groomsmen’s gifts out at the bachelor party, but the odds it gets lost or damaged are pretty high. This is why the gifts are often given out at the rehearsal dinner. If you aren’t holding a rehearsal, give these gifts before the wedding starts while that section of the wedding party is together. Then you aren’t taking attention away from the stars of the wedding. After all, it is a wedding, not Christmas.
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