10 DIY “Will You Be My Bridesmaid?” Ideas (+ 10 Gifts to Give Them, Too!)
The question’s been popped and you’re just starting to feel your feet on the ground again. You can’t believe it, and you’re so excited, and now it’s time for a whole other series of very important questions. Where should we get married? What kind of dress do I want? Who should we invite? And, most importantly, where my girls at?! Now it’s time to check in with your besties and pop the next important question: Will you be my bridesmaid?
There are ton of ways to do this, from a simple (probs emotional) phone call to a full-on surprise party. We’ve teamed up with Target Wedding Registry to share 10 DIY ideas for popping the question to your ladies as well as 10 great gifts to give them the weekend of your wedding!
Mail Them a Flipbook
Set your digital camera up on this Vanguard Camera Tripod ($70), and get ready to get silly. Create signs that spell out “Will you be my bridesmaid?” or simply dance your face off as the camera snaps. Take at least 100 photos in the same setup. Then print them out and assemble into an old school flipbook. For the one you see pictured above, I used a bedspread from DENY Designs as the colorful backdrop!
DIY Ways to Ask Your Bridesmaids
Champagne On Ice is Twice as Nice
Package up a Vintage Style Beverage Pail ($20), a bottle of bubbly and a champagne flute or two and mail it to your girls. It will instantly start the celebration and will definitely result in some tipsy texts back and forth ;)
3. Treat Them to Custom Bath Salts, Candles and Lip Scrubs: Show your gals how much you appreciate them by making them custom bath salts, candles and lip scrubs. Pick a different scent for each bridesmaid and create fun packaging to personalize the whole set.
Send Them Flowers
Never underestimate flower power. You’ve said it to your partner, and now it’s time to take your own advice. Nothing says I love you like a bouquet of fresh flowers. Props to you if they match your wedding’s floral motif.
Equip Them with Wedding Day Emergency Kits
Think of yourself as a bride who plans ahead? Then you better be planning for your bridesmaids to be fully equipped with everything they (read: you) could possibly need at your wedding. Follow this tutorial to see how to create your own canvas bags for essentials like mascara, elastics, bobby pins, a lint roller, a basic sewing kit, band aids and more.
Ask Them With a DIY Banner
We created this hashtag banner for a recent wedding post but think the same method could easily be applied to asking a friend to be a bridesmaid. Simply cut out the question “Will you be my bridesmaid?” out of card stock letter, then string onto a garland. Drop in the mail and your BFF will be so touched! And she’ll probably hang it up and Instagram the pic. #instaprops
7. Cocktails for Two: If your bestie is local, invite them out for a cocktail (or five) and outfit the scene with DIY coasters, drink stirrers and striped straws. It’ll add a touch of personality to what will certainly be a very happy hour. If you need to send cocktails by mail, however, package up the stirrers, coasters and straws and include an airplane-sized bottle of her favorite spirit.
Selfies for the Win
Confession: Every single time a friend of mine gets engaged, I write “Congrats ____ and _____” on a piece of paper, take a selfie and send it to the newly engaged couple. And guess what? It is always much appreciated! You can apply the same concept to the bridesmaid question, and can even throw in a few throwback photos of the two of you if you’ve got a good archive. We recommend using a Polaroid Instant Camera ($70) and stocking up on plenty of Polaroid Film ($33)!
Freshly Baked Cookies
We all know the best way toanyone’s heart is their stomach. Bake up a batch of hot pink frosted cookies and send ’em to each of your favorite ladies when you ask if they’ll be by your side.
Throw a Surprise Bridesmaid Brunch
And finally, the whopper. If you’re looking to go all out, you could throw a SURPRISE bridesmaid brunch! Pretend that it’s a dress fitting or a wedding-related freak out “you have to come over and have brunch with me” moment, and then boom. Your besties are all there together and you can pop that very important question to all of them at the same time. So fun! Check out this tutorial to see how to throw the best bridal brunch ever.
1. Cashmere Extra Long Gloves ($35): If you’re getting married in a chillier climate, be sure to outfit your ‘maids with chic cashmere gloves. These extra long ones will give you a little extra warmth as well.
Gifts to Give Them for Your Wedding Weekend
2. Polaroid Instant Camera + Film ($81): This is one of those clever two-in-ones — the weekend of your wedding, your gals will be taking fun behind-the-scenes shots. Then they get to keep it for their own photo-tastic festivities.
3. Toms for Target Striped Throw ($30): This cozy throw goes with just about anyone’s interior design style and is great for cozying up on a lazy Saturday.
4. Merona Chevron Infinity Scarf ($20): Speaking of cozying up, this cushy scarf is chic, warm and the perfect late night layer for all your ladies.
5. Jeweled Ballet Flats ($22): Perhaps you asked your besties to don a crazy pair of high heels for your ceremony? Gift them these sparkly flats to change into for the reception, and they’ll be eternally grateful.
6. Super Foaming Tangerine Bubble Bath ($12): Being a bride is exhausting, but so is being a bridesmaid! Treat your loves to a little rest and relaxation by way of bubble bath.
7. Riedel Chardonnay Tumblers, Set of 2 ($20): Pair a set of these with a bottle of wine, and you can’t go wrong.
8. Underwater Dogs Book ($14): Sometimes all you need to give them is something to make them giggle. This tome by photographer Seth Casteel is hilarious, incredibly photographed and will definitely make them smile.
9. Faribault for Target Wool Scarf ($40): One more scarf, because it’s a classic gift that we can’t get enough of.
10. Fitbit Flex Activity Tracker ($95 and up): And finally, encourage healthy living by gifting them a sleek activity tracker like the Fitbit flex! This wristband tracks both activity and sleep, and is a great way to make sure you stick to all those upcoming New Year’s resolutions.
And thanks to Weduary‘s latest batch of updates, you can make your wedding party feel super special from the moment they get to your wedding website.
But wait, what is Weduary? Here’s how it works: Weduary makes it easy for any couple to build a social and beautiful wedding website in minutes. Created by the crew here at Brit + Co, Weduary is designed with a DIY spirit in mind — you can personalize your entire site, from the domain name to the registry info to your custom color palette. It’s sort of like Tumblr, but for wedding sites. Easy to use, social and pretty darn good-looking. Earlier this year, we announced an even more slick component of the registry section. In addition to mixing and matching experiences, charitable donations and more, you can also embed a custom Target Wedding Registry right on your site.
Now, about those updates… with this brand new set of goodies, you can grant them plus ones to every event, invite them to events that only select guests can see (like a bridal shower, bachelorette, rehearsal dinner, etc.), and now all of your guests can specify a meal option. Woot woot!