For you to have chosen her as a bridesmaid means

For you to have chosen her as a bridesmaid means that she has been very special to you. She has stood by you in the past months as you have been on the emotional rollercoaster that planning a wedding has been. You have laughed and cried together; you have planned and organised and decided together. You want to say thank you to her.

Each of your bridesmaids is different; each of them has been there for you in a different way, so each bridesmaid deserves a different gift  or at least a gift that you have personalised. Whether you are traditional in your views or more modern, you want to give a memorable gift; something that she will treasure  and remember you by, forever.

The gift is something personal. If you can afford to splash out, you might want to do something special that you can all share in, like a day at a spa together a week or so before the big day. There are some lovely spa day packages that offer a range of massages, manicures, pedicures, facials and hair treatments. Another treat for all of you is a really special meal at a favourite restaurant or a picnic specially catered to your taste. There are specialist catering companies who will do this to your specifications.

Traditional gifts could include personalised towels or linen, stationery or luggage, or simple items of engraved jewellery. A gift subscription to a favourite magazine is also most acceptable.

If you want to try something different, look at the specific passions of your bridesmaids: your gifts could run the gamut of vouchers: from DVD's or books to body shops or specialised home ware.

If money is tight (or even if it is not) you might want to make the gifts you give them. Your specific talents may lend themselves to this. If you have a talent for scrapbooking, you might want to create an original 'memory book' for each of them. You could put together 'pamper baskets' containing a range of goodies (personalised according to each girl's taste) that will allow a time of personal pampering. Photo collages of shared times also make special gifts as do framed photographs of you with your bridesmaids.