Just one more very important thing to include in your Special Wedding Day plans – the Bride and Groom gift exchange.

Although it is an optional tradition for the bride and groom to exchange gifts – either on the night before the Wedding, the morning of, or once the festivities are over – it is a gift to let your Bride or Groom know how much you love and care for her/him by getting her/him something that she/he will treasure forever and something that will be a lasting reminder of this very significant day in your lives.  It is also a precedent that needs to be in place right from the very first day as Mr. and Mrs. and will also set the stage for future anniversary gifts to each other to commemorate your unique union.  It is a gift that comes from your heart, is highly personal and will stand the test of time.

The gift does not need to be expensive, but the criteria is that it has to bring happiness to the other and be given in a private and intimate setting – just the two of you!  The gift will require some thought and ingenuity.  Let’s explore some options:

Gifts for the Bride from the Groom may include the following:

•  a Pandora bracelet, where charms can be purchased for future memorable occasions
• pearl or diamond earrings, that can be worn on the Wedding Day, after extensive background consulting with her mother or close friends on what would compliment her wedding dress
•  a necklace, bracelet, or brooch that can be worn on the Wedding Day
•  a watch that can be engraved with the time and date of your wedding, with perhaps a note “See you at the altar at 3 p.m.”
•  perfume – a scent she will treasure
•  a hand written letter to her, about how you can’t wait to spend the rest of your life with her, and reasons why
•  a framed favorite picture of the two of you
•  a piece of art you know she would love
•  your wedding card framed or your wedding card paper tolled in a frame
•  an album with pictures of your time and adventures together – most loved moments so far
•   a sterling silver spoon, engraved with the Wedding Day or “You and Me forever”

Gifts for the Groom from the Bride may include the following:

•  a pair of cufflinks, that could be engraved with your initials – his on one, yours on the other – or other engravings what are meaningful to him, such as sports images, etc.
•  a watch that he has always wanted, that could be engraved with the time and date of your wedding
•  a first edition of his favorite book
•  a rookie card of his favorite sports figure
•  a new “little black book” with boudoir photos of you
•  a hand written letter to him, about what you love about him, and how he won you over
•  an album with your favorite photos of the two of you
•  a framed favorite photo of him, you, or the two of you
• a tie with “I am yours forever”  attached to the back
•  a deck of cards with 52 reasons why you want to marry him (hole punched with a key ring or two to keep them together)
•  a tie clip with an engraving at the back
•  a shaving set
•  an engraved fountain pen

These are just a few suggestions to help you with your decision.  Ultimately, the choice is yours.  Choose carefully!  Always work on your love for each other and find ways to show your love, starting with your Wedding Day!