Bridal party gifts

Robes, pjs, jewelry, hangers and anything else that is a prop for getting ready photos is not a gift. If you want to spend money on them skip the robes and cover their hair/makeup costs. Or get a non wedding related item based on personal interests.

Hi Jade! I have heard paying for nails, hair, etc. can depend on region. I live in the Northeast in PA and here brides are not expected to pay for those services for their bridal party. I did pay for my girls hair as an additional thank you, but where I live this is not expected.


I did ask my girls to avoid any super bold colors as nail polish (soft wedding colors for our wedding) but was totally cool with natural, white, pinks, nudes. For our wedding I was the only one who got their nails professionally done and it was a non-issue. Hope this helps in your decision ❤️

I haven't heard of brides paying for nails for their BMs.


Also like PP said, if it's for your pictures it doesn't technically count as a gift

None of these are gifts for your bridesmaids. If you want to pay for their nails, that’s great, but it’s also just for your wedding. A gift that’s specific to each individual would be a much better “thank you.”

I'm a little less rigid, I think pajamas or even robes work fine as a gift. Yes, it will also make your photos look nice but it's still a permanent item they can reuse for years to come? Particular if you get an actual nice, high quality pajama....definitely not a 15 dollar satin set with "bridesmaid" written on it though, it should be reusable.

When I'm a bridesmaid I'm personally grateful for whatever gift the bride gets me. I wouldn't roll my eyes at a nice pajama set or some jewelry just because we'll be using it the day of the wedding. Standards have gotten so high for everything nowadays!

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Standards are not high except by those who set them: the wedding industry. Things such as getting ready attire is a product of wedding tv which is not realistic, among other "expectations" for brides to follow. A gift should be not related to the wedding at all that they will appreciate long after the event is over.

I've definitely had my nails paid for as a bridesmaid before, but neither this (nor hair and makeup, nor the getting ready attire like robes, pajamas, etc), counted as the 'gifts' because they were wedding related. I wouldn't worry about paying for their nails, and instead I'd get them something non-wedding related. Manicures and pedicures also take a while, so getting nails done the morning of the wedding sounds like it could create a big time crunch anyway!

View Quoted Comment Thank you so much for your reply! i always feel like people get so up and arms about stuff like this. i’m a bride on a budget and paying for my girls nails on-top of everything else (photo “props”) is going to be hard for me. none of my girls are expecting me to completely pamper them. i think i’ll look into how much it will cost and just save for it!

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If you do nails, get them done the day before.