8 Unique and Whimsical Gift Ideas to Wow Your Wedding Party

There’s a reason why you choose the people you do to stand up next to you on your wedding day. They may be your siblings who have been with you since the beginning and will be with you til the end, regardless of how many times you pulled their hair and they stole your clothes. Or maybe you two met at the bus stop on your very first day of school with your matching Ninja Turtles lunchboxes in tow and have been inseparable ever since. Or perhaps you bonded on that first nerve wracking day of high school and helped each other get through your awkward and emotional teenage years by rocking out hard to Death Cab for Cutie (…or The Backstreet Boys). Maybe it’s your sister from another mister or brother from another mother. No matter who it is, you know they’re each special to you in a way that is hard to put into words. And although you love them all equally, your relationship with each one is so unique from your relationship with another. That’s why it’s important to select an equally unique gift for each of them that not only says, “Hey- thanks for agreeing to hold my dress while I pee” but also says, “You mean more to me than words can say, so here’s a special gift to show just how much I appreciate YOU being here with me on the most important day of my life.”

So how exactly do you go about choosing such unique gifts for such important people?! It can certainly be overwhelming, especially when you add it to your ever growing list of wedding to-dos (seriously – does anything ever get crossed off that list?!). Lucky for you, we’re here to help! Whether you’ve always had a hard time picking out gifts for other people (a gift card can be meaningful… right???) or you just need a little inspiration to help you along because your brain is absolutely fried from trying to figure out what color napkin is that perfect shade of blush pink you were going for, we’ve got you covered :)

These are just some suggestions to help guide you on your path to selecting the perfect gifts for the people you love most on your wedding day, (the girls AND the guys!). As you read through the post, scroll your mouse over the text and click on the links to bring you to shops that offer these fun and whimsical gift ideas! Do you have some other super awesome ideas that we didn’t include?? Feel free to share them with us in the comments!!

1. A custom drawing. (And don’t worry – no one expects you to bust out your Crayolas and draw these yourself. Thank God for Etsy, am I right?!) This is one of our favorite unique and meaningful gift ideas. It could be a fun and whimsical drawing of the two of you together or maybe a watercolor of their beloved dog, Chewbarka. Or maybe a cool art deco drawing of their hometown or your alma mater! If you’ve been friends since you were little kids you could go even more personal and give them a drawing of the childhood house they grew up in – the house you spent hours playing in together when you were just wee little tots. The options are endless and are sure to show just how much your special friends mean to you.

2. Personalized jewelry. You might be thinking, “um, this is not a unique idea. Everyone gives jewelry to their bridesmaids,” but not like this they don’t! Leave the matching pearls and color coordinating earrings at home and opt for more customizable ideas like these beautiful Latitude & Longitude bangle bracelets or these super sweet and dainty monogrammed necklaces using just her initials or go true bff style and use hers and your initials together. Or these! Or these! There are so many unique jewelry options on the worldwide web you’re sure to find something special and unique for each bridesmaid!

3. A handmade journal filled with memories. Ok, this one takes a little extra work on your part but if you have a small wedding party made up of just a couple of your absolute closest and longest friends and you happen to be a little crafty or extra sentimental then this might just be the option for you. Find a cool journal like this or this and personalize it to include inside jokes, special memories, the story of how you met, what you see for your future together as best friends forever, photos of you looking wonderfully and horribly 90s together, meaningful song lyrics, poems and other special things that represent your unique and sometimes awkwardly fantastical friendship. 

4. A hand embroidered heirloom handkerchief because who wants to carry around a wad of tissues all day?? (And seriously.. where are you hiding those things anyway??) If you know your ladies (or guys!) can get emotional and you’re expecting some tears to be shed on wedding day then give the gift of beautifully dry tears! These gorgeous personalized handkercheifs are the perfect accessory to carry around with them throughout the day and also make great keepsakes (after you wash them, of course!).

5. Locally made goods. Who doesn’t love something that was handmade with love by someone in their own hometown?! Locally made goods like these truly have a special place in our hearts. For those of you who, like us, are native to Buffalo, there’s the deliciously scented bath and body goods from Zandra Beauty, (one of the most incredible, sweet as pie, talented teenage Buffalonian entrepreneurs ever. Seriously – this girl is still in high school and she blows our mind with how amazing her products are and how humble and sweet she is). The super awesome scrubs, lip balms and beard butters from EllePeaTee. There’s also the incredibly beautiful handmade customizable decor and kitchen goods from Kitch Studios. These are just a few of our favorite Buffalo makers but there are tons more out there! And if you’re not from Buffalo, fear not! Etsy has the search ability to find makers based on your specific location so we’re certain that you, too, can find amazing makers near you!

6. Handmade soy candles. What’s so special and unique about a candle, you ask? Well, THESE are not your average candles. First off, we have to say, thank God for Ms. Betty and her amazing sense of humor- perfect for the wedding party who isn’t afraid to get sassy and sarcastic (seriously… click that link. The labels are incredible). And then for our more PG friends who love to bond over books, there’s Frostbeard’s handmade soy candles for book lovers. Whether your friends are Potter Heads, or into the classics, there’s something at Frostbeard’s for every book nerd! If you’re looking for insanely deliciously scented candles without the silly and sarcastic labels, try out Linwood Candle Co. (another amazing Buffalo maker!). The Sweet Grapefruit scent is our favorite!!

7. Handmade beer and wine bath products. Yes, you read that correctly. For your friends who love wine and craft beer, give them the gift of bathing in it! Well, sort of. But really- these handmade all natural wine and beer based skin care products and craft beer soaps are pretty freaking awesome. Who knew that wine actually had amazing anti-oxidants in it, perfect for skin care?! And on that note, what guy wouldn’t want to slather his face in craft beer shave soap for the best shave of his life?! Heck, we’re even thinking of growing some facial hair ourselves just to be able to try it out!

And last but not least…

8. The perfect greeting card because what gift is truly complete without one?? If you’re like us and absolutely dread dragging yourself to the drug store just to stand in the middle of the card aisle and stare mindlessly at the over abundance of painfully sappy and horribly bland greeting cards, you’ll LOVE Silla Rojo. Created by one of our very own Ayres Photography brides, the ever amazing Sarah Mosser, Silla Rojo is stocked with absolutely hilarious, unique and colorful greeting cards. If you really are sorry for what you said when you were hangry, Sarah gets it. And she’s probably already designed the perfect card for you and your friends. (And, flashing back to idea #1, she also does super amazing pet and home illustrations!! A woman of many talents). If you’re a Buffalonian who loves to stay loyal to the locals, there’s also the ever talented Rust Belt Love, located right in the heart of Downtown Buffalo in the Market Arcade building. With a wide variety of greeting cards ranging from “potty mouth all the way down to sweet” you’re definitely sure to find the perfect cards for your perfect wedding party!

Hopefully this list filled with fun and sentimental gift ideas helped you to zero in on that perfect present for your incredible and unique friend(s)! We’d love to hear which ideas were your favorite and what items really struck a cord with you. Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Looking to get a super amazing wedding day gift for your fiance?? Check out what this bride bought for her groom!

andrea + peter // Knox Farm East Aurora

I met Andrea several years ago when she was the maid of honor in her best friend’s wedding (our beautiful bride, Kate)!! Years went by, and then one day, she popped into my inbox to say that she remembered working with us at Kate and Afton’s wedding and had always said that when it was her turn to get married, she would get in touch with us. Well, that email made my entire life!!  What a feeling to know that we had made that much of an impact! I was thrilled to be a part of Andrea and Peter’s wedding day, and so, so grateful that they chose us.

Andrea and Peter met in 2008 during grad school at the University of Virginia where they were both studying to be biologists! They started out as lab partners, and when Peter finally got the courage to ask Andrea on a date they decided on the perfect setting for their shared love of all things green – a beautiful nature hike. As they hiked around the trails of Charlottesville, in true biologist fashion, Peter looked up for birds and Andrea looked down for plants. Towards the end of their hike, Peter surprised Andrea by pulling out a thermos of hot tea and some gluten-free cookies, which do not come cheap (especially for grad students)! Andrea, being a Celiac, was completely charmed by this sweet gesture. The rest, as they say, is history.

So, what happens when two sweet and shy biologists fall in love? You get a gorgeous nature inspired outdoor wedding filled with flowers, greenery and lots of unforgettable moments. Oh, and an incredible dress that was customized by the bride herself! (Who would ever think that a veil didn’t actually have to go on your head?! Well, apparently a scientist would. And it was amazing.) Lucky for you, Andrea and Peter shared some beautiful words about their relationship together and the special moments of their wedding day. Read along as your scroll through!

Andrea: “After grad school, Peter and I decided to take separate post-doctoral positions ‘of our dreams’. This meant that our relationship was going to be long-distance for about three years. It ended up being much harder than we both had expected. We only got to see each other about twice a year.“

Andrea: “On Christmas 2014 Peter proposed. He had been working with my mom and the jewelers on the ring via Skype, and she had hidden it in her house for him. I had just picked him up from the airport and it was quite late. He suggested we exchange Christmas gifts, and then disappeared into the bathroom for a long time. He eventually came out (after finding the hidden ring). After I gave him a scarf (not a fair exchange, as it turns out…), he gave me a ring. The proposal was perfect – it was simple, quiet, and just the two of us.“

Andrea: “I remember feeling so nervous when I woke up morning of our wedding. Luckily, everything got busy very fast, so I didn’t have too much time to get worried. I had a lot of fun getting ready with my bridesmaids and my parents. It was so meaningful to me to get ready for my wedding in my parents’ house.“

Andrea: “I think that our personalities balance each other out. Peter has a calming effect on me, and I think that I bring Peter out of his shell a little bit. We can also always be 100% ourselves with each other, and it’s been like that since we started dating. Even though we’ve been together for eight years, I still feel like we’re learning new things about each other. And, we push each other to be better people.“

Andrea: “One of my favorite things about our wedding was my ring-bearer nephew, Roman. He is the apple of my eye, and did really well for a 1.5 year old, busy, little guy. We didn’t give him a pillow or rings because he was in a phase where he threw almost anything you gave him.“

Andrea: “I was nervous walking down the aisle – I’m pretty sure I had a death grip on my dad’s arm. But, I was so excited to be getting married to Peter, and so relieved that our wedding day was finally here.“

Andrea: “Honestly, a lot of the things in the wedding probably made both Peter and I nervous, since we are a pretty private couple. But since the ‘crowd’ was our friends and family, it made it less intimidating. Looking around at everyone’s faces during the ceremony is a memory I will never forget – it was so surreal and wonderful to have all of our friends and family in one place. Plus, Peter was so calm during the whole ceremony. He always calms me, and I relaxed (a bit!) holding his hands.“

Peter: “During the ring exchange, Andrea put my ring on the wrong hand, even though we had discussed which hand was the right one. We laugh about it now, and she tells people that she was putting my ring on my right hand because that’s the hand that most men in Europe wear it on.”

Peter: “Andrea looked so pretty. She had mentioned to me that she wasn’t wearing a traditional veil, which made her nervous. But I really liked her veil skirt.“

Andrea: “My favorite part of taking pictures was after the ceremony, at the ‘golden hour’. We got to walk in a field, and it felt like we were mostly alone. It was a really nice time to step away from the reception and catch a breath. The open field is not only a beautiful setting, but it also reminded us a little bit of work (in a good way!), and what we initially bonded over as biologists – the natural world.“

Andrea: “I loved being able to finally meet some of Peter’s extended family. They were so lovely, and it was nice that they came for the wedding.“

Andrea + Peter: “Jenn and Ben were really awesome and calm. We’ve always felt like we’re a bit awkward to photograph but we were so happy with the results, and in particular we loved that they caught real and candid moments with us and with our guests.“

Andrea: “I spent a long time on the phone with Jenn before the wedding, where she walked me through the various steps of the photography and asked me if I had any questions or concerns. I thought that it was really meaningful that she spent so much time with me, and on our wedding.“

Wedding Vendors Include:

Venue: Knox Farm State Park
Hair Stylists: Erica Mineo and Val Grabski
Make-Up Artist: Chelsea Ackerman
Dress Shop: Anna Be Bridal Boutique
Dress Designer: Watters
Custom Veil Skirt: Sara Gabriel
Bridal Earrings: Sara Gabriel
Bridesmaid Dresses: M.A. Carr Bridal
Groom’s Look: Men’s Wearhouse
Wedding Coordinator: Carla Costamagna
Invitations: Morgan Calhoon
Florist: Costamagna Design
Cake: Ohlson’s Bakery
String Trio: The String Brothers
Furniture Rentals: Quaint
Catering: Oliver’s
Macaron Favors: Blue Eyed Baker
Videographer: Justin Bondi Productions
Band: The Party Squad