Everyone knows that it has now become the norm for groomsmen to receive a gift on or before the wedding day. The reasons behind this growing trend are many, but the usual reason is just to say ‘thank you’ for helping out on what is probably one of the biggest days in a man’s life, his wedding day.
In days gone by, the groomsmen took a far more active roll in the wedding itself, offering to guard the bride and groom before, and on, their big day. These days it is more of a ceremonial touch with groomsmen taking on the duties of being companions for single ladies, and making sure that everyone is having a good time. Their prime duty is to make sure that the groom is where he is supposed to be at certain times but this may be also the sole duty of the best man. However, all have some small duties to perform, and before they start imbibing! In particular, they are supposed to throw him a party some time before the wedding day to celebrate his last days of freedom. These have been known to get a little wild so for the up and coming husband, choose carefully!
But weddings, particularly these days, have seemed to grow bigger and bigger, each one outdoing the next, with more ‘bling’ added as the fashion grows. Other than buying a house, this is probably the most money anyone will spend for a one day affair! It was traditional for the bride’s father to pay for almost everything for the wedding but these days, the bride and groom tend to throw in some, if not all, the amount needed to make their day go with a swing. So what is the poor groom to do when it comes to giving his guys something that they will treasure and keep?
Perhaps the first thing to do is to decide on what and how much to spend on these special little gifts. Once decided, try shopping around to see if there are any sales on, or if discounts are given on bulk buys. Sometimes, things can be engraved at no extra charge making this a perfect personal gift for individual men.
Sticking to traditional ideas for groomsmen’s gifts may work out to be a little expensive sometimes. Hip flasks and cufflinks used to be the norm, but this would look a bit cheap if, for example, the cufflinks were not made from gold or silver. There are many reasonably priced sets of cufflinks to be found in sterling silver and some have enameled faces of favorite baseball or football teams. Hip flasks are great for engraving and some come in stainless steel (very acceptable) or silver and silver plate, both highly acceptable.
For those who like anything a little quirky, cufflinks come in all kinds of shapes to suit the individual. Imagine that the groomsman loves the sea and all that it can offer. Try giving him surfboard shaped cufflinks. These are not only funny and cute, but elegant too, and a real conversation piece when he just has to put on a suit and tie and go to the office.
The key here, as mentioned earlier particularly if it is a hip flask, is to get it engraved to make it look extra special. Silver or gold cufflinks can also have the initials of the groomsman engraved on and this will truly stand out very nicely.
For those ‘dot com’ executives, which many young and upcoming men are these days, there is a virtual host of gifts available for him. Desk furniture in sleek and elegant designs fit perfectly into the new age life style. Glass clocks, with pen holders, with the name of the recipient engraved on the front, or on a metal plate, set off modern offices perfectly. Even golf cart clocks look cute particularly if he has just discovered the game and is very enthusiastic about all things golf. For those who are not concerned about the cost of gifts, try tucking in a couple of tickets to some up and coming tournament to make it extra special.
Young executive style men always seem to be on the move these days and with this in mind, travel luggage is very acceptable as a gift. Laptop computer bags incorporated into overnight, or weekend, luggage is perfect for those hours spent on stopovers in some foreign airport. These too can be monogrammed to add an elegant touch and come in high tech synthetic materials or traditional soft leather.
Wallets in fine leather also are very acceptable since many people these days opt for synthetic materials. Even gold or silver money clip are rather unique little items and many come with different symbols on the front. How about a bid dollar sign or something like it? These look great when the man reaches into his pocket for money and out comes the ‘bling’ as mentioned earlier. These suit the older generation too so there should be no problem with giving this style of gift, even as a wedding favor to male guests.
If these young men are also on their way to being married, or in serious relationships, one of the most charming gifts on offer are small caricatures of himself and his significant other. All that is needed is a good facial photo of the man and his partner and these can be transformed into delightful little characters set in different scenarios. Perhaps they are into baseball? Then they both get modeled into their favorite team kits. Other scenarios are available and it takes a little background checking sometimes, but it will be worth it in the end. When they see these super little statues that they can keep forever, they will be overwhelmed.
It really is supposed to be a small ‘thank you’ for helping out on the big day and most men will not be so bothered at whatever they receive. However, even small gifts can be somewhat special if it is given with gratitude and respect.
