DIY Engagement Gift Idea

I always say, when someone gets engaged, you should immediately gift them a box of thank you cards. Random gifts of congratulations will arrive and, honestly, it's easy to lose track of who you need to thank (while you're looking at venues, creating a guest list, deciding on invitations, picking colors, and you know, the million other things you need to do once you're engaged).

So it's really nice for a bride who has already been there to give a little gift for the newly engaged bride-to-be.

I put together a really simple DIY Engagement Gift Idea. It's actually from items I had at home already, which means you probably do too. As soon as you get the call from your friend that she's engaged, you can put this together and have it ready to give her the very next day.

DIY Engagement Gift Idea

What You'll Need:

• Bridal magazine (You can actually request a free issue of Bridal Guide here. Then, just hang onto it until someone gets engaged.)
• Notepad and pen (I used a jotter from Night Owl Paper Goods when I planned. I liked it a lot better than other notebooks because it has a flexible wood cover. I was able to toss it in my purse for a bridal expo and not worry about the cover getting tattered and torn like paper would. But, since it was flexible, it was able to move around the other items in my purse.)
• Chocolate (My chocolate of choice was Nestle Crunch bars. When I started to stress, I would eat one and instantly calm down.)
• Coffee (for the late nights. My current obsession is Starbucks' Caffe Mocha VIA sticks, so I would say stick those in, but any sort of bagged or boxed coffee works.)
• Thank you cards.

What You'll Do:

Write a note in the first page of the notebook. You can go with a long letter of encouragement or a simple "I'm here if you need anything." But, when you offer that, be prepared for the 3am phone calls (because yes, a bride will make those).

Put all the items in a bag (or box if you're mailing this) and include a card from you to the bride. I actually had a really cute Hallmark card that goes perfectly with this gift. The front says You have got to take a break from Pinterest and the inside says Take a break from everything except fun today. Seriously, how many times have you wanted to tell a bride to step away from the stress of the perfect Pinterest wedding and just enjoy the planning because it goes by so quickly. This card definitely says that for you.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What else would you add to this engagement gift idea?