This DIY Bridesmaid Manicure Gift Bags posy is not sponsored.

I had a saying when it came to wedding stuff: If I can do it myself, I'm going to do it myself.

There were a lot of things on Pinterest that I fell in love with, but knew were made by a professional. Sure they're on Pinterest, but, as we've discussed before, not everything on Pinterest was done by the person who pinned it. So don't let it intimidate you. Don't feel like you have to DIY your entire wedding. That's ridiculous and time consuming and will make you absolutely hate the wedding planning process.

But the things you can do, absolutely do them yourself. Like these bridesmaid manicure gift bags that I put together in a grand total of 45 seconds.

DIY Bridesmaid Manicure Gift Bags

With the way the world is right now, these manicure gift bags are absolutely perfect for your bridesmaids. 

Many of your bridesmaids may not feel comfortable sitting in a nail salon, getting their nails done around a lot of people. And if they don't, you have to respect that.

Of course, these are things you have to think about when you're planning a wedding right now. Things you didn't have to think about way back in 2019.

So feel your bridesmaids out. And if they don't feel okay sitting indoors for an hour getting a mani/pedi, these bridesmaids manicure gift bags are perfect to gift them.

When you're shopping for the items for these gift bags, you could buy the color that you would like the girls to wear. That way, you know they'll all be matching on your wedding day, even if you're not all getting your nails done together.

When you're buying the lotion, organza bags, paper shred, and lotion, you can choose items that match the color family of the nail polish. That way, your entire gift is coordinated and looks like you spent a lot of time on it. More than that aforementioned 45 seconds.

DIY Bridesmaid Manicure Gift Bags Supplies:

• Paper shred
• Organza bag
• Colored nail polish
• Clear nail polish
• Nail file
• Nail polish remover
• Cotton balls
• Trial-size body lotion
• Card stock
• Scissors
• Marker
• Tape

How To Make DIY Bridesmaid Manicure Gift Bags:

Put a handful of paper shred in the bottom of the organza bag.

Here's my secret about paper shred. It always makes a gift look professionally made. I don't know why, but it gives off that illusion.

And anything that you handmake, you want it to look professionally made. It's 100% okay to DIY parts of your wedding. I did it. And heck, I have an entire blog basically dedicated to it.

But, it's not okay to make your wedding look handmade. You want to make things, but give people the impression that you bought said things.

Paper shred, as opposed to tissue paper, absolutely helps with that impression. 

Fill the bag with the nail file, nail polish remover, lotion, cotton balls, and nail polishes.

You want to layer the bag so the tallest item (in our case, the nail polish remover) is in the back and the shortest items (in our case, the nail polishes) are in the front.

Pull the strings of the organza bag to close it.

Cut a tag shape from a piece of white card stock.

Use the marker to write "mani thanks" on the tag and tape it to the front of the bag.

That's it. 

It's crazy how simple this is. You really could go crazy and design personalized labels for the lotion and nail polish remover, but I don't really recommend it. The point of this is that it looks awesome and is quick and easy. Anything you do to complicate it will take away from it being quick and easy. And then you might not actually want to make these for your bridesmaids.

What else can you add to these bridal party Manicure Gift Bags?

If you want to fill these up even more, you could add toe separators, although personally I don't like those, so I didn't add those to my gift bags.

You could also add a nail buffer, if you think your bridesmaids would use one of those.

You could also add this Nails B4 Males manicure toolkit. It comes with nail clippers, cuticle nippers, tweezers, a cuticle pusher/cleaner, and a glass nail file. Skip the separate nail file we mentioned above, and just add this cute vegan pouch in the bag instead.

Should a bride pay for her bridesmaids' manicures?

While we're on the topic of wedding manicures, let's talk about wedding etiquette. A bride should absolutely buy her bridesmaids a wedding thank you gift. But that gift doesn't have to be wedding nails, and it generally isn't.

If a bride invites all her bridesmaids to get their nails done together at a certain time at a certain salon, and the bride is choosing the color, then she should pay for the manicures. But, if each bridesmaid is going to get her nails done on her own, the bridesmaid should pay for her own nails. The bride shouldn't feel the need to Venmo her bridesmaids the cost of their mani/pedi.

For my wedding, none of my bridesmaids were able to come with me to get my nails done, except my maid of honor. So she and I had a solid 90 minutes or so of time alone, just us, to be pampered, the day before my rehearsal dinner.

That night, we were actually having a full barbecue at the hotel we blocked for our wedding guests, so it was nice to get our nails done before that pre-wedding party and for the rehearsal dinner the next day (and the wedding, of course).

My maid of honor was really sweet. Since it was just the two of us, she treated me to my mani/pedi (and actually to my eyebrow waxing too, since I did it at the same time). That was really sweet of her and very unexpected.

So if you're a maid of honor, think of budgeting for this surprise for the bride, if you can afford it.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What else would you add to these DIY bridesmaid manicure gift bags if you were making them?

How The Bridesmaids Can Help At The Bridal Shower

When you're a bridesmaid in a wedding, your job is to help the bride. Anything she needs, you're on it. One of my fondest memories at my wedding was when my bridesmaid Gionna asked me if I liked my hair. She saw my face, knew I hated it, and also knew that I wasn't the kind of person who would ask for it to be redone. So instead, she went into the room where the stylist was, then came back momentarily to where I was and told me the stylist would fix it.

That's your role. Whatever the bride needs you to do, you do. The bride is looking out for everyone, the guests are looking out for themselves, and you're looking out for the bride.

When you're planning the bridal shower, though, you change from supporting the bride to supporting the maid-of-honor and the bride's mom. If they ask you to help make invitations or to pick up napkins, that's what you do.

But what about when you get to the bridal shower? That's when it's a little awkward because a lot of bridesmaids just don't know how they help.

I got you. Here's a quick list of how the bridesmaids can help at the bridal shower. Knowing this, you'll have an idea of how to make yourself helpful -- without constantly asking the maid-of-honor if there's anything you can do.

How The Bridesmaids Can Help At The Bridal Shower

1. Set up.
Ask the bride's mom or maid-of-honor what time you are able to get into the venue. The staff will usually allow you to arrive early in order to set up for the party.

Whatever that time is, get there.

When you're there, ask how you can help. Maybe you'll be putting out games at each seat. Or maybe you'll be setting up the centerpieces. Or the gift table.

Whatever you're needed to do, do it. It will be such a big help. So many people will see the time on the invitation and arrive then, leaving so much work for the bride's mom and maid-of-honor. They will really appreciate your help.

2. Greet the guests.
If you're a really good friend or relative of the bride, you might know everyone who is coming to the shower. You'll also know who they know.

So, what's really helpful is if you see someone walk in, greet them. Say hello, point out the closest drink, and point out where their friends are. "Oh hi Edna. Your sister Daisy is already here and sitting in the back left corner," goes a long way to make everyone comfortable.

And, if you see a carpool walk in together, you can point out a completely empty table so they can all sit together.

This will make every guest feel welcome, and it will give you something to do while the bridal shower is getting started.

If you aren't completely familiar with everyone, you can ask another bridesmaid to help you with this. Together, you should be able to figure out all the guests.


3. Explain the games.
If you're having bridal shower games, they might be sitting out on everyone's seat. (You might be the reason they are there if you helped out via Number 1 on this list.) People might be unfamiliar with the bridal bingo sheet in front of them, so that's where you swoop in.

You can sit next to Daisy (since she got there before her sister Edna) and tell her how to fill out her bingo sheet. You can then ask her to explain the game to the other women at her table when they arrive.

This is actually a really great way to engage anyone who is sitting alone. Better for them to talk to a live human being than sit on their phone scrolling Facebook.

4. Help out with the presents.
A huge part of a bridal shower is when the bride opens her gifts. Everyone sits and watches, which is why bridal bingo is so popular. It gives guests a reason to watch and pay attention.

When the bride-to-be is opening her gifts she needs help. A lot of help. If not, this task will take forever. And no amount of bridal bingo prizes will keep anyone interested.

So the bride-to-be needs five people to help her when she is opening her gifts. Yes, five. Count them. One: Someone to pick a gift off the table. Two: Someone to open the card from that gift. Three: Someone to start unwrapping the gift, then to hand it with the open card to the bride. Four: Someone to take the gift when it is opened. This needs to be the loudest helper because she needs to yell out what the gift is so everyone playing bridal bingo can mark their cards. Five: Someone to track a list of every gift. She can either use a journal or write on the back of the cards.

For @ChiStyleWed, my bow hat from my shower (& my bridesmaid who assembled it helping me) #BridalBabble pic.twitter.com/DrCmc9aRGl

— Lisa (@abrideabudget) January 15, 2014

5. Make the hat.
When the bride is opening her gifts, someone needs to collect all the bows, ribbons, and paraphernalia, and make her a hat. It's not the best part of the shower for the bride, but it's so funny.

My bridal shower was the weekend before Christmas, and people put Christmas ornaments on my bridal shower gifts ... just so they would hang off my hat. It was so funny.

I actually hang those ornaments on our tree now, and it's such a fun reminder of my bridal shower. So if you know how, be the person who volunteers to make the hat.

6. Take photos.
Honestly, I have very few photos from my bridal shower. I didn't take a single one myself. Luckily, one of my friends took a bunch of them and put them on a CD for me.

If you have nothing else to do, take photos. Take photos of everything: the presents, the cake, the guests, table shots, the bar set up, everything. You have no idea what the bride-to-be may have missed, and you want to have the photos to show her.

7. Clean up.
You're a guest at the party, so you are able to sit and eat and have a good time. But when all the other guests are leaving, stay behind.

If it's at a restaurant, the waitstaff will probably be bussing the tables and taking care of dirty glasses. If it's in a party room, though, it's most helpful to them if you pick up after the party, like the garbage.

The bride-to-be will also need to bring all her gifts into the car, and that can be a daunting task. So offer to help with that or with cleaning up.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What other ways can you think of for how the bridesmaids can help at the bridal shower?

Top Ten Bridesmaids Gift Ideas

When my cousin got married a dozen or so years ago, I remember noticing that all the bridesmaids had the same earrings. That's because she got them all matching jewelry. And that's when I started thinking about my own bridesmaids gift ideas, even though I wasn't even close to being engaged at that time.

I kept the idea in my mind and, when it was my turn, I bought jewelry for my bridesmaids. But there are tons of gifts to give bridesmaids. If you're looking for ideas, you're in luck. I put together a Top Ten Bridesmaids Gifts Ideas list.

This list is filled with practical bridesmaids gifts because it's important to give your bridal party something they will use later. If not, it will just collect dust in a drawer

Top Ten Bridesmaids Gift Ideas

1. Personalized Jewelry
2. Bikini Bag
3. Monogrammed Spa Robe
4. Hand Painted Wine Glasses
5. Personalized Tote Bags
6. Coach Wristlet
7. Personalized Beach Towels
8. Foldable Ballet Flats
9. Passport Holder
10. Cosmetics Bag

1. Personalized Jewelry.

I always love the idea of jewelry for your bridesmaids. That way, they'll all have a coordinated piece. I got my bridesmaids a pretty necklace. I gave one to my maid of honor too, but I also gave her a matching pair of earrings.

I wish I had seen this Personalized Pearl Of Hearts necklace from Bridesmaids Gifts Boutique before my wedding. You can choose the initial of your bridesmaids and then select a card for bridesmaid, maid of honor, and matron of honor. There are also two more generic ones in case you need to thank people who aren't specifically in your wedding party.

Purchase here.

Bikini Bag

2. Bikini Bag.

I so badly wanted to get my bridesmaids bikini bags, so I'm not really sure why I abandoned the idea. They're perfect for summer weddings, especially if it's a destination wedding. And ours was a destination wedding (for everyone but me and Pete) during the summer.

When I go to the beach, I take a plastic bag with me so I can put my wet bathing suit in it before I go home. These bikini bags are so much cuter than a plastic bag. And they're great if your bridesmaids are staying at your wedding destination after your wedding is over. Especially if there's a beach where you are.

Purchase here.

Monogrammed Spa Robe

3. Monogrammed Spa Robe.

If you're asking your bridesmaids to come over in the morning and get ready, a monogrammed spa robe is perfect. I know that satin robes and kimonos are really popular for photos, but they're not that great for practicality.

I bought one for my cousin's wedding because she wanted to take pictures in them. The photos do look really cute, but I haven't ever used it since. I tried but it's not the kind of robe you can lounge around the house in. So it has just sat in my guest room closet for five years. Now, a spa robe, that's something your bridesmaids can use after your wedding is over.

Purchase here.

Hand Painted Wine Glass

4. Hand Painted Wine Glasses.

The morning of our wedding, I set out wine glasses with personalized wine charms, orange juice, and champagne for my bridesmaids for a mimosa bar. I didn't buy a wine charm for myself, so I ended up having orange juice (sans champagne) in a stemless wine glass we already owned.

I was happy to have gotten the personalized wine charms for them because it just made things a little easier during wedding morning chaos. What I really would have loved would have been hand painted wine glasses. That's another gift idea that I had in the beginning, but I ended up not getting (and I'm sort of bummed I never did pick them up).

Purchase here.

Personalized Tote Bag

5. Personalized Tote Bags.

The morning of your wedding, your bridesmaids have so much stuff. If they're getting dressed with you, they leave wearing their bridesmaids dress and have to carry their old clothes, their old shoes, a shoe box, a dress bag, a hanger, make up, hair accessories, etc. Help them out with a personalized tote bag.

I love this idea so much I actually wrote a full post on it here. And I ended up getting personalized totes for my parents and Pete's dad. I'm not sure if any of them actually use the bag now, but I like to think they do.

Purchase here.

Coach Wristlet

6. Coach Wristlet.

I absolutely love all my Coach bags. They really hold up better than any bag I've ever had. They're well worth the investment. If you live near a Coach Outlet, you can head there and pick up real Coach bags at a very discounted price. It's a lot better than getting a knockoff from Chinatown.

If you can't get to a store, you can always order a Coach wristlet online. Keep in mind all the items and parties your bridesmaids are paying for, plus all the time they're spending to help you. They deserve Coach.

Purchase here.

Personalized Beach Towel

7. Personalized Beach Towels.

I wasn't sold on these originally until I saw them. And now I'm obsessed with personalized beach towels. Even if your wedding is in the winter, these are perfect. We live at the beach so I'm always looking for a towel. In fact, I just packed five this weekend when my cousin was here. So you really can't have too many towels.

And when I travel, I make sure to pack my own because towels, just in case we end up at a beach or water park. Which happens. And then there's your friends who just tan in the backyard (guilty!). There's no one who wouldn't love this and no one who couldn't use a few extra beach towels.

Purchase here.

Foldable Ballet Flats

8. Foldable Ballet Flats.

I bought a pair of foldable ballet flats once upon a time and brought them with me to every single wedding. They came with a small bag that fit in my purse. Brilliant. They were one of the most convenient purchases I ever made.

Your bridesmaids may not wear these at your wedding (they did just buy brand new footwear for your big day), but they'll definitely use them in the future.

Purchase here.

Passport Holder

9. Passport Holder.
You know, this seems kind of silly, but it's actually a great bridesmaids gift idea: a passport holder. My mom actually bought one for her and another for my dad not too long ago. Too bad I didn't think to get them as thank you gifts for our wedding.

They're one of those practical things that no one ever buys. They're a great thank you, for a destination wedding or not. Fill a "passport" with photos of you and your bridesmaids, little notes, or a thank you card. It will make the gift that much more special.

Purchase here.

Cosmetics Bag

10. Cosmetics Bag.
I don't know a single woman who doesn't need another cosmetics bag. They're very useful and you can never have enough. I don't buy them for myself ever. And I'm sure your bridesmaids can say the same.

So a really cute thank you gift would be a cosmetics bag filled with emergency items: aspirin, clear nail polish, a nail file -- all the things she might need on your big day. And trusts me about the aspirin. Someone is always looking for that at a wedding (or the morning after).

Purchase here.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Which of our top ten bridesmaids gift ideas is your favorite?

Don't forget about the groomsmen!

Check out our Top Ten Bridesmaids Gift Ideas post.

Maid Of Honor Packing List

Are you the maid of honor in a wedding? It's a huge ask. You have so many responsibilities from planning the bridal shower to helping the bride pick her wedding dress.  You also have to make sure the bride has everything she needs on the big day.

You need to make sure you have everything for the wedding day too. But don't worry. We got you. I put together a really helpful maid of honor packing list. Even better, it's formatted to fit on an 8.5x11 sheet of printer paper. Print it, carry it with you, then double check it as you're running out the door wedding morning.

Maid Of Honor Packing List

• Dress
• Shoes - wedding heels, flip flops
• Jewelry - earrings, necklace, bracelets
• Make up (if you're doing your own)
• Lipstick
• Perfume
• Deodorant
• Hair brush and accessories (if you're doing your own)
• Meet The Maids frame (or gift from bridesmaids)
• Wedding card
• Bride's emergency kit
• Phone
• List of wedding vendors' contact information
• Speech
• Purse
• Wallet

BRIDAL BABBLE: Is there anything else you would add to this maid of honor packing list?

Are you the best man in a wedding?

Check out our Best Man Packing List.

DIY Bridesmaids Cards (Plus a free printable for flat and folded cards)

Asking your friends to be your bridesmaids is getting out of hand. It used to be just a phone call and now it's super elaborate. Sort of like a promposal. When it was my prom, I called my then-boyfriend and invited him to my prom. That's it. It wasn't prom spelled out in tea lights, I didn't dress up like a zombie, and it had nothing to do with involving other people. Honestly, some promposals are a lot more thought out than some of the wedding proposals I've heard about.

Finding bridesmaids is getting to be that way too. I mean, I can't say I haven't bought into the culture of that. I did propose to my bridesmaids. But maybe you're looking for something in-between, something that's a little more than a phone call but less than a full out gift.

A card is the way to go. You could buy one at the store ... or you could make one yourself. But don't worry. You don't really have to put too much effort into these DIY bridesmaids cards. I've already designed them for you. All you have to do is print and cut if you make the folded cards and print, cut, and glue if you make the flat cards.

DIY Bridesmaids Cards

These cards are completely made by me and available free to you. I designed the cards myself (not using a template, so they're absolutely unique and exclusive DIY bridesmaids cards only found here). I picked the fonts and I even made up the bridesmaids poem. Yup, completely created off the top of my head. I haven't even used these (since my wedding is long over), so if you are the first to print, you'll be giving out bridesmaids cards that were never given out before. Pretty cool, huh?

What You'll Need:

• Paper trimmer
• Glue
• Card stock (if you're making the flat cards)
• Free bridesmaids cards printable (grab those at the end of the post)

What You'll Do:

Print the free bridesmaids cards printable. There's one for flat cards and another for folded cards. We'll go through the steps of the folded bridesmaids cards first.

Align the edge of the card at the edge of the paper trimmer and print. Cut out the whole card (and that will cut off the link to A Bride On A Budget in the middle. Don't worry. It won't appear anywhere on your card).

The cards are designed to have a small bit of white around the magenta edge because I think it looks better than way. If you cut too wide an edge, no worries. You can just use a pair of scissors to trim the edge.

Fold along the center line and you're done. The front and back of the cards both have the maroon rectangle design, making them look just like cards from a card store.The inside is blank so you can write a heartfelt not to your bridesmaid-to-be.

If you want a card but not a space to write a note, the flat bridesmaids cards are for you.

Just like the folded bridesmaid cards, cut these using the paper trimmer. After you do, they're a 4.5x3.125 rectangle. You need to know this for the next step.

Cut the card stock to make a backing for the flat card. You'll want to make this 5x3.75 to give it a quarter inch border around it.

I used purple card stock because I love purple, but you can use whatever color you like best.

Apply a light line of glue around the edge of the printable's backside. The thinner you can apply it, the better if you print these onto printer paper. If you print straight onto a white card stock, it's thicker so it can handle a thicker line of glue (and won't show it through the paper as easily as thin printer paper).

Stick it onto the card stock.

I actually used the lines on the paper trimmer to measure it evenly.

If you wanted to jazz these up, you could use glitter or rhinestones. Maybe make a belt of rhinestones on the dress?

DIY Bridesmaids Cards Free Printables

The free printables for the flat and folded cards are labeled below. To save them to your computer, just right click the image and save it. Then, you can just print as normal on an 8.5x11 sheet of paper. On my laptop, the default option of "print picture to frame" is selected. I unchecked it for these printables because it looked like keeping it checked would cut off the edge of the cards.

DIY Bridesmaids Cards Folded Card Free Printable

DIY Bridesmaids Cards Flat Card Free Printable

BRIDAL BABBLE: Which type of these bridesmaids cards would you use?

What Exactly Is Expected From A Bridesmaid?

Your friend got engaged, and you're so excited for her. But you're also excited for yourself because maybe, just maybe, she'll ask you to be a bridesmaid. That's such a fun way for you to bond, but, the truth is, it's also a way for you guys to fight. I know, I know. You can't imagine ever fighting with your BFF especially when she is getting married, but the reality is brides and bridesmaids can and probably will fight. And lots of this stems from bridesmaids not exactly knowing their responsibilities, getting frustrated over them, and then tension happens.

So to prevent this from happening with you and your best friend, I put together a list of what exactly is expected from a bridesmaid. That way, you won't be surprised.

What Exactly Is Expected From A Bridesmaid?

Attire.
You probably won't get to choose anything that you wear at the wedding, but you will have to pay for it. I know. Paying for $60 heels that are not your style that you will never wear again is frustrating. But ... Don't. Tell. The. Bride. Tell me. Send me an email and rant on and on about how awful those shoes are. Tell your mom. But please, for the love of everything, don't tell the bride. She loves them, she wants everyone to wear them, and that's part of being a bridesmaid.

Sometimes, the bride will allow her bridesmaids to pick her own shoes and dress, and that's great. Regardless of if you choose or she chooses, you are responsible to pay for it. And you will swipe your credit card and smile, no matter how much that dress and those shoes cost. Complaining at the register -- to the bride, the cashier, or another bridesmaid -- is all a big no-no.

When it's your turn to get married, you get a say. When you're a bridesmaid, all you do is support the bride.

Bachelorette Party.
This is the only thing that I will say is optional as a bridesmaid. It's expected that you be there, but it isn't required. Sometimes, the bride wants a weekend away that requires a flight. If you can't afford that, you can decline. If her party is a night out, you need to go. But a weekend away is something you can decline. If you do, though, you should talk with the maid-of-honor and slip her a couple bucks before the party so you can buy a drink for the bride.

Bridal Shower.
The bride's mom and maid-of-honor will probably take the reins on planning this. It is up to you to support them as much as you can. That may be with helping with favors or decorations, paying for part of the shower, or chipping in for a group gift from the bridesmaids. Or maybe all those. Whatever is asked of you is what you'll need to do.

When you get to the shower, offer to help. You are a guest, yes, but just like the wedding, you're a working guest. So ask the bride's mom and maid-of-honor what you can do to help. Maybe you can greet guests, hand out bridal bingo sheets, or keep a journal of gifts. Whatever anyone needs, you be there.

Gifts.
You should give a gift. I know, it's a lot of money to be a bridesmaid. You have to buy a dress and shoes, contribute to the parties, and then give gifts. It's a lot, so start saving now. If you can't afford a gift, you need to bring a card. Write a really sweet note about how you are so excited to celebrate the bride's special day with her and how incredibly happy you are that she found the perfect man to spend the rest of her life with.

Help.
If the bride needs your help, you need to be there for her. If she wants someone to go shoe shopping with and you're free, go shopping with her. And if you can't, be on standby on your phone, ready to get photos texted to you. Same goes with wedding and bridesmaid dress shopping.

Lend your advice and lend your ear. If she needs to complain about vendors or late RSVP's, and she calls you, answer your phone. And if you go a little while without hearing from her, reach out with a quick text and see how everything is going.

And the best help you can be is to always be Team Bride. No matter what she says, be on her side. Be her cheerleader, be in her corner, and -- more than anything else -- do not fight with the other bridesmaids. If you disagree with them or don't like them, fine. No big deal. You don't have to be BFF's with these girls after the wedding. But you have to get along with them, you have to find a way to make peace even if it's hard. Because the last thing the bride needs, on top of choosing a wedding song and creating a seating chart, is to hear you complaining about one of the other bridesmaids.

Rehearsal/Rehearsal Dinner.
You are required to be at the wedding rehearsal, which is usually the night before the wedding, followed by the rehearsal dinner. You need to go to the dinner too. When you're at the rehearsal, pay attention. You'll find out who you are walking with, behind, where to sit during the ceremony, when you're reading (if you are), etc. You'll have to remember that all at the wedding, so do your best to pay attention and do what needs to be done the next day.

Wedding.
On the wedding day, you are responsible for anything and everything the bride needs. If she hands you a hair tie and asks you to keep track of it for her all day in case she needs one, you better put your life into that hair tie.

Other than that, it's your job to be on time, to keep the bride calm, walk down the aisle with whoever she picks, take group photos, and keep the party going. You need to be a social butterfly at the wedding itself. Talk to everyone, even if you don't know them. Dance to every song, and encourage other guests to dance if they're not. Get the party started and keep it going all night.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Which of these bridesmaid duties were you least familiar with?

DIY Bridesmaids Boxes

I really believe that every part of your wedding needs to be special. Every aspect is a way to be sentimental and stand out. I mean, you only get one chance at everything. There are no redos. So why not go all out?

That's how I feel about asking your friends to be in your bridal party. Oh sure, you can just ask them casually ... or you can be inspired and do something special that they will really remember.

That's exactly what my Twitter friend Lydia did. She asked her girls first, then she presented them with these beautiful bridesmaids boxes. I'm in love with them.

DIY Bridesmaids Boxes

What You'll Need:

• Wood boxes
• White marker
• Fake flowers
• Light up ring
• Star decals
• Ribbon
• Blue scrapbook paper
• Spray paint
• Barefoot pink moscato (That's what she used. You can grab your favorite)
• Label stickers
• Ring Pops
• Glue

What You'll Do:

Remove the little clasps on the box and fill the holes with glue.

Spray paint the boxes.

Although it looks like she used chalkboard to write the names on the boxes, it's actually not. It's a mix of printed and handwritten, so I'm going to let Lydia explain exactly how she did it because modifying her words might make it a little confusing:

The font is called KG Eyes Wide Open and I downloaded that for free from dafont.com I changed it a little in Photoshop white color then added a thick stroke so it would be an outline, printed that out, and then on the backside of the paper, shaded it with pencil, then traced it onto the scrapbook paper (this is the best and easiest way to do this and get awesome font styles!) The inside, I kept it in its regular style. Then outlined with the marker, I love that it kind of looks like a chalkboard, my cousin actually thought it was! I was able to slide the scrapbook paper into the top part of the box and fit it under the wood; I did glue it just for extra measure.

Tie the light up ring around the "diamond" with the ribbon, then glue the ribbon to the box.
Add a Ring Pop.

She even created the labels for the wine in the same font. The text up top says The Smith-Jones wedding (okay, no, it doesn't, but just pretend the bride and groom's last names are Smith and Jones and you get the idea). She put a small maraca image on both sides of the text because, if you remember, this is the same Lydia planned a Tex/Mex/Fiesta wedding (and the reason behind my Fiesta Wedding Inspiration Board). Her colors are navy, white, and pink, so it was great for her to incorporate her color scheme into these.

They're really adorable. Imagine receiving one. Is there any way you could say no to being her bridesmaid? (Actually, she told me she had verbally asked them months before this, just to make sure they wanted and were able to be a part of her big day, and she gave them these beautiful boxes later as a surprise).

In case you're curious, I "proposed" to my bridesmaids when I asked them to be a part of our wedding party. You can see that in this post.

Be sure to tweet Lydia at @lgtz85 and let her know you saw her amazing creations on A Bride On A Budget.

BRIDAL BABBLE: How did you ask your friends to be your bridesmaids?

Need a bridesmaids thank you gift?
Check out our Top Ten Bridesmaids Gift Ideas post.

Bridesmaids Gift Idea: Knot Jewelry

I'm a huge fan of puns. If you remember, our engagement party favors had personalized peppermint patties that said "mint to be" on them. Knot jewelry to thank your bridesmaids for helping you tie the knot absolutely falls in line with my favorite puns.

I figured I can't be the only one who has had this idea, so I went through a bunch of items and picked out my favorite knot jewelry pieces (so you don't have to search; you can just shop).

Bridesmaids Gift Idea: Knot Jewelry

• Tiffany Twist Knot Pendant
• Sterling Silver Wire Infinity Knot Ring
• Bling Jewelry Sterling Silver Twist Wire Love Knot Stud Earrings 
• Alex and Ani Celtic Knot Charm Russian-Gold Expandable Bangle Bar Bracelet 
• Brinley Co. Knotted 2-Piece Ring in Gold Fill and Sterling Silver
• Szul Jewelry 10K White Gold Round Cut Diamond Knot Pendant 
• Sterling Silver Love Knot Bangle 

BRIDAL BABBLE: What is your favorite knot item in the list?

Looking for more bridesmaid gift ideas?
Check out our Top Ten Bridesmaids Gift Ideas.