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When planning your wedding, chances are you already have an idea of who you want your bridesmaids to be – those magical gals that are there for you through thick ‘n’ thin: your ride-or-dies!
Planning your big day – and indeed the day itself – is a mammoth task, and the bridesmaids play a huge part in helping to organise everything, as well as making every step heaps of fun!
So why not show your appreciation by orchestrating a beautiful set of DIY bridesmaid boxes to “propose” to the special ladies in your life?!
Read More: 10 Hen Party Games to Ensure Heaps of Bridal Shower Fun!
Bridesmaid Boxes DIY
We totally get it – there’s so much to plan and do when preparing for your big day and sometimes finding the inspo can be challenging.
If you’re not sure where to begin with your bridesmaid boxes DIY, we’re here to lend a helping hand….
What is a Bridesmaid Proposal Box?
If you’re not sure what a bridesmaid proposal box even is, that’s okay. They’re a relatively new wedding prep trend.
A bridesmaid proposal box is a small box that is decorated and gifted to the would-be bridesmaids in question and contains a selection of small gifts, as well as a card or note asking if the recipient would do you the honour of being a part of the wedding party. Sometimes the proposal can be painted or etched into the box.
Many brides like to personalise each box by including gifts dedicated to each bridesmaid in particular, such as personalised scented candles, personalised wine glasses, or a personalised makeup bag.
Other gifts you can pop in each box include mini bottles of alcohol, jewellery, bath products, sweets/chocolates, gift cards, and other little treats, keepsakes, or trinkets.
Photography by Wildling Weddings
Bridesmaid Boxes DIY: Top Tips
Make it Personal!
Of course, the beauty of the bridesmaid box is that your approach is entirely up to you, but there are a few tactics worth adopting to guarantee a “hell yes!” from your favourite ladies.
The first is to opt for a personalised approach to each box. This means emblazoning the boxes with each friend’s name – and we don’t mean scribbling it on with a blue Biro!
Instead, why not opt for getting one or two items, such as a notebook or makeup bag, professionally etched with each bridesmaid’s name?
This little personal touch will make your would-be bridesmaids feel super special and will guarantee their role within your bridal party!
Go with a Colour Scheme/Theme
It’s likely you’ll already be fairly set on your wedding colour scheme, so why not tie that in with your bridesmaid proposal boxes? This will give you a chance to put your creativity into action to see your wedding colours in motion.
The same goes for brides who are planning on having a themed wedding – this just helps make every aspect of the planning part uniform with your creative goals.
Photography by Wildling Weddings
Set a Budget - And Stick to It!
One of the appeals of the DIY approach is that you don’t have to spend half of your wedding budget on making your bridesmaids’ boxes – instead, you can create something special without going overboard with cost.
A good way to plan what to put in each box is to have a strict budget (for example, £10 per box).
Be Flexible with Gift Ideas
Many of us have a girl gang made up of a mixed bag of ladies. For example, your 3 besties could be the princess, the tomboy, and the goth – meaning a set itinerary of gifts may not be ideal or appreciated by all.
Again, individualised attention to detail will show your special ladies that you see them and appreciate their uniqueness.
Incorporate Humour
Planning and executing a wedding shouldn’t be 100% serious through ‘n’ through – quite the opposite. Yes, it can be stressful and time-consuming, but you should also enjoy the process and find space to have a giggle.
This also goes for your bridesmaid boxes too. Again, this is a creative process that allows you to add your own touch, which can include in-jokes, funny/silly gifts, and anything that brings that group together over laughter.
Be Sustainable
Wherever possible, it’s good to be sustainable and environmentally friendly when preparing for your wedding, and a DIY bridesmaid box is a great way to show your ladies you care at no expense of the environment.
Consider using recycled cardboard for the boxes themselves. As for the gifts, it can be great to shop from indie stores to do your bit for the local economy. Finally, make sure any disposable materials (such as fillers, confetti, glitter, etc.) are fully recyclable/biodegradable.
Go a Little ‘Extra’ for the Maid of Honour & Flower Girl
Your maid of honour is going to be at your beck and call throughout the wedding and the run-up, so it’s okay to make her box a little extra special to show your appreciation.
The same goes for the flower girl – it can be a nice touch to create a special box for the little lady on flower duty and will make her feel important and appreciated for her part in your big day.
Photography by Wildling Weddings
DIY Bridesmaid Proposal Box Ideas
Let’s get down to the fun part: whipping up some epic bridesmaid box ideas. For some bridesmaid box inspo, your boxes can contain one or more of the following:
- Food/perishable items: This can be a miniature bottle of each lady’s favourite fizz/alcohol, sweets/chocolate, or even fresh food, like freshly-baked doughnuts.
- Something personalised: You will find plenty of personalised bridesmaid proposal box ideas online, but some items to consider include stationary, a glass/mug, a compact mirror, a photo frame (plus a photo of you and the bridesmaid in question), a mini succulent in a ceramic planter (with her name emblazoned on the pot), and more – the sky is the limit!
- A unanimous item that makes you all part of a team: for example, a pair of white sunglasses, a corsage, nail polish you want everyone to wear, etc.
- A scented candle: Scented candles are almost always appreciated and make for a good proposal box item.
- A card: Many brides like to include a card with the ‘proposal’ on it, while others will find a way to incorporate it within the box, such as having it written on the front/top of the box.
- Soap/bath bomb/bath stuff: 99.9% of the female race love something that smells good that goes in the bath!
- Something that represents celebration: Again, you can do this by including a mini bottle of champagne in each box, but other ideas include party poppers, a personalised champagne glass, confetti, and so on.
- A cute pair of socks: These can be personalised or you can opt for your wedding colours.
- Jewellery: Jewellery is a popular bridal box idea, as there are so many ideas to work with – and that doesn’t mean breaking the bank on 23-carat gold! Instead, you can go for bangles (again, these can include names or initials), white crystal rings/pendants (moonstone, clear quartz, Herkimer diamond, etc.), a cute anklet, or a hair accessory.
- Pampering items: This could be face/sheet masks, bath salts, a massage wand, body butter, or anything that your wedding crew can use on the morning to get gussied up for the big day!
- A personalised clutch bag (again, think wedding colours!).
- Pyjama sets/matching dressing gowns: If you’re having a beach wedding, matching, colour-coordinated flip-flops can be a nice idea!
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, the bridesmaid proposal box is entirely up to you and how you want to express your love for those special gals. The sky is the limit when it comes to creativity and you can spend however much you choose – it’ll be fabulous no matter what!
Bridesmaid Boxes DIY: FAQs
Some of the items you can include in your bridesmaid boxes/maid of honour boxes:
- A mini bottle of champagne
- Jewellery
- Stationary
- A scented candle
- Chocolates/Small snacks
- A personalised wine glass
- Gift cards
- Bath bombs
- Floral corsage
- Makeup/body/bath items
Bridesmaid box costs can vary from budget to budget, but ultimately, the money you spend is down to you and what you wish to include (and how many bridesmaids you are planning on having).
Making your own bridesmaid boxes adds a thoughtful, personalised element that is also cost-effective and more environmentally friendly. It also allows you to tailor each box to each bridesmaid, which can be a nice touch.
Once you’ve settled on the items you wish to include within the boxes, you will need to make/source your boxes. How you do this is up to you.
Many brides like to use wooden boxes, which they may paint gold or silver, or whatever their choice of wedding colours will be, whereas others will use cardboard wrapped in pretty gift-wrap. It’s really up to you and how much you wish to spend.
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