I have been witness and victim to one too many mortifyingly bad bridesmaid's dresses. From 1980's purple sateen prom dress look-a-likes to gothic, Elvira numbers, bridesmaid dresses are surely made to assure the bride that she will be the only woman within a 10 mile radius that actually looks good. And when you punish these girls who are meant to be your best friends and confidants....the least a bride can do is give them a decent gift!

Bridesmaids are often the purveyors of what little sanity and humor a girl may have on her "big day". They are the ones to sneak in the flask, find a safety pin out of thin air, run a mile in heels to grab a bottle of hairspray to save the bride's up-do.....all while made to look like Mae West or a mint green cupcake.

And with all of the last minute wedding details, how is a bride to remember or even be able to pick out a gift that shows her girls how special they are and how much she appreciates them? And what would make a good gift? Nowadays, thanks to the internet, brides have a plethora of places to go to find gifts for their wedding party. Gifts with meaning, well priced and in most cases already wrapped and ready to go.

Bridesmaid gifts don't have to be difficult to come by or a stressful last minute detail, nor do they have to be boring and "traditional". From the comfort of her own home and in her pajamas, any bride can browse and pick out mementos that let her wedding party know how much they mean to her and which make up for the embarrasment of being immortalized in pictures wearing taffeta and velvet concoctions. Nowadays, there are such a wide variety of gifts availabe that range from the sentimental and sweet, to the quirky and fun. There truly is something to match everybody's personality.

I wish I had had an option like this when I got married! Of course, my wedding party wore fabulous, chic little dresses......but I'm sure a present that said "thank you, you are priceless" would have just added to their joy, rather than just the usual candle and bath salts gift combo. Because lord knows, those girls were my sanity that day! So, be kind to your bridesmaids, especially if you don't plan to have them look like fashionistas on a runway, at least make sure they have a little something to take away with them that lets them know you appreciate them. Who else is going to let you know you have spinach stuck on your front tooth before you walk down the aisle?