It's Better To Give Than To Receive

The Wedding Day is about the Bride & Groom, but the Rehearsal Dinner is about the Bride & Groom showing their appreciation for their support system. The Bride & Groom have asked their closest friends and family to each play a special part in their wedding celebration. Although it is an honor to be asked, it comes with a cost.

Bridesmaids:
Plan and pay for Bridal Shower/Bachelorette Party
Purchase bridesmaid dress
Purchase wedding day accessories, shoes,hair/makeup
Throughout the engagement are there for the Bride whenever she needs help with anything for the Big Day
Give Bridal Shower gift and Wedding gift
Help set up and/or clean up venues
Give toast
Set the weekends of the Bridal Shower, Bachelorette Party, and Wedding aside for only the Bride (may even need to travel out of town for each)
Groomsmen:
Plan and pay for Bachelor Party
Rent tux
Help with anything the Bride asks
Give a Wedding gift
Give toast
Set the weekend of the Bachelor Party and Wedding aside for only the Groom (may even need to travel out of town for both)
Immediate Family:
Permanent support system
Help plan and/or pay for Wedding and Rehearsal
Buy/rent new dress/tux
Help set up and/or clean up venues
Set weekends of Bridal Shower and Wedding aside for only the Bride & Groom
Hold a place of honor in the processional at the ceremony
Ceremony Participants:
Flower Girl
Attend Bridal Shower, Rehearsal, and Wedding
Buy new dress
Hold a place of honor in the processional at the ceremony
Ring Bearer
Attend Rehearsal and Wedding
Rent tux
Hold a place of honor in the processional at the ceremony
Usher
Attend Rehearsal and Wedding
Help set up and/or clean up venues
Prior to the start of the ceremony, ensure that everything/everyone is going according to plan
Reader
Attend Rehearsal and Wedding
Speak clearly in front of all guests at the ceremony
Other Special Participants
Attend Rehearsal and Wedding
Hold a place of honor during the ceremony to bring the Bride & Groom's vision for the day to life

Throughout the engagement and the wedding weekend, the Bride & Groom's support system has not only given financially for everything to look perfect, but they have also given their time and energy to be sure everything goes according to plan.

Gift Giving Guide:

There are no set etiquette rules for who should be given a gift or what gift should be given. The general rule of thumb is that the gift should be about 10-20% of what that person is spending for the celebration (ex. If a Bridesmaid is spending $500 between the Bridal Shower, Bachelorette Party, dress, hair, makeup, etc, then her thank you gift should be between $50-$100.) However, the Bride & Groom should consider what all they are asking of their closest friends and family when they do make their gifting decisions.

The earlier that the Bride & Groom start looking for ideas, the better. Allowing more time will pave the way for more thoughtful and personalized gifts instead of throwing something together 2 weeks before the wedding. Check stores early for deals and shop around- don't forget about Etsy (It makes it so easy to customize orders to be exactly what matches the wedding and each person in it). Not every ceremony participant has to be given a gift, but something to show appreciation for their time and relationship should be done to acknowledge them.

At the Rehearsal Dinner, welcome everyone and verbally/publicly thank them for taking time out of their lives to be there.
Hand-written thank you notes for each person to tell them what they mean to you and how appreciative you are for their time throughout the Engagement and Wedding.
Make the gift personal. (If a Bridesmaid is pregnant, it's probably not a great idea to give her a personalized wine glass)
There is no set rule that every person has to receive the same gift, but each should be about the same price per person.
Oftentimes, the personal touches are what mean the most to someone. (ex. adding creative notes to tie together the relationship with that person to the gift)
When in doubt on gifts, go practical!
Bridesmaids:
Jewelry, purse, shawl etc that they would have had to purchase for the wedding
Professionally done hair, makeup, and/or nails
Decorative luggage tag (doubles as a way to mark which dress belongs to which bridesmaid)
Robes for the wedding morning (if the girls are required to wear matching Wedding Morning outfits)
Travel-size containers- travel perfume, compact mirror, jewelry holder, emergency kit
Bridesmaid dress
Groomsmen:
Socks, tie, suspenders, cuff links etc that they would have had to purchase/rent for the Wedding
Pocketknife
Tux rental
Watch
Immediate Family:
Jewelry for wedding day
Watch
Embroidered handkerchief
Sentimental wedding photo frame and hand-written note
Weekend getaway
Ceremony Participants:
Flower Girl
Jewelry or purse for the wedding
Flower Girl dress
Professionally done nails
Ring Bearer
Socks, tie, suspenders, etc that would have had to be purchased/rented for the Wedding
Tux rental
Personalized duffel bag