Gifts to give each other
As you select special wedding gifts for your bridesmaids, flower girl and parents, don’t forget about that most special someone on your list! Not sure what to get your sweetie? Wedding gifts between the bride and groom need not follow any tradition, nor must they cost a fortune; they need only be personal, and come from the heart. Read on for some thoughtful gift ideas.
The Boudoir Bride
How about surprising your groom with a peek at your passionate side? Boudoir photography is a hot new trend that's especially popular as a wedding day gift from a bride to her groom.
Fairbanks photographer Breanne Kessler stumbled on boudoir photography soon after she established her portrait business – formerly limited to “babies, bellies and brides,” she says – at Eielson Air Force Base. The boudoir portraits – of everyday women in sultry yet elegant poses – seemed to bring out a previously undercover sparkle in many. “I loved the images and their philosophy of helping women,” she says. Since then, she’s been taking “tastefully sexy” photos of women, and has seen her business boom. About 95 percent of her business is boudoir photography.
Some of her best customers are brides-to-be. When she took some samples to a local wedding expo, jaws dropped. “It just had brides amazed,” she says. “People said, ‘I’ve never heard or thought of this.’ ” Many of her clients want to give their future husbands a very personal gift. Some women pose wearing their husbands’ sports jerseys or military fatigues, others go sexier with “implied nudity” – posing under a sheet or behind a chair. A boudoir photography session is nothing like a Hustler photo shoot, she promises. “I don’t shoot full frontal nudity,” she says. “It is immensely important for it to be sexy, beautiful, classy and tasteful.”
It’s also important, she says, for women to feel totally comfortable about their poses. In the end, Kessler says the gift is often to the women themselves. “They say, ‘oh my gosh, I didn’t know I was that beautiful.’ ”
Other gift ideas...
Honeymooning: A gift to use on your honeymoon – like scuba lessons or spa treatments – will put your minds on the relaxing unwind time ahead of you.
Memories: Shoeboxes of pictures waiting for a rainy day and a scanner are no longer a lost cause. Scanmyphotos.com will professionally scan up to 1,000 printed photos and transfer them to a DVD for $50. They can return the originals in two or three business days after the scan, too.
Custom: A belt with custom leatherwork – your names or a special quote or date – is a lasting gift he’ll remember every time he puts it on. Other customizable options include cufflinks, a watch, a bracelet or other jewelry that can be engraved. Apex Custom Engraving in Fairbanks (apexcustomengraving.com) can help you out.
Wine: A great bottle of wine and a note: “Not to be opened until our (10th, 25th) anniversary.”
Puppy love: Have you talked about getting a pet? Give a gift certificate to a local humane society or animal shelter and then pick out a dog or cat when you return from your honeymoon.
Soundtrack: A soundtrack to your relationship – featuring meaningful and memorable songs, like the first one you danced to or one that was constantly on the radio during the summer you started dating – is a personal and inexpensive gift. And with iTunes and other online music download sources, it's never been easier to track down hard-to-find tunes.
Massages: A gift certificate for a relaxing massage (captaincook.com) will erase the stress of gathered family.
Get framed: Frame a special old drawing or artwork from childhood. Or frame your wedding vows or a favorite love poem.
Family tree: A beautifully drawn family tree – with your new spouse included – shows them about the family they are joining. Or an heirloom from your family welcoming your spouse.
Art: Give a gift certificate to a local gallery like Artique Ltd. in Anchorage to pick out a piece of art – together – for your new home. Or pick out a print, painting, or sculpture by one of his favorite artists.
Love letter: In an effort to save on the extensive costs of a wedding, some couples opt not to exchange gifts other than their wedding bands and the honeymoon they’ll share. If you decide not to swap gifts, consider sending a sweet handwritten love note – something you both can cherish for a lifetime.
