You’ve settled on your dream bride squad and now it’s time for the bridesmaid proposals! Proposing to your bridesmaids might seem like a straightforward task, but there’s a lot to consider including gifts to give and the type of setting you’d like for the proposal.
In this article, we recommend some theme ideas which will help you decide how you want to propose, and then we look at some gorgeous proposal gifts which will come in handy for the wedding!
How To Ask Someone To Be A Bridesmaid
Hopefully, you will have already read our guide on How To Choose Your Dream Bridal Party and now you’re here to look at all of the lovely ways to pop the big question!
Firstly, when it comes to your bridesmaid proposal, we recommend doing it in a way that reflects your friendship.
From Leanne (Chief Editor)
” The bridesmaid proposals I’ve experienced so far have been so beautiful and memorable. My cousin proposed to me before we headed out together for some co*cktails. It was a lovely moment – she gave me a beautifully written card and a bouquet of flowers. It wasn’t over the top – it was perfect for us because we have a very close sisterly friendship.
The key is to keep it sentimental and you can’t go wrong!”
1) Proposal Over Dinner
We love the idea of proposing to your bestie when you’re both out doing your regular thing – whether that’s a bite to eat, or a morning coffee. This way, she will have no idea you’re planning to propose.
We love the idea of something simple but special, like dinner at a restaurant or evening co*cktails. For inspiration we’ve shown Natalie’s proposal dinner at the Malmaison, which we thought looked really sentimental.
2) Rent Out A Venue
Although this is a slightly pricier idea, renting out a venue for the bridesmaid proposal is something that is becoming more popular. This post by The Pretty Box London shows a gorgeous venue with a bridesmaid gift box on each place setting. This is a lovely idea and the perfect way to celebrate in style with your girls. You could use this as an opportunity to have your bridal shower too, and pair both of the occasions together!
3) Host A Proposal Party At Home
Why not keep costs down and host a proposal party at home over pretty a picnic or afternoon tea? There are plenty of grazing board tutorials on YouTube which show you how to style a picnic table like the pros!
Create a lovely tablescape with balloons, bunting and pretty dinnerware to dress up the occasion. We love this setup below with the heart balloon decorations attached to each gift box.
The best thing about a bridesmaid proposal at home means you could even have the girls stay over for a sleepover!
4) Letterbox Proposal For Long Distance Friendships
If your bridesmaids live far away or in another city, you can still propose to her from a distance and make it just as special!
Sending a thoughtful card or a letterbox gift with a special message will come as a lovely surprise to her. There are plenty of small letterbox gifts on the market that can be personalised which will add that extra touch. We especially love these photo boxes from Sprinkle More Joy from Not On The High Street below.
5) A Proposal Poem
If your budget is tight, or you have a very casual friendship with your bridesmaid-to-be where you don’t often buy gifts for each other, then a poem could be the perfect way to propose. You can whip out your poem at any time and any place!
From Leanne (Chief Editor)
During the Covid lockdown, my long time school friend sent me a video of herself reading a gorgeous proposal poem. It was simple but so lovely and something I really wasn’t expecting! It showed me that sometimes the frills and gifts don’t matter (as lovely and thoughtful as they are!). It’s about the message and how special it is in the moment to be asked.
You could either write a poem yourself to make it personal to your friendship, or you could find a pre-written poem if you struggle to write your own. You could frame the poem for her as a small keepsake that she can look back on when the wedding is over.
Bridesmaid Proposal Gift Ideas
Now onto the fun part! Below you’ll find our top bridesmaid proposal gifts that she will love, which will also come in handy for the wedding.
When proposing to your bridesmaids, it is best to give them gifts they will use in the lead-up to the wedding. There are some essentials that you or your bridesmaids will need to buy – like robes, hangers, bridesmaid hair accessories and more. Why not buy one of these essentials for the bridesmaid proposal, so that you don’t need to buy them closer to the wedding? Here are some of our ideas below!
Bridesmaid Robes
Bridesmaid robes make a beautifully presented gift and they are also a useful item (some might even say essential!) for the morning of the wedding. On the morning of the wedding, it is usual for the photographer to come into the bridal suite and take photos of the bridal party getting ready. The last thing you want is your bridesmaid in her sponge bob squarepants pjs (LOL), when your photographer is trying to create a romantic wedding photo album.
Our favourite luxury and affordable bridesmaid robes are below that we feel make lovely bridesmaid proposal gifts.
Affordable Choice
We love these bridesmaid robes on Etsy by Emma Jane. These robes start at only £25.99 for plain robes or £29.99 for personalised options.
The robes in this Etsy shop are all satin material which looks super luxurious, and they come in a lovely range of wedding colours from sage green, mauve and gold.
Luxury Choice
Meeka is a handcrafted sleepwear boutique who have some stunning bridal robes in its range. Their bridal robes are made from 100% organic cotton and have embroidery options in different colours.
On the slightly more expensive side, these robes start at £54 without personalisation, however, they are perfect for everyday use too – so they’ll come in handy even after the wedding.
Hair Accessories
Hair accessories are a great gift idea for your bridesmaids. Why not consider a luxury scrunchie for the morning of the wedding to add to your proposal box or gift bag? A slightly more luxurious gift option could be a lovely hair slide or pin for their wedding hairstyle. Iff you decide to go with the hair slide, just remember that you’ll need to research your bridesmaid hair ideas at the time of proposing to your bridesmaids.
We love these real silk scrunchies on Amazon from The Hen Planner. These were a lovely find as it isn’t often you can find high quality, luxury wedding items on Amazon.
These are made from 19 momme silk, and they come presented on an ivory gold foiled card for “Bridesmaid” or “Maid Of Honour”. We think these would look stunning in a gift box.
This lovely bridal hair slide will go perfectly with most up-dos – so if you’re planning on having the girls’ hair up for the day of the wedding, why not propose with a lovely elegant slide like this?
With pearls and crystal stones, it is simple but so pretty and it doesn’t break the bank at only £12.99 per hair slide.
We would suggest carrying out more research into hair styles first for your bridesmaids before committing, however!
Clutch Bag
Bridesmaid bags are another accessory (usually left to the last minute!) which would make a lovely bridesmaid proposal gift idea. We have given some options below that we seen and loved!
Luxury Option
Over at Katie Loxton, you’ll find a stunning range of bags and accessories. We love the pouches with the gold ‘bridesmaid’ design on the front, and the secret message on the inside. These are beautiful for a bridesmaid proposal and come in super handy for the day of the wedding!
The prices of these style bags start from £17.99.
Budget Friendly Option
Similar to the Katie Loxton style pouch, GETITGIRL on Etsy has beautiful neutral colours to choose from and the clutch bags can be personalised with gold stamped initials. Perfect so the bridesmaids know whose bag belongs to who on the day!
Starting from £9.99, these are such a bargain if you’re on a budget.
Jewellery
Jewellery makes a lovely, thoughtful gift for the bridesmaids especially for their proposal, as you can buy something that they can wear on the day of the wedding (making the gift even more special!).
By adding a piece of jewellery to your bridesmaid proposal gift, it means that you can also ensure all of the bridesmaids will have matching accessories on the day! Of course, you could choose to give them jewellery as a thank-you gift rather than a bridesmaid proposal gift – either is fine! Our favourite bracelets and necklaces are below.
Luxury Option
Bloom Boutique has a gorgeous range of bridal jewellery perfect for the day of the wedding.
This elegant bridesmaid bracelet is perfect for a thank you or bridesmaid proposal gift. This bracelet would look beautiful paired with any coloured bridesmaid dress, so this makes a safe choice if you still haven’t decided on the style or colours.
This bracelet is £22. It doesn’t break the bank but looks so dainty and elegant.
Budget Friendly
Our budget friendly option is this gorgeous ‘I can’t say I do without you” necklace. We love that these necklaces are minimalist, especially if you’ve not yet chosen the bridesmaid dresses.
These necklaces can be personalised with the initial of her first name which makes a lovely touch.
Choose a birth stone for each bridesmaid or a uniform colour for them all to wear.
Proposal Gift Cards
If your budget is small and you want to gift the bridesmaids on the day on the wedding, there’s nothing wrong with a pretty card to give on its’ own, or pair it with a bottle of prosecco or a pretty bouquet. Here is a small roundup of our favourite ‘will you be my bridesmaid?’ cards below.
This card from Little Paper Bird UK on Etsy is cute and lighthearted with text that reads “I promise I won’t make you wear an ugly dress”.
The design is printed on a high quality textured card. This would look gorgeous in a bridesmaid gift box or on it’s own for your bridesmaid to be!
You can customise the card to maid of honour, chief bridesmaid, bridesmaid and other options.
For something slightly different, we chose to feature this gorgeous gold foiled card from Eliza May Prints on Etsy.
The design of this card is minimal but elegant and comes in two colours (white or blush pink).
This a6 card also makes the perfect size for fitting into a small proposal box.
If you need a card fast, our favourite Amazon choice is this card from JoliCoon. This card is dispatched by Amazon so it should arrive within 2 days.
This card has a lovely wax seal that comes with it which is a lovely added touch.
I hope this article has helped you with ideas and ways to propose to your bridesmaids. We’d love to see your proposal ideas on Instagram, so don’t forget to follow and tag us when you pop the big question!
