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Asking someone to be a part of your wedding party can be a daunting prospect, and many don’t know where to start when it comes to planning the special moment and how to make it personal and meaningful.

You’re heading down the aisle and you and your husband-to-be both want your favourite people by your side, so how do you ‘pop’ the question to your bridesmaids and groomsmen? In this article, we talk about 5 ways to ask your besties to be in your wedding party, from simple invitations to personalised gestures, carry on reading to find out more.

Invitation jewellery

This one is perfect for the bridesmaids but can be adapted for the groomsmen too. A personalised gift is perfect for the couple that wants to go the extra mile and show the importance of the question they are asking, so personalised jewellery is a superb option. Jewellery not only lasts a lifetime, but the recipient will be able to wear the items during the wedding day, so they can remember the special friendship that you both have whilst enjoying the celebrations.

Necklace or bracelet

For the ladies, a personalised necklace or bracelet can be a lovely way to ask the all-important question. Engrave the items with some special words; ‘will you be my bridesmaid?’ the date of the wedding or their name, no matter what it says, the answer is bound to be yes.

Not On The Highstreet feature some lovely personalised jewellery items including letter necklaces, tie the knot earrings and infinity knot bracelets, the perfect items for the perfect bridesmaid. You can go as big or as little as you like, and some brides decide to buy something a little more expensive for the maid of honour to say thank you in advance for their duties.

Cufflinks

What could be more practical for the groomsmen than a set of cufflinks for them to wear on the big day? You could add a personalised message to the top of the box, the date onto each of the cufflinks or their initials, creating the perfect memento to remind them of the day they stood by your side.

Customise a gift box

A popular choice is a customised gift box filled with wedding style goodies and a few gifts for the recipients. A gesture that can be completely customised to your bridesmaids or groomsmen

exacting tastes and each and every box can be different. These sorts of boxes are usually engraved or styled with a special message and are filled with a plethora of goodies as well as the special note itself.

For the bridesmaids

Fill it to the brim with confetti, mini bottles of bubbles, face masks, sweet treats, nail polish and many more options. A few other special gifts you could include:

• Their favourite coffee
• Jewellery
• Chocolate
• A photo of you both
• Personalised clutch bag
• Perfumes
• A corsage

For the groomsmen

A groomsmen’s box is also a thoughtful idea for the groom who doesn’t know what to get his friends. Fill it with their favourite tipples, chocolates, fragrances or add some essentials like socks, a tie for the big day or a tie pin. Other gifts could include

• Sweets
• Personalised hip flask
• Grooming kit
• Bottle opener
• Engraved keyring
• Personalised washbag

Take them for a meal

Not everyone wants to make the occasion a big one full of gestures, sometimes your friendship is enough to show someone how much you care and want them to be a part of your big day.

Going out for a meal, afternoon tea or for a picnic in the park are nice occasions to ask the all-important question. We spoke to Ellie Gillard a wedding photographer and blogger, she told us why she doesn’t think it is always necessary to make a big occasion of asking someone to be in your wedding party:

"I'm a big fan of being direct and honest, and I think your bridal party should be your closest friends and allies, those who you can trust to support you in the run-up and on the day. With that in mind, I don't think you need any gimmicks in order to ask people to be by your side on your wedding day. Pick up the phone, take them for drinks or dinner and just ask them outright. I'm sure they'll be absolutely delighted to be part of your big day."

Design a frame

What better way to evoke happy memories than with a photo or personalised print in a frame? Engrave a special frame and add your favourite photo of you both and present it beautifully wrapped with a bow and a tag. A gesture like this will last a lifetime, and the memories will always be on display in their home.

“A rustic-loving ‘Be My Bridesmaid/Maid of Honour?’ wooden frame with your bridesmaid or Maid of Honour’s name and a dress design engraved on it. Pop a memorable pic of you with each of your best mates in their special frames” is another idea from Confetti Day Dreams.

If you want to head in the hand-made direction, you could create a whole photo album with your favourite photos enclosed and add your special messages throughout. Get creative and add some of your favourite memories or go the extra mile and create a friendship scrapbook full of memories, tickets, photos and any other souvenirs you may have from your travels or experiences together.

A personalised drink

Everyone loves a new bottle of their favourite drink, so alcoholic or non-alcoholic, why not personalise their favourite bottle with your own message? There are hundreds of companies who will add a special message or even a photo onto a bottle of your choice so you can serve it to your friends when you want to ask them the question.

A magnum of their favourite wine, prosecco or spirits, you could even accompany it with a hip flask or decorated glass for them to drink it out of, either way, you know that it’s not going to go to waste.

No matter how you ask the special people in your life to be a part of your special day, they are bound to say yes. If you still have some planning to do, why not get in contact today about tipi marquee hire, and we can help you plan your perfect day? We offer tipi tent hire for bespoke wedding parties and celebrations, so we have the perfect tipi tent for every occasion.