by Lisa Linthicum

Created on: October 28, 2008

Groomsmen play a very important role in a wedding, so their appreciation gifts should be carefully selected. Ideally, the groomsmen gifts should be a lasting memento from the special day.

When shopping for the presents, there are some key factors that will help you make the perfect choice:

1. As with the wedding itself, consider your budget. How much can you afford to spend for each groomsmen gift? The options are almost endless, no matter your price range. So, don't be afraid of purchasing items that truly fit into your budget.

2. Do you want something traditional or non-traditional? You may want to look at the "flavor" of your wedding to help decide this. A close examination of the groomsmen themselves can also help determine the direction of the gifts. For example, if all of the groomsmen are extremely into playing poker together, then the groomsment gifts could be related to poker. If the groomsmen travel extensively, then the gifts could be something they use when traveling.

3. How much time do you have before the wedding? This matters in terms of ordering items and personalizing them. So make sure you allow enough time to have the items in hand to present them to your groomsmen on the wedding day.

Now for some fun ideas for groomsmen gifts:

Traditional groomsmen gifts include: Watches, money clips, and cuff links. As stated above, selecting these gifts might be great for some and not-so-great for others. If your groomsmen rarely wear a suit and tie, then cuff links are probably not the best choice. You want them to actually use and/or enjoy the gift. One website that has some nice options for traditional gifts is groomstop.com

There are lots of travel-related gifts available at a variety of price ranges. Many of the items can be personalized for that extra special touch. Some ideas in this category include: leather glove compartment organizers, personalized microfiber toiletry bags, personalized shoe bags, duffle bags, and travel valets. A nice source for some of these gifts is groomstand.com

Gifts for the sports buff are very plentiful. Personalized golf balls, Nappa leather clip on golf accessory bags, personalized fishing tackle boxes, stadium seats, and portable grills for tailgating make great gifts.

Other interesting options include personalized sterling silver koozies, poker chip sets, chess sets, wine decanters and luxurious robes. One final nice idea would be to host your groomsmen at a nearby resort a few months after the wedding to celebrate that your friendships survived the wedding.

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