Bridesmaid swag

Ladies (M, C, G, & H!), if you want to be surprised, stop reading NOW!!!

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Now that they're out of the way, let's begin.

I have a maid of honor and three bridesmaids. I'll just provide short introductions, because I'll be honest - I get really bored reading about other people's friends. 

Melissa, my maid of honor, has been my best friend since the summer before 6th grade. We've been through everything together. She is a much-loved elementary school orchestra teacher in Milwaukee (Shorewood actually) and is getting married in April! By that time I'll be her matron of honor.  :-P  Hate that term...

Christine (Chrissy) is a very close friend from middle/high school. She's a violist like me (though she played violin when we were in school together and switched about 6-7 years ago) and is getting her doctorate in viola performance at UW-Madison. She just got bangs and looks awesome. :-)

Gabby is a friend from grad school in Boston, though it's hard to believe we only met 6 years ago. We became friends really quickly, and we've been on many work-related trips together (Leipzig, Lucerne, Montgomery...). She's a phenomenal violinist who freelances in Boston and all over the world. We wear the same shade of makeup, which proves that we are sisters.

Hillary was there the night Tim and I met! We shared scorpion bowls at the Kong (website = much classier than restaurant). She's a really talented and creative composer who does a lot with electronics, and she's written pieces for Tim, me, and us as a duo. She also plays violin and is a great improvisor. She's working on her doctorate in composition at Harvard. (Tim and I often spend holidays with her amazing family in Maine.)

These amazing women are always there for me. They are really my friends for life. I really wanted to make up for the times that I haven't been able to buy them birthday/Xmas presents, or that I've been so busy I haven't made time for them. Basically, I wanted to get them really personal gifts that show them how much they mean to me. I got each of them a few of the same gifts but tried to personalize them, and then I got each one something personal.

OK, are you four still reading? Go away!!!

Ahem.

Now.

The first thing I bought for each of them (and each of the four groomsmen) is actually something Hillary gave me last Xmas in Maine. (Yes, I'm Jewish, but it was given to me on December 25!) It is seriously the BEST travel item I've ever owned, and since all four of them travel a lot, I thought it was perfect. Hillary's was lost with her luggage a year or so ago, so I know she doesn't have one anymore even though she's a diehard LL Bean Mainer!

L.L. Bean personal organizer

Each one of them will get the large size in a different color (well, two are getting purple), and the guys each get a medium black one (along with some other stuff).

Then I found some awesome pendants on Etsy, made with antique lace - each one is slightly different:

from Etsy seller WanderLustre, who even sent an extra pendant for me!! I also got matching silver rope chains for each one (from someone else), though unfortunately I didn't spring for very nice ones... so they kind of rip your hair out.  :-(

Each of them will get a silk shawl to match their dress (two are wearing berry, and two are wearing eggplant... both food colors! hee hee), silkscreened by Jes with the allium/fiddlehead graphic. I don't have pics of those yet, but the shawls are a pinky-champagne color, and the ink is the color of each dress.

Then I tried to think of something each of them would need/want that's not music-related. That's hard, because although they have diverse interests, I know them first and perhaps best as musicians.

But Chrissy loves to cook:

All-Clad measuring spoons

Gabby mentioned in passing that she really wanted a new ring to replace the one she's worn for years:

"slender water ring" from Etsy seller JSurine

Hillary loves snowflakes and snow, and she even has a snowflake tattoo:

Demeter Fragrance Library "Snow"

and Melissa has a Labradoodle, Sophie, who is her pride and joy:

gift certificate to Metropawlis in Milwaukee, their fave pet store... I wanted to get Sophie a new collar (I generally really don't like gift certificates), but Melissa's mom told me Sophie is *very* particular!

I'm curious - if you had/have a wedding party, what did you do to thank them? Did you buy all of them the same thing, or did you find specific things that you knew each one would love?