When Do You Give Groomsmen Gifts?

You’ve identified them and all of them gave a resounding yes to be one of your groomsmen. There’s no way you can hide your excitement standing alongside these men on your wedding day. They are your best buddies. The ones who have been there whatever season in life you may be going through. They’ve been your number one encourager and critic too. They are the reason why you believe there are friends who stick closer than a brother. And no wonder, your biological brothers end up as part of your wedding party as well. You can be sure they have your back pre, during and post your wedding day.

Thanking these men for all their hard work and support is the most natural thing to do. Go beyond the natural by thinking of the best groomsmen gifts that you can find. Following a gift guide would really be helpful in picking gifts that your groomsmen will really love. Once you’re done choosing the best gift for each of them, it’s time to decide on the best time to give them to your groomsmen. Here are some of the most common moments from the least to the best time plus other options when they could be given:       

During the Wedding Reception    

This usually is your last chance to give your thank you gifts for your groomsmen. This is your moment to let them know how much you appreciate the time, resources and support they have extended to you to make your wedding day extra special. While the reception time may not always be the best time to give your groomsmen gifts because of the challenge of being too busy with everything that is happening during the reception and the fact that you will have to look for each one of them from the crowd, you wouldn’t dare miss this final chance to give it to them after all. The effort of finding them, thanking and handing the gift to them would be all worth it. Unless of course, you plan to have their cool groomsmen gifts you found online to be mailed out.

One cool gift you can give away during the reception is a personalized power mug or this bottle ganger beer mug. Instead of making use of a name card, you may use these gifts to indicate the spot of each groomsman at your reception.  Keep in mind that you wouldn’t want these men to be opening something which can take away their attention from the traditional things that are happening during the reception.     

An Hour Before the Wedding

Not one of the best times to give the gifts to your groomsmen as they may have already come prepared for the wedding. What’s good about this timing is that you already have them in one place and distributing the gift is no longer a challenge. It helps you forget about the pre-wedding jitters at least for the next 60 minutes as giving away the gifts have you preoccupied.   

This is also the best time to give gifts that your groomsmen will be using for the ceremony. Some of those gifts can be this set of watch and cufflinks, suspenders, a tie clip bar, a necktie or even a handkerchief.  Giving it to them at this time ensures that no one forgets to wear them for your wedding.

During the Bachelor Party

This is one of the best times to give your groomsmen gifts. Why? Well, it’s your alone time with your best buddies. Since the Bachelor Party is mostly celebrated before the rehearsal dinner, it will really help to have it planned ahead and schedule it one to two weeks before your wedding day. This will also give you ample time to spend with your groomsmen who have taken time to prepare this bachelor party just for you. It’s high time to thank them with gifts that they can enjoy at least a couple of weeks before the wedding. Distribute your gifts over dinner or at the place where all of you are staying for the Bachelor party.

Some of the best gifts you can give your groomsmen during the Bachelor party are flasks, cigar and lighters, decanters, or anything that can be useful for drinking and partying the night away. You can actually get some cool pictures with all of you using these items for the bachelor party. It is also best to give these gifts away when you have a place to store it, say when you’re staying in a hotel for the night or a place where you can leave the gifts while you party.    

During the Rehearsal Dinner

This is by far the most common time to give gifts for your groomsmen. The rehearsal dinner is the night before the wedding and probably the last night when you can all be together in one venue. You can be sure that you get to spend some time alone with your inner circle, making it the perfect time to thank and hand your gift to each and every one of them. It frees you from worrying about not being able to give their gift and most especially thank them for all that they have done for you and your wedding. The rehearsal dinner is the most convenient time to give out gifts as you also get to socialize with them and relay other important stuff for your wedding day.     

Giving out gifts that your groomsmen will be able to use for the wedding are the best gifts you can hand them on your rehearsal dinner. Gifts like socks, belt or this set of tie, tie clip and cufflinks are all functional and practical gifts that they can use and re-use not to mention gifts that will make your groomsmen looking all dapper and put-together on your special day.  

During the Engagement Party

While some may find it way too early to give gifts at this stage and are fearful that people might drop out of the party, giving out gifts during the engagement party is still one of the best options to give out groomsmen gifts if you are having a smaller party with your absolute closest friends and relatives. As you know, wedding preparation is time-consuming and the budget gets even tighter as the wedding gets closer. Giving out gifts at this time saves you both time and money as you won’t have to worry about missing out on giving and allotting the budget for their thank you gift.   

Other Options

You can also opt to give our groomsmen gifts during the morning after brunch or a groomsmen’s lunch especially if many of your guests are staying at a hotel. Distribute your groomsmen gifts and thank them for the many roles they have played for your wedding. It would be a good idea to inform your groomsmen beforehand that you’d be distributing your gifts at the morning brunch or they might leave early and you would have missed giving them their gift. It’s also the perfect time to breathe and relax with them after all the hectic schedule and preparations for your wedding.