5 Last Minute V-Day Gifts Just For Him

It's Monday; Valentine's Day is this Friday.  You have exactly 4 days to pull this off. 

Backyard Bride has you covered, you crazy procrastinator, you.

5 Last Minute V-Day Gifts Just for Him

1. Bake him heart cupcakes.
    

   

   How-to recipe here.

2. Romantic bubble bath for two.

   

3. Put a (sexy but tasteful) photo of yourself in a frame.
   
4. Take a road trip to nowhere.
   
5. Write him a hand-written love letter.
   

The best part - most of these are (almost) free.

"Will You Be My Bridesmaid?" Poem + Cookie

When I was planning my first wedding (and yes, thanks to Hurricane Sandy I basically planned two weddings), I was going to have 6 bridesmaids.  On my actual wedding day, because our guest list was so small, I actually only had my sister as my M-O-H and Brian only had a Best Man. 

Anyway, I originally wanted my sister plus my 5 closest girlfriends to be my bridesmaids.  There are some really cute and clever ways to ask your friends to be your bridesmaids.  Personally, I wanted to get them each a small gift that would match the color scheme I had chosen for my wedding.  I also wanted to ask them to be my bridal party by writing a poem.  There is no greater pleasure in life for me than writing bridal poems.  Yes, I'm serious.  Yes, I know that makes me a giant dork.

I reached out to my friend who makes really yummy and really beautiful baked goods.  I wanted her to make giant sugar cookies in the shapes of bridesmaid dresses (in yellow - the color they would wear).  She went above and beyond and not only made dress cookies but she also made matching dress clutches and wrote each girl's name at the bottom of the cookie.

Adorable, right?  And she even made a bride's dress for me.  :)



She wrapped them individually in clear wrap and attached this poem that I wrote, to the packaging:

Will you “shower” me with a pretty lil’ party?

Will you hurry me along when I’m sure to be tardy?

Will you throw me a bachelorette that will go down in the books?

Will you please call me a Bridezilla if I give a dirty look?

Will you get a mani/pedi with me before the big day?

Will you make me smile when things don’t go my way?

Will you wipe my tears when I’m a weeping bride-to-be?

Will you hold my dress up when I have to pee?

Will you take too many pics and dance the night away?

Will you be my bridesmaid on my wedding day?

 

I think this pic of my friends, Daria & Lauren, shows just how much my bridesmaids loved their gift.  They all said "YES!" 

 

Ring Holders for Every Type of Bride-to-be

One of the best parts about getting engaged, aside from ya know, the sparkly diamond ring and the promise of forever is... the gifts!!

One of my favorite and most thoughtful gifts given to me after I got engaged was from my two closest BFFs.  It was a simple, beautiful ceramic ring holder.  That ring holder sits on my night stand and I use it every single day. 

A ring holder is the perfect engagement gift for a bride-to-be because it is practical, useful and allows her to beautifully display her new rock.  She will always know where to find her ring during those rare times she's not flashing it for all the world to see. 

My go-to gift for any of my girlfriends when they get engaged is a ring holder, a bunch of bridal mags and a bottle of bubbly.  And the best part is that there are so many fabulous and affordable ring holders to choose from, you can really personalize it to the bride.  Below is a list of my top favorite ring holder/bride combos:

1. For the world traveler...

 

These famous landmark ring holders from Anthropologie are absolutely perfect for the bride-to-be who plans on traveling the world with her new hubby.  Bonus if you they happen to be going to London or Paris on their honeymoon!

 

    2.  For the animal lover...

 

 

How precious is this baby elephant ring holder from Red Envelope?  And the fact that it's silver keeps it from looking too childlike.

 

    3.  For the eternal optimist...

Give this umbrella ring holder from umbra.com to the bride-to-be who is always willing to look at the sunny side in life.  And tell her to use this as a reminder that it's good luck if it rains on her wedding day.

 

    4.  For the dreamer...

 

 

This unicorn ring holder from Urban Outfitters should be gifted to any beaming bride who lives in a fantasy world or appreciates a touch of whimsy.

 

    5.  For the fashionista

 

This high heel ring holder (found on Amazon.com) gives your fashion-obsessed friend enough room to not only store her engagement ring, but her funky, chunky costume rings that she's always been famous for as well.

 

   6.  For the minimalist...

 

 





This classic ring holder from World Market is simple elegance and the ideal gift for any future bride who exudes understated beauty and Jackie O. style.  She wouldn't be caught dead without her string of pearls (and of course her engagement ring). 

 

Feel free to add to my list in the comments below!