OT: Groomsmen Gift Ideas

[PSUHusky]

Gents, need some help. Getting married this summer and really struggling trying to come up with ideas for groomsmen gifts. I'm trying to avoid the standard engraved flasks and come up with something that is unique/practical.

Would love to hear what some of you have done or any ideas you might have.

 

[NittanyBlue92]

I bought mini football helmets from the college each attended (you can order them no matter where they went as long as they have a football team) as well as initial engraved travel kit bags for each person...received good feedback on both gifts.

 

[asbury park]

A nice pocket knife. Something every man should have.

 

[Nitwit]

Seiko Sarb 065 cocktail watch

Classy and will last a lifetime. Must be direct ordered from Japan. approx $365. black band and sunburst dial.

 

[LionLen]

You can get Swiss Army knives engraved.

 

[Ranger Dan]

If ever there is a piece of advice that I can give, and you should take...

It is concerning groomsman gifts. I've been fortunate enough to be a groomsman in 5 weddings, and have been married once myself. DO NOT buy the groomsmen anything that has you and your wife's name and the date of your ceremony on it. This is a self indulgent waste of money. If your buddies wanted a pewter mug, stainless steel flask, etc. then they would already have bought it for themselves. And, if they did want one but haven't bought one yet, then they won't want one with your information on it. I realize that women are different, and they may get sentimental about the wedding and the beautiful day that they would appreciate a token to remember the day. Men don't give gifts to each other, we hang out, buy each other food/drinks, and appreciate that. So, take your buddies golfing (if that is what they like), or to a ball game, or buy them omaha steaks (that's what I did), or give them bourbon and cigars. For god's sake, stay the bleep out of that "things remembered" store in the mall.

 

[PhillipintheValley]

Roku or Apple TV
Bourbon of the month club for a year.

 

[tgar]

show some love and get each one of them an eightball of blow. it will be one crazy night. get back to us and let us know how crazy it got.
This post was edited on 3/22 5:27 PM by tgar

 

[aalion]

I had a small wedding but gave my best man a 10-pack season ticket to the Colorado rockies (his team).

 

[pandaczar12]

Re: If ever there is a piece of advice that I can give, and you should take...

He took the words out of my mouth, don't get them something they will have to keep for life in a box. Get them something consumable, Booze, tickets, or an experience. I got all my groomsman a very small gift, all personal. Such as a favorite bottle of booze.... But I paid for their tuxes. Being in my wedding didn't cost them anything but time. No man wants to be in a wedding, so make it as painless as possible.

If anyone ever needs a great wedding gift, surprise them with a bottle of Dom, and glasses with their name and date engraved, get the waitress to switch out the $5 Andre and plastic glasses as a surprise.

 

[lionville]

Good tickets to a ball game, and I included one for myself. Gave us a chance to get together after the wedding without the females.

 

[massimoManca II]

resist the crappy tchotchkies....

Get them really good toolboxes - a good Craftsman 5-drawer chest that sits on a workbench...you can get them in Stainless and even get them engraved with some embarrassing slogan for a couple hundred bucks total... They'll have it and they will use it until the day their box gets stuck into the ground

 

[rudedude]

Engraved flasks full of Pappy Van Winkle 20 year old bourbon!

 

[Player2BNamedL8r]

Best gift I ever got for being in a wedding is a leatherman...10 years old, and I still use it more than any other tool I own.

 

[massimoManca II]

engraved flasks.... Got a whole shelf of them in my garage/unused***

Shitty idea - unless you know someone who drinks from a flask...

Need that like i need an ashtray

 

[psualumni2002]

I'm getting married in May in Jamaica and buying my groomsmen their pants for the wedding. It was the most practical thing I could think of since we are not renting suits and I want us to all have the same shade of color pants.

 

[Still in State College]

Dozen personalized Pro V1's **

Aß

 

[kentuckycb]

I got my guys each a personalized pub sign for their future home bars/mancaves. It went over very well.

 

[rohrmd9]

Re: If ever there is a piece of advice that I can give, and you should take...

BINGO! We have a winner!

 

[psuro]

I got a Joe Paterno bobble head once. Kind of cool

Me likey

 

[EricPSU90]

I gave leather travel bags for holding shaving kit etc. Guys loved them and I know several are still using them 24 years later. A nice gift I received was a deluxe grilling utensil set for all the summer grilling we do. I use it all the time.

 

[KCLion]

I woud not go for the Omaha Steaks

They are frozen, and end up dry when grilled. Not best gtade of meat.

 

[34EVER]

Agreed. Unfortunately got mine the same day as the last sec UM td.***

***

 

[lionroar88]

Funny... all my groomsmen still own the flasks I bought them..

not with our info on them, they were all plain, some had leather pouches, depended on their taste. They each also got a bottle of their favorite whiskey, rum, vodka, teq, whatever they liked. Along with a bottle of whatever over the years they mentioned they would like to try, but wouldn't drop the bills on. And I paid for their tuxes. My best man received a flask, 2 large bottles of his whiskey, and I think a 750ml bottle of rum, vodka, and teq for his cabinet.

 

[Lion86]

Ray ban wayfarers. My group loved them.

 

[MICH.Nit Fan]

My everyday carry knife was a groomsman gift. Have loved it for......

over twenty years.

 

[91Joe95]

Tool box.

I've received and given them. They always get used.

 

[pandaczar12]

Re: Funny... all my groomsmen still own the flasks I bought them..


How often do you check to see if they still have the flask? Do you personally verify, or just take their word?

I still own all the crap from the dozen or so weddings I've been a part of, doesn't mean I want to have it... it just sits in a box in the basement.

I can't imagine a situation past 25, hell even past college, that a man would need a flask. But I've still gotten them in nearly half of the weddings I've been in.

 

[Nashville Lion]

About two years ago I was a groomsmen in a wedding. The groom got bubbleheads made of each of us...it was an awesome gift. The bubblehead actually looks just like me. He even had it made with me in a PSU football uniform. I have it in my office at work and is a cool conversation piece. I love it....and my kids really got a kick out of it too.

 

[psuguy04]

I paid for their tuxes, and bought them a bottle of their favorite liquor

It worked out well.

I've been a groomsman in two weddings; I've received an engraved football-shaped beer mug and a watch.

But yes, definitely stay away from Omaha Steaks.

This post was edited on 3/23 7:39 AM by psuguy04

 

[massimoManca II]

agree 100% think I used one of my gift-flasks 1x at Beaver Stadium


and that was because my buddy was with me... it was like trying to drink out of a perfume-bottle

sorry Frank - it's a piece of crap with your name (and your ex-wife's!) engraved upon it

 

[pandaczar12]

Originally posted by lionville:
Good tickets to a ball game, and I included one for myself. Gave us a chance to get together after the wedding without the females.

Just thought of the best gift of all, get them tickets to a ball game, that occurs at the same time as your wedding! The only better gift than not being in a wedding, is not having to go to it at all!

Let's move on to the important stuff... what are the details on the bachelor party?

 

[ac98]

Best I ever got...Louisville Slugger wood bat with my name burned into it*

NFM

 

[ILLINOISLION]

Since You're Making The Jump Anyway - Take The Guys Parachuting!


Probably they've not done this.....and it's certainly a bonding experience they'll all remember!

 

[PSUHusky]

Holy Crap! Thanks guys! It's my own fault if I can't come up with something from all of this. Before posting this I was thinking about going with one of those hand crafted wooden six pack holders. Agreed on them not wanting something with the wedding name or date on it.

I was thinking something like this with the Groomsmen's last name on it.

As far as the bachleor party....we had originally planned to go to Boston in March for the Bruins/Flyers game, but it was around $200 for nosebleeds. We decided to still stick with Boston, but we're heading up there in May for a Sox game, Harpoon Brewery tour, etc. Boston recommendations always welcome.

Beer tote

 

[flameshockey26]

For a friends wedding each groomsmen got a high end bottle of liquor. I got a bottle of whiskey, others got vodka, some bourbon. Then for being best man I got an engraved shot glass on top of the liquor just as a little something extra. Liquor went over very well with all of the guys,

 

[pandaczar12]

Harpoon does a great tour, one of the best I've been on. When I went a few years ago, they gave you a sample to start the tour, and they pull beer off the line at the various stages to let you see how it tastes throughout brewing. They end the tour with a half hour in the tasting room. We tried everything they had on tap (~15+ beers) and left feeling pretty damn good. They usually charge $5 and give you a glass, but we got in for free due to some construction. Look in to reservations for the tour. There was a great place to get a lobster roll right down the street from Harpoon, I even saw it on a TV show after I went there. Hit the link below. Sam Adams is an option too, you can get there via public transportation. But if you are really in to beer, you will want to take the long way to Boston via Vermont.

If you can swing the tickets, get some standing room tickets on the green monster. I did a random look on stubhub, you can get a Friday night game in May for ~$130 a ticket. It will be a baseball game you will never forget. Hit the Boston Beer works before the game, but get there early. Tell the guys you will buy crappy tickets at the box office, but splurge to get them green monster tickets in advance, then surprise them at the gate... that will be the best groomsman gift ever. Once on the monster, tell them all the beer is on you. I recommend the green monsta IPA form Wachusetts.

Plan to have dinner at Legal Sea Foods, if you like that sort of thing. Have fun!

Lobster Roll

 

[NittanySteel]

I got engraved Swiss Army Knives. I still use mine. My friends seemed to like the gift a lot.

 

[baircub1!]

Love the idea about a helmet or mini helmet from the groomsmens colleges !!!! Wish I used it..

One note on " pocket knives" and stuff like that.. If any of them are flying in... Knives will not get past security of course at any airport of course so will have to be either shipped ( a pain) or confiscated at gate ( bad).

Another " trick" and I use to do this all the time... If your groomsmen have kids..or wives..or girlfriends.. When I would host clients down at Augusta or wherever... I would lalways send a nice gift back to my guests homes... For their families.

Believe me... They and significant other will never forget...