Maid-Of-Honor & Bridesmaids: Give your friends gifts with a touch of personal flare. Think monogrammed tote bags filled with a few items that reflect each girl’s personal style.  If one  bridesmaid is into art, stuff her tote bag with a membership to a local art museum and an artsy set of note cards. If another bridesmaid is more into personal pampering, fill her bag with a box of indulgent chocolates and a gift certificate to her favorite spa.

Best Man & Groomsmen: Forget a monogrammed flask or a set of golf balls and give them an experience they’ll never forget. Sign them up for an ATV tour or a jam session with a rock band. Another great option (albeit expensive) is giving them box seats to a local basketball game.

Flower Girl & Ring Bearer: Luckily, this is one area you can budget a little.  Give your flower girl a keepsake doll or a pretty locket necklace engraved with her initials, and you can give the ring bearer a collector’s edition train set or a shiny gold piggy bank engraved with his name.

1- Ditch The Cookie-Cutter Dress
No bridesmaid wants to wear a large poofy frock that looks like a prom dress reject! It’s perfectly fine if you’d like to coordinate how the bridesmaids look on the big day, but your friends will thank you if you give them a little leeway in creativity. Select a shade and let them choose a dress that flatters them best. You even can make it a fun shopping day by hitting designer department stores and helping them find the perfect looks. You also could consider coordinating separates so each woman can find a style that works for her.

2-Plan A Girls-Only Getaway
Get away from all things wedding and go spend a weekend at a spa retreat or maybe a road trip. A small trip will refresh everyone and re-establish the bonds of your friendship. Plan this a few months of advance and surprise them with a fun trip.

3- Fufill A Dream
If your maid-of-honor or bridesmaids go beyond the extra mile for you, why not consider a gift certificate for the experience they’ve always dreamed of? Has she always wanted to learn how to cook French cuisine? Sign her up for a gourmet food class. Does she dream of surfing the waves? Give her a gift certificate for a surfing lesson.  Although these types of gifts are often on the pricey side, they are the most memorable.

Stay Local
It just makes more sense to choose bridesmaids that live in your vicinity simply because staying in touch with them is easier, plus they are more able to help you out. But if you insist that your best friend who lives clear across the county become one of your bridesmaids, make sure that she knows and is more than willing to help out with her duties.

Try To Keep The Number Under 6
Choosing five or six bridesmaids is ideal for moderate to large weddings. If you’re having a smaller wedding, you might want to keep that number under three plus a maid of honor. The same applies to those under a strict budget, because having less bridesmaids means less flowers and attendant gifts to purchase. Choose a number wisely and stick with it.

Make Sure Your Bridesmaids Are Reliable
Don’t choose any of your fair-weather friends, and don’t choose anyone that you cannot trust. A bridesmaid (particularly a maid of honor) has to be someone who will help you through the tough times and remain a trusty ally when you’re struggling with wedding related issues.

Remember That You Don’t Have To Choose Your Relatives
Its okay if you don’t choose your sister as a bridesmaid, if you are not that close to her. The same applies to cousins, future in-laws and step-siblings. Only ask your closest relatives that you trust or your sister if you cannot imaging not having her by your side as you plan this dream day. Remember that reliability is still number one with family.