Engagement Party Gift for the DIY Bride

The holidays have come and gone... which means one thing is for certain. Someone (everyone?) you know just got engaged. An engagement party or six are probably in your future. Now, to be clear, bringing a gift to an engagement party is NOT mandatory. However, if you're here... you've probably decided you're not showing up without a liiiitle somethin'. So how 'bout dis:

The Ultimate Wedding Planning Portfolio for the DIY Bride

This gift is fast, easy, and inexpensive but exudes loads of thoughtfulness for your pal the Bride-to-Be. I purchased everything here from Target on the way to an Engagement Party. (Hey, I was pregnant--planning anything other than a nursery ahead of time was not on the agenda.)

The portfolio packaging itself was a plain white magazine holder. I embellished it with some die cuts, a label holder, and alpha-stickers. The die cuts and the stickers were all found in that little discount spot when you first enter Target. While this same stuff will no longer be there, you can nearly always find a whole suite of similar matching "stuff" there. After the bulk of the gift is unloaded your bride can use the portfolio to store wedding docs like venue contracts, etc. 

Here's what I included:

Note Taking Essentials

• A Clipboard & Thank You Notes
• The well-organized bride is going to meet a lot of people and may need to do a lot thanking. It's easier to thank as you go, so having thank you cards on hand is a good idea. A matching clipboard never hurt nobody.

• Sticky Notes
• It's easy to forget thangs. Sticky note all the things!

• To-Do Lists
• Let's be real: this is to help micro-manage the groom.

• Unlined Page Notebook
• Why explain to the florist what you really mean by cascading waterfalls of flora when you could just draw it?

• Pens
• Well, obvs. 

Stress Management & Inspiration

• Stress Reliever
• What I would have given to find a stress reliever that matched everything else... Sigh. I was a pregnant woman on a mission with very little time to spare. Hopefully you'll plan this a bit further in advance for your bride and she'll be impressed with your coordinating skills.

• His & Hers Socks
• For cold feet, duh! (Plus, they matched everything else so how could I not?)

• Thermal Travel Coffee Mug
• But first, coffee.

• On-The-Go Water/Tea Cup
• Gotta stay hydrated.

• Wedding Mags
• Try to find some local mags if you can.

PS, Don't forget the card!

First of all, a card with a gift is always a nice touch. But the real reason for the card is to outline piece-by-piece how clever this gift is. She'll need to know how put together you are when it comes time to pick those bridesmaids.