When it comes to your wedding day, it can be easy to forget that it’s not just the bride who likes a little romance. A little reminder to your groom of your love and appreciation on the day of can be just as memorable as his proposal and your engagement ring.
After the months of decisions, meetings and stress, giving your groom a gift before the ceremony is a tradition that’s brings a little distraction and ease early on one of the most important days of your lives.
Pre-wedding gifts are a tradition as old as the written word – recorded as early as 3000 B.C as the bride’s family would give the groom’s family a dowery in exchange for marriage.
Modern gift giving separated itself from the status and ritual claims of families with the introduction of the Macy’s wedding registry in 1924. Wedding chests and key baskets (popular in the southern U.S.) gave way to commercial items which marked the union by providing a new couple with things needed to start their lives together.
While china and household appliances are still popular gifts from wedding attendees, a gift from the bride to groom holds a special place in unmatched by anything found on your registry. The longstanding tradition of the bride and groom exchanging gifts is meant to privately symbolize the commitment and love held for each other in a more secluded manner than the impending public ceremony.
Wedding gifts between the bride and groom can remain private or be shown off to friends, but one thing is certain, they must be meaningful.
So, what is the ultimate gift a bride can give her groom?
Cufflinks to adorn his formal attire, an engraved money clip, or possibly that vacation he has always dreamed of taking. There are many gifts that could demonstrate your love for your new groom, but none do so with the striking significance of a luxury timepiece.
A wristwatch quite literally begins counting your time together and will mark your commitment to each other for generations. Besides his wedding band, a watch may be the only other accoutrement worn by the groom for years to come, making a well selected timepiece an enduring symbol of your love.