After months of budgeting, planning, spreadsheets, and perhaps a few tears, that special day is now in sight. If you thought you could put your feet up and wait for the main event now, we have some news for you… There’s one thing left to buy – and this time, your wife-to-be has no say in it!

It’s customary to buy your future wife a gift they can open either on the night before the wedding or just before the ceremony. However, don’t panic if your budget is looking a little stretched. The main thing is that your gift is personal. The old adage of “it’s the thought that counts” really does go a long way when it comes to bridal gifts. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite wedding gift ideas for your new wife, ranging from the (practically) free through to gifts you can splash the cash on.

Free and Low-Cost Bridal Gift Ideas

Video message or letter – Budget: Free

Sometimes, it’s the sentimental gift that matters the most. If the budget is tight, consider recording your wife-to-be a video message that she can watch on the morning of the big day. Alternatively, a handwritten letter will do the trick. Just make sure she watches or reads it before she gets her makeup done.

Hidden stitching – Budget: Free

Feeling crafty? Sew something on the inside of her dress that means something to you both. A little patch close to her heart will say you’re close to her always. Make sure you double-check with the seamstress or dressmaker before you go ahead with this one so you don’t accidentally ruin the dress.

Family heirloom – Budget: Free

Is there something in your family that they wouldn’t mind passing down to your new wife? Perhaps a piece of jewelry, a hairpin, or a brooch. Not only is this a thoughtful gift, but it could be the ‘something old’ for your bride!

Scrapbook or photobook – Budget: $

It’s likely the pair of you have made many wonderful memories during your time together. Why not gather all those memories into a scrapbook or photobook? It’s easy (and cheap) to print photos nowadays, and it’s a gift your bride will love looking through before and after the big day. Leave some space to include some of your wedding photos, too.

Keepsake box – Budget: $

Along similar lines to a scrapbook, a keepsake box is a sentimental gift that keeps on giving. Not only can you include keepsakes you’ve collected over the time you’ve been together, but it will be somewhere to put memories from the big day itself. If you have the budget, consider getting it engraved with her name and the date of your wedding day.

Bridal Gift Ideas for a Bigger Budget

Polaroid camera – $$

Polaroid cameras make a fantastic gift for your wife-to-be, as they’re a way of instantly capturing memories throughout the day. Invest in a camera and plenty of film so that your bride can snap away to her heart’s content. You could even take a photo of yourself and write a little message on it to go with the gift.

Monogrammed silk robe – $$

Has your wife-to-be decided what she’s going to wear while getting ready yet? She will want something that looks beautiful in photos. Discuss with the bridal party to ensure she hasn’t got anything suitable yet, then buy her a monogrammed silk robe. She’ll feel like a million bucks before she even gets her dress on.

Champagne and personalized glass – $$

Most brides will want a little glass of bubbles before they walk down the aisle. It’s a great way to calm the nerves and doubles up as a thoughtful gift. You can buy an elegant champagne flute personalized with the bride’s initials, then wrap it up with a bottle of her favorite champagne. If you’re feeling flush, consider buying glasses for the whole bridal party too.

Spa Day – $$-$$$

A spa day is an ideal gift to give to your wife-to-be the day before the wedding. Look for somewhere local that will be easy for her to get to on the eve of the big day. You may want to purchase a spa package for her alone, but she’d probably appreciate having at least one friend or family member with her. This is the ideal gift to ensure some R&R after all that planning.

Jewelry – $$-$$$

This is a fail-safe bridal gift, as long as you put some thought and attention into it. What kind of jewelry does your wife-to-be wear now? Root through her jewelry box to get an idea of her taste, then buy her something special that she’ll treasure forever. It may even be something that she can wear walking down the aisle.

There are plenty of personal and thoughtful wedding gift ideas for your new wife, regardless of your budget. As long as your gift is given with love, we’re sure she’s bound to adore it!