What to Give Your Maid of Honour: Gift Ideas and Jewellery That Lasts

Your Maid of Honour is often also your best friend, your sister, or simply one of the most important people in your life. She is the friend who has been by your side throughout the months of preparation, the one who is there beside you during your wedding. To thank her, you need a gift worthy of that role: not just a simple keepsake, but something that lasts, something that symbolises your bond and that, every time she looks at it or wears it, brings back memories of your friendship and your wedding.

How to Choose the Perfect Gift for Your Maid of Honour

I’m Elisabetta Sebastio, an Italian jewellery designer, and what I suggest is not simply choosing a piece of jewellery to give to your Maid of Honour, but creating a small accessory for her that has something in common with yours, as a symbol of the bond between you.

It could be the same mother-of-pearl flower from your earrings, a pearl, a crystal in the same shade, a leaf motif or a detail from your hair accessory, reinterpreted for her in a simpler and more delicate way and, perhaps, personalised in her favourite colour.

The idea is not to create a miniature copy of the bride’s jewellery, but two different pieces of jewellery with one detail in common: yours designed for your bridal look, hers created according to her own style, so that she can continue wearing it even after the wedding.

Your large floral hair accessory, for example, can become a small bracelet or a delicate jewellery set or hairpin for your Maid of Honour featuring the same flower; a detail from a necklace can be echoed in a bracelet; the pearls or crystals from your earrings can reappear in a more understated piece of jewellery created especially for her.

This way, the gift is not simply something beautiful to wear on the wedding day, but something that lasts: a small part of your wedding that you share with one of the most important people by your side and that, every time she wears it, can remind her of your friendship and that day.

When Jewellery Is the Right Gift for Your Maid of Honour

A piece of jewellery can be a particularly fitting gift for your Maid of Honour because it can be part of three different moments: she can wear it on the wedding day itself, keep it as a memory and continue wearing it after the wedding.

But it has to be a gift truly chosen for her.

If she never wears necklaces, there is probably little point in giving her a necklace simply because you think it is an elegant gift. If, on the other hand, you know she always wears earrings, loves bracelets or often wears distinctive accessories, starting from what she already likes is the best way to choose something that will not end up forgotten in a drawer.

And if the piece is handcrafted and includes a small detail that echoes yours, such as a flower, a pearl, a crystal or a colour, it stops being simply a beautiful gift and becomes something that also tells the story of your bond.

Gift Ideas for Your Maid of Honour

Don’t start from the type of jewellery that “you are supposed to give a Maid of Honour”. Start with her, with what she normally wears and with her style.

A delicate necklace. If she loves necklaces and often wears simple jewellery, it can be an easy gift to wear even after the wedding. You can choose one in 925 sterling silver, with freshwater pearls, mother-of-pearl or small crystals, or have one created using a detail from your bridal jewellery. Take a look at the bridal and occasion necklaces.

A bracelet. It is a good choice if you want something understated, easy to wear and that does not depend on her dress or hairstyle. It can feature a pearl, a flower or a crystal from your own accessories. Take a look at the bracelets.

A pair of earrings. If she wears them regularly, they are probably one of the easiest choices to get right. They can be very simple or echo, in a more delicate way, a detail from your bridal earrings. Take a look at the bridal and occasion earrings.

A hair accessory. This makes sense especially if you already know that she loves wearing hairpins, headbands or distinctive accessories. In this case, you can create something very personal: for example, a small hairpin featuring the same mother-of-pearl flower from your bridal hair accessory. Take a look at the bridal hair accessories.

A small coordinated jewellery set. If you want to give her a more important gift, we can create a two-piece set for her, for example a necklace and earrings, keeping one detail in common with your jewellery. It does not have to be a copy of your own set: that one small element is enough to show that the two gifts were designed together. See the bridal jewellery sets.

How Much to Spend on a Gift for Your Maid of Honour

The rule is that there is no rule: there is no right amount or precise rule for how much you should spend on a gift for your Maid of Honour.

Having worked with brides for around 8 years, I can tell you that most of my brides spend between €50 and €150, although for someone truly important to them, the budget can go up to around €250.

And I can assure you of one thing: more than the price, what matters is that the gift is chosen with her truly in mind.

A personalised piece of jewellery, for example, can have a special value without necessarily being very expensive, especially if it includes a detail that recalls your bridal accessory or something that represents your relationship.

If you have more than one Maid of Honour or several bridesmaids, every gift does not need to be identical: you can keep one element in common and personalise the colours or details according to each person, while trying to avoid differences in value that are too obvious.

When to Give Your Maid of Honour Her Gift

There is no specific moment when you have to give your Maid of Honour her gift. You can give it to her before the wedding or on the wedding day itself, depending on the meaning you want the gesture to have and on the type of gift you have chosen.

If you want her to wear the jewellery during the wedding, it is naturally better to give it to her in advance, so that she has time to try it on and coordinate it with her dress, hairstyle and other accessories.

If, instead, the gift is mainly meant to be a personal thank you, you can choose a more intimate moment: at the beginning of the preparations on the morning of the wedding, the evening before, or simply during a moment that is just “yours”. Adding a few handwritten words can make it even more personal.

And What If You Are the Maid of Honour? What Should You Give the Bride?

It works the other way around too. If you are the Maid of Honour and you are looking for a gift for the bride, a piece of jewellery made especially for her is something she can wear on her wedding day itself or keep as a memory.

A hair accessory, a necklace or a small bespoke piece becomes a gesture that goes beyond the wedding gift list: something created especially for her. (See also: what to give the bride.)

Handcrafted and Bespoke: A Unique Gift

Every Elisabetta Sebastio piece is handcrafted in Italy using precious materials such as 925 sterling silver, mother-of-pearl, freshwater pearls and authentic Swarovski crystals, and can be personalised: in colour, to complement the dress or the wedding palette, and in its details, to coordinate with your bridal jewellery.

Handcrafted means an object with a story; bespoke means a gift created especially for the person who will receive it. And that is exactly what makes this kind of gift unforgettable.

Do you have a coordinated piece in mind for your Maid of Honour or your bridesmaids? Tell us about your idea: we will personally guide you through creating it especially for her, from the first sketch to delivery.