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A few ideas for groomsmen gifts, by Wayne R. Glazer
So
I'm trying like heck to help out the Mrs.-to-be with planning the big
event. She's got me calling this florist, and tasting that cake, and
trying on 8 different styles of tuxedos - I always thought there was
one tuxedo; you know, like the one 007 wears before he bags the
babes... I'm busier than a beer vendor on Irish Pride night at Fenway
Park. But there is one detail that my little lady will not be pushing
upon me, as I have taken the initiative and have begun searching for
the perfect groomsmen's gifts.
What's that old
Broadway show called? Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, right? Well,
I've got to find seven Gifts for Seven Groomsmen. That's right SEVEN.
Why? Because my lovely fiance (and she most definitely is lovely)
picked seven bridesmaids. Keep in mind, that is not including the - let
me see if I get this right - five junior bridesmaids, four mini-maids
and two flower girls. It's like an estrogen parade leading us up to the
altar. I'm not going to match up every little lady with a willing
participant, so my job was to select seven comrades to stand by my side
and provide me with "support and encouragement and little levity"
according to the minister. I'm not sure what he meant by "a little
levity" but to me it meant bachelor party! I'm sure to him it meant a
well-timed joke or the classic "Help Me" stenciled on the bottom of my
shoes.
Now groomsmen have a tough job ahead of
them - lots of walking, standing, more walking, posing for pictures,
etc. So I really want to get them gifts to say "thanks" and something
they would use, not just toss in the closet or put up for sale on eBay.
But where do I start? And should I get seven of the same groomsmen gift?
They
all have a desk of some sort, so maybe personalized file folders with
leather tabs and brass rivets. Except that Jimmy doesn't really have a
desk - he's a sales rep, always on the road. I thought a nice executive pen
might be a good choice; perfect for signing important contracts, doing
their holiday cards, or writing me a check for the money they owe me
from countless poker nights. Then again, Scotty is anything but an
"executive" and he loses his keys or his wallet at least once a week.
This nice pen would be gone before I got back from my honeymoon.
I'm
always emptying out my pockets around the house when I come home at the
end of the day, and Cynthia will always collect my keys, money clip,
change, collar stays, toll receipts, etc. and then put it on the
dresser in the bedroom. Then she bought me a dresser caddy
to put everything in and we leave it on a table by the front door. Good
gift? It was perfect for me, and I know these guys would use it. But I
also have this vision of Vincent's Black Lab "Max" either chewing it to
shreds or drinking water out of it, so I hesitate on that one too.
Vincent and Rich did get me started drinking good wine, so I thought
something "wine-related" would be nice, like a fancy wine stopper.
But again, someone gets left out here, as I know Scotty would never use
it. He thinks wine is waste of money and is satisfied with drinking his
Michelob Ultra, or whatever the low-carb beer of the month is -- you'll
learn one day Scott. Meanwhile, there's just more Dry Creek and Cane
for the rest of us.
Everyone has to carry cash
with them, so how about an engraved money clip? It's stylish, simple
and easy to use - which is good for Carlos, because he can be a bit
slow at times. However I know at least two of the guys would never use
it - Jimmy and Vincent carry everything in their wallet: pictures,
credit cards, ATM cards, video store cards, supermarket store cards,
gym id, school id (we've been out of school for over 10 years guys,
ditch the id...) dry cleaning receipts, concert ticket stubs, ransom
notes, etc. OK, maybe not such a good choice. I do like the idea of
personalized gifts though, and Adam was always borrowing my knife when
we were roommates years back, so the idea of a stylish pocketknife
comes to mind. But then I remembered the day Adam put a four-inch gash
in his left thumb with said knife, so I figure I should opt for
something a bit safer.
So what was the final
groomsmen gift of choice? While it would be easier to get seven of the
same thing, I decided to pick the best gift for each guy - Carlos is
getting the custom file folders for his desk, I'm giving Adam and Rich
the engraved money clip, and for Vincent and Rich I found a cool wine gift set
with a corkscrew and bottle stopper I decided on a stylish silver pen
for Jimmy, which is perfect since he just got promoted and will be
pitching bigger clients and (hopefully) closing bigger deals. And for
Scotty? I found him these cool leather can caddies so he can drink whatever beer he wants and no one can tease him about it.
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