What is Letters to the Bride book?
Letters to the Bride is a collection of letters and notes from the Bride’s closest family and friends (bridesmaids) to the Bride on her bridal shower or wedding day. These letters are meant to capture the well wishes, advice and stories people closest to the Bride want to share with her as she starts a new chapter in her life. The wedding day is an amazing experience, full of moments one will never forget, but one can also rarely perfectly capture those moments into something tangible. The Letters to the Bride book aims to do exactly that - capture the moment into something she can read for years to come.
Why Letters to the Bride book?
The wedding day, as well as all the events leading up to it, can sometimes feel rushed, busy and over too soon. Gifting the Letters to the Bride book to the Bride on her wedding day, or bridal shower, helps slow down time, allowing the Bride to pause and read through the book containing all the meaningful messages just for her. Whether you are wanting to gift the Letters to the Bride book to the Bride on her wedding day, or bridal shower, it is guaranteed to help create a moment of pause, a moment she and everyone around her will cherish forever.
How to create Letters to the Bride book?
There is no one size fits all approach or the perfect way to create the Letters to the Bride book. It all depends on what you want the final product to look like and how much time and project management effort you have to put into the creation of such a book. Below are the three most common options for Letters to the Bride book, along with their pros and cons.
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Letters to the Bride empty notebook
Plenty of vendors out there, ranging from Etsy to Barnes & Noble, offer empty notebooks titled ‘Letters to the Bride’. You can use those blank notebooks to collect everyone’s Letters to the Bride all in one place. To create a complete book using this option, have the Bride’s closest family and friends write down their thoughts, advice and well-wishes. You can pass the book around (secretly) at the bridal shower, between family and friends who live close by before the wedding or during the wedding weekend.
Pros: This approach is fairly inexpensive, depending on the type of notebook you decide to purchase. We have found options ranging from $14.99 to $90. You can find a variety of options online ranging from customizable ones on Etsy to more uniform ones on other retailers’ websites. Another advantage is consistency - given that everyone is writing in the same notebook, all the letters will be written on the same paper and you can even have folks write with the same pen.
Cons: This option is the hardest when it comes to actual execution. You will have to coordinate passing around the notebook, which becomes hard when people who you want to contribute don’t live near you. Another cons is that this option might feel the most rushed since you will ask people to contribute at events when they are all together while trying to hide it away from the Bride. The contributors might feel rushed as well and won’t have time to think about what to say, writing down short messages that might not be as meaningful to the Bride.
2. Letters in a box
I went with this option when creating Letters to the Bride for my friend. I purchased letter stationery and gave her family and bridesmaids each a letter with a matching envelope. I put all the letters in a wooden box, similar to this one, that I decorated with her name.
Pros: This approach actually creates individual letters that Bride can read one by one whenever she wants to. The custom box also creates a beautiful keepsake - my friend keeps it on one of her bookshelves. This approach is easier to execute because you don’t have to coordinate passing around a physical book; you either give everyone their letter stationery or mail it to them. But, if you don’t care so much for consistency, you can have each contributor write a letter on their own piece of paper and mail/give it to you.
Cons: People will have more time to write (as they are hopefully writing before the wedding), but they still might not know what to say. It’s amazing how we have all these thoughts and happy memories with the bride, but when we stare at a blank piece of paper we might just forget them all. Another cons is that you will still have to project manage this and make sure everyone gets their letters to you in time, which can sometimes be a feat.
3. Letters to the Bride book by prompt’d
You saw it coming - it is a product we created exactly for this purpose. It might not be the right option for everyone, but hopefully it is for some. Letters to the Bride book by prompt’d is a custom book containing everyone's stories, advice AND photos, created and printed in time for the occasion: Bridal Shower, Bachelorette Party or wedding day. In this book, we send a simple form via email to all the contributors asking them a few questions about the bride and use their answers to create the Letters to the Bride book.
Pros: This option contains prompts that help people share stories, memories and advice. It is fun to read the interesting information people share when prompted. This option also allows contributors to share their favorite photos, which always add a fun and nostalgic flavor to the book. The combination of prompts and enough time help people write down really meaningful stories. Letters to the Bride book by prompt’d is also the most convenient way to gather everyone’s stories - all you need to do is share people’s email addresses with us. We do the rest and deliver the book in time for the event. The book is professionally printed and designed (you can see an example here) using colors of your choice, created to last for years to come.
If you already have all your letters, prompt'd can help as well. The book can be designed with your existing letters in less than 2 weeks.
Cons: This option is more expensive than the first two, starting at $349 for up to 15 contributors (recommended size for this personal book).
We hope this article helps highlight the pros and cons of each option for Letters to the Bride book. At the end, pick an option that suits your budget, time and capacity to create this book. If you come across other options for Letters to the Bride book, please let us know. We’d be happy to include them in this article.
We love working with maids of honor, bridesmaids and those closest to the bride on creating a personalized Letters to the Bride book. If you are interested in creating a unique book for the bride in your life, check out The Guests' Book page or email us with any questions at info@promptdmoments.com.