Before the wedding, a bride will have several events where (at least in the south) it is normal for her to get the chance to gift those who throw these events with special things to express her gratitude. For me, I had a couple showers leading up to the wedding and a bridal brunch the day before the wedding– all thrown by friends of my mom or Sam’s mom. For these events, I wanted to gift things that I knew they would love! Whether it was a candle and prayer book or a piece of jewelry, I wanted to gather gifts that were personalized to their tastes.