The tradition of the bachelor party may date as far back as the 1800s. The stereotype of a bachelor party is a last night of debauchery for the groom and his friends before the wedding but in more recent times soon to be grooms are looking to less traditional activities to mark their final days as bachelors. While there are still would be grooms, who opt to spend the last hours before their wedding partying with alcohol and female exotic dancers, many men are choosing a less traditional route such as camping trips, sporting events, daredevil activities and even co-ed bachelor parties that include the soon to be bride and her friends. These types of activities are much less likely to get the groom in trouble with his bride not to mention that they wont leave the groom feeling too sick to even remember his wedding day.

Camping is one alternative to the traditional bachelor party. You may choose to either rough it by backpacking to a location with only the gear on your back to help you survive the elements for a few days or you could choose to drive to a spa facility that offers well appointed cabins and five star gourmet meals. Whichever option you choose, you are bound to have a great deal of time relaxing and enjoying the company of the rest of the participants in your bachelor party. A camping trip offers the groom a quiet atmosphere to reflect with his friends on the journey he is about to take.

Gift certificates to a spa or a salon also make unique gift ideas for your bridesmaids. Your bridesmaids most likely spent a great deal of time and energy in helping you to plan your wedding. The week prior to your wedding was also probably especially hectic with a great deal of last minute details to attend to and errands to run. While you will have your honeymoon to relax and renew your energy your bridesmaids do not have this luxury so by honoring them by presenting them with a gift certificate to a spa or salon you are giving them the gift or being pampered and the gift of relaxation.

A few more unique gift ideas for your bridesmaids gifts include handcrafted or homemade gifts. For example you could put together a CD of some of your bridesmaids favorite songs. You could make the CDs different for each bridesmaid and include a photo of the two of you on the cover and include a heartfelt poem on the inside of the CD cover. You could also create a scrapbook for each of your bridesmaids. You could either make the scrapbook a memory of your entire friendship together and include photos and other items from your various adventures throughout the years or if you plan ahead and take many photos documenting your wedding preparations, you could create scrapbooks as a remembrance of the wedding planning that you shared.

Still another activity that translates well into a bachelor party idea is getting a group of friends together to try an adrenaline pumping, activity geared for thrill seekers such as sky diving or white water rafting. The exhilaration gained from these activities coupled with the fear factor makes them a perfect activity for bonding with your friends. These daredevil activities will cause you and your friends to bond during the excitement leading up to the event as well as the thrill of accomplishing a new activity. While these types of activities are great for male bonding, it is important to remember that they are risky activities and there is the danger that you might be hurt during these activities. If this is your bachelor party idea of choice you might want to consider holding your bachelor party well in advance of your wedding to avoid last minute injuries that delay the wedding.

Another unique gift idea for a bride to give to her bridesmaids is a gift certificate to a local restaurant. Assisting in your wedding preparations was probably extremely stressful and time consuming for the bridesmaids and they certainly deserve a night on the town and the opportunity to not have to cook for a night. This simple gift lets your bridesmaids know that you appreciate their efforts and that you want to thank them for all that they have done to support you.

Unique gift ideas for the bridesmaids can also stem from the wedding theme. For example if you are having a beach themed wedding you might want to give your bridesmaids a gift of a tote bag, a beach towel and a novel to enjoy on the beach. This unique gift idea ensures that your bridesmaids will remember your wedding fondly the next time they are at the beach. Traditional bridesmaids gifts such as jewelry and jewelry boxes are always welcomed but if you have a large group of friends and most of them will be bridesmaids several more times as more of your friends get married it might be nice to give your bridesmaids a gift that is unique. Unique gift ideas convey your message of appreciation but also let the bridesmaids know that you put a great deal of effort into choosing their gift.