Groomsmen Gifts: What to Get the Guys Standing Next to You

Your groomsmen are the guys who've had your back through questionable haircuts, worse relationships, and at least one apartment lease that shouldn't have been signed. Now they're flying in for your wedding, renting a tux, planning your bachelor party, and giving a toast that your future in-laws will judge. The least you can do is hand them a gift that doesn't suck.

What Makes a Great Groomsmen's Gift

Three rules. Memorize them. Apply them. Move on.

Rule 1: It needs to be something he'll use. A wedding date engraved on a flask sounds thoughtful in the moment, but your buddy is not pulling that thing out at his next work happy hour. Lead with utility.

Rule 2: Match the gift to the guy when you can. Five identical gifts are fine and traditional. Five gifts tailored to each guy is better if you've got the time and the budget. Pick a category like everyday carry or accessories, then choose within that category based on what each friend is actually like.

Rule 3: Skip anything that screams "I bought this on Amazon at 11 p.m." Cheap engraved bottle openers, generic flasks, mugs with stick figures on them. Your guys will know. They will not say anything. They will quietly throw it into the kitchen drawer, which already has 14 of those.

How Much Should You Spend on Groomsmen Gifts?

There's no magic number, but a good rule of thumb is to spend more on your best man than the rest of the crew. If your guys are paying for travel, taking time off work, renting a tux, and planning your bachelor party, they're already a few hundred dollars deep before the wedding day. The gift should reflect that effort. Eight groomsmen add up fast, so pick something genuinely cool over something forgettable. If any of your guys are active military, veterans, or first responders, there's also a discount through GovX ID.

You don't need to match the spend across the wedding party either. Your fiancée's bridesmaid gifts are her decision. Yours are yours.

When to Give the Gifts

The classic move is the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding. Everybody's together, things are relaxed, and there's no pressure to make a moment of it. Hand them out, say something genuine, move on.

Some grooms hand them out earlier, especially if the gift is functional for the bachelor party (a camp mug or a tee the guys can use on the trip, for example) or for the wedding day itself (cufflinks, a chain). The only timing rule is: don't wait until after the wedding, and don't make it the centerpiece of a long speech. Your toast is the speech. The gift is the gift.

Ring Sizing

If you're gifting a metal ring or silicone band, you need the right size. A ring sizer costs $10 and takes the guesswork out of ordering. Silicone bands are more forgiving on fit, but metal rings need to be accurate since not all materials can be resized. If the size is off, free exchanges are available within 30 days, so you're not stuck with something that doesn't fit.

7 Groomsmen Gift Ideas Your Crew Will Use

1. The Practical: Wood-Backed Cufflinks

Silver-plated cufflinks with walnut wood bullet backs, engraved with the Manly Bands logo and handcrafted in Utah. The Practical works perfectly as a wedding-day gift since the guys can wear them at the ceremony itself. Functional, sharp, and wearable beyond the wedding. Browse the full cufflinks collection if you want options for guys with different styles.

2. The Nomad: An Army Green Camp Mug

A Manly Bands branded army green stainless steel camp mug built for the guy who's just as comfortable at a campsite as he is at a rehearsal dinner. Hand one out at the bachelor party, and it'll earn a permanent spot in the rotation.

3. The Innovator Chain (Black): For the Friend with Style

A black-finish chain that punches well above its price. Best for the groomsman who already wears jewelry or has been quietly building a chain stack for the last two years. Skip this one for the guy whose neck has never seen anything but a t-shirt. Match the gift to the guy.

4. The Prodigy: Wood Puzzle Coaster Set

A set of wood coasters that double as a puzzle. It sits on a coffee table where guests will ask about it. Good gift for the friend who hosts game night, has people over for the playoffs, or owns a coffee table he's proud of.

5. The Woodsman: The Splurge Pick

A 2 lb. camp hatchet with a 14-inch curved American hickory handle and a forged tool steel head, hand sharpened and made to order in Michigan. Note: ships in 3 weeks or less and is a final sale.

6. A Statement Tee: UFO, Moose, T-Rex, or Manly

For the bachelor party photos. Pick one design, get a tee for every guy, and you've got the unofficial uniform. Or mix and match designs based on personality. Either approach works, and unlike custom-printed bachelor party tees, your guys will wear these again.

Match the Gift to the Guy

• The Outdoorsman: The Woodsman or The Nomad. He owns gear he uses and knows the difference between something built to last and something that isn't.

• The Guy Who Wears Jewelry: The Innovator Chain. He's already building a stack. Add to it.

• The Sharp Dresser: The Practical. Cufflinks he can wear at the ceremony and keep in rotation long after.

• The Host: The Prodigy. A wood puzzle coaster set that lives on the coffee table and gets asked about every time someone comes over.

• The Bachelor Party Guy: The Nomad or a Statement Tee. Built for the trip, worn long after it.

• The Best Man: The Woodsman. It's the splurge pick for a reason.

Want Something More Custom? Build Your Own Band

If none of the picks above feel specific enough for a particular groomsman, Build Your Own Band lets you start from scratch. Pick the material, finish, width, and style to put together something built around the guy wearing it. It's the move for the best man or the groomsman who has opinions about everything, including rings.

Should You Get the Best Man a Different Gift?

Tradition says yes, and tradition is right on this one. Your best man is taking on more work than the rest of the crew (the toast, the bachelor party planning, the ring duty, the day-of crisis management). Bumping his gift up a tier is the move.

Pick a more premium item from the same category as the rest (everyone gets cufflinks, the best man gets a nicer chain, or The Woodsman), or stack two items into a small bundle for him only.

Find Cool Groomsmen Gifts for Every Guy in Your Crew

Manly Bands was founded in 2016 by John and Michelle Ruggiero, out of a simple idea: men deserve better options for wedding rings. What started in a garage in Utah has grown into the most popular online men's wedding ring brand in the United States, trusted by over 885,000 couples. Every ring comes backed by a lifetime warranty, free U.S. shipping, and a hassle-free exchange policy.

Look through the full Groomsman Gifts collection and check out men's wedding bands for the ring you'll be wearing on the big day. Now go thank your boys properly.