Best Groomsmen Gifts

Groomsmen gifts don’t need to be complicated—but they should feel intentional. The best gifts are things your friends would actually use outside the wedding.

A lot of people default to matching flasks or something engraved, but those tend to get used once and then disappear into a drawer. A better approach is to think about what your group actually wears, uses, or cares about in real life.

Modern Groomsmen Gift Ideas

The safest approach is to choose something simple, useful, and not overly tied to the wedding itself. In practice, the gifts that land best are the ones that feel like something your groomsmen would buy for themselves.

• Sunglasses: Clean, wearable, and great for the wedding weekend
• Casual sneakers: Something they’ll wear long after the wedding
• Travel bags or dopp kits: Practical and easy to justify
• Simple accessories: Watches, belts, or everyday items

At weddings where this works well, nothing feels forced. The gifts fit the group, not the theme of the wedding.

Sunglasses are one of the easiest options to get right. They work for the wedding weekend, look good in photos, and don’t feel overly formal. They also scale well—you can go simple and affordable, or spend more on a recognizable brand, and both still feel appropriate.

If some of your groomsmen wear glasses full-time, you may want to mix in something more universally usable like a travel bag or sneakers.

If you’re working with a higher budget, you can go with higher-end versions of the same ideas—like designer sunglasses or premium sneakers.

Simple Gift Options

Popular picks

If you want something easy that most groomsmen will actually use, these are safe choices.

Choosing the Right Gift

The easiest way to pick a good groomsmen gift is to think about your group, not the wedding. Start with how they live day to day and work from there.

• Practical group: Choose something they’ll use daily, like sunglasses or a travel bag
• Travel-heavy group: Go with a dopp kit or duffel
• Higher budget: Shoes or premium accessories feel like a real gift

A simple test: would they still use this six months from now? If yes, it’s a solid choice. If not, it’s probably too tied to the wedding itself.

Don’t Feel Like Everything Has to Match

You don’t need to give every groomsman the exact same gift—and in a lot of cases, it actually works better if you don’t.

One guy might wear sunglasses all the time, another might travel frequently, and someone else might appreciate a good pair of sneakers. As long as the overall value is similar, it doesn’t feel uneven—it feels more thoughtful.

The goal isn’t uniformity. It’s giving each person something they’ll actually use.

Putting Together a Simple Gift Set

You don’t have to stick to just one item. A simple two- or three-piece gift can feel more complete without getting complicated. A common approach is to combine something wearable with something practical—for example, sunglasses paired with a dopp kit gives your groomsmen something they can use during the wedding weekend and after.

If you want to add a third item, keep it small. Things like a pair of socks, a simple accessory, or a travel-size grooming item work well without overdoing it. The goal is to keep it cohesive and useful so it feels like a clean set, not a collection of random items.

What to Avoid

Most bad groomsmen gifts fail for the same reason—they’re chosen for the wedding, not for the person receiving them.

• Overly personalized items that won’t get reused
• Cheap novelty gifts
• Anything that feels like a prop instead of a real gift

Budget and Expectations

There’s no single “correct” number. What matters more is how your gift fits into your overall wedding budget and what you're already covering.

A simple way to think about it is in tiers:

• $30–$60: Simple, practical items that still feel intentional
• $60–$120: Higher quality everyday gifts most people will keep
• $120–$300+: Premium items like sunglasses or shoes

If you’re working with a higher budget, you can go with higher-end versions of the same ideas—like designer sunglasses or premium sneakers. If you're on a tighter budget, keeping things simple and useful still works just as well.

If you’re already covering suits, travel, or other expenses, it’s completely reasonable to spend less.

Next Steps

🎁 Estimate your total cost using our groomsmen gift calculator.

💰 Plan your full wedding budget with our wedding budget calculator.