We are taking Welcome Bags to the hotels where our guests will be staying and need suggestions of what could be put in the bags. This is what we have so far: personal notes to each guest, maps of the area and activity pamphlets, directions to all wedding activities, schedule of the wedding weekend, bottled water, chocolates, mints, pen, postcard from the area, & tissue. Any other inexpensive ideas?
I went to a wedding with this, and they included muffins for breakfast (they used pre-packaged commercial ones, but you could make homemade ones), so we could eat light without going to a restaurant if we did not want to. They also had homemade cookies. Teabags would also be nice. (05/05/2005)
How about fruit, a magazine or two, and /or a local magazine that has local info. Maybe a scented candle, and don't forget the matches. (05/05/2005)
By Linda
If your map doesn't show restaurants in the area of the hotel or motel where they are staying, you might manufacture a list of restaurants in the area by type of food. It will save them the hassle of hunting through a phone book and then not really knowing how far away it is. (05/06/2005)
By ronsan
Wow! What a great idea. I think you covered all the bases with the items already mentioned. (05/06/2005)
By Liz From Ontario
What a nice idea! How about menus for restaurants that deliver in case the hotel doesn't' have room service. A disposable camera may be a nice touch also. (05/06/2005)
By amanda
How about a printout of the upcoming weather report for the days they'll be in town? I know weather reports aren't always accurate, but it will give them some idea of what temperatures to expect and whether or not they should be ready for rain. (05/06/2005)
By Trix
How about a few things that people often need but have forgotten like band-aids, safety pins, and rubber bands. (05/06/2005)
By jmcwp
My Aunt did this for her daughters wedding. She made tiny size jars of homemade jelly/jam and then packed in a Ziploc bag with two small bagels. Great for that morning when everybody is getting ready for the big day! (05/09/2005)
By Julie
You could probably find some small sewing kits in a dollar store. (06/15/2005)
By B
Go to the local visitors bureau and pick up a bunch of free brochures. Also, you could include the local newspaper, some snacks like chips, cookies, etc. (store bought or homemade). (06/23/2005)
I am having a fall wedding and will be creating over night bags for our guests staying with us. Try some wedding themed items. I am making leaf shaped cookies and packing them with candy corn and leaf shaped maple candies to tie in with the wedding theme. Also, if you are including water or wine in the bags don't forget plastic cups. I found really nice clear plastic ones from solo that are nicer than Styrofoam or plain plastic cups. We are also including sewing kits, and little bags with everything from band aids to cotton balls and q-tips. Plus, we're also adding travel sized packets of Advil for those guests who wake up the morning after needing some headache medicine. Good luck! (05/01/2006)
For the weather print out, you can go to weather channel.com, and print for the week ahead! All we did was mail brochures of our town (when we lived in Anchorage) and a list of hotels. I really like your idea, and think it is great for ANY occasion! I think a local restaurant brochure would be awesome, and maybe two or three "must see" places; I have a lot of museums and wineries around my new home, and I know people like to stay around a day or two after the wedding. Maybe pack some little coloring books and crayons for kids? (05/01/2006)
By Kelly
Putting transportation information in the bags along with a weekend itinerary is a good idea as well (03/12/2007)
By Lily
You must include a bottle of water and snacks like granola bars. Also tossing in small chocolates or candies is nice. I've also received a small candle in them to make the hotel feel more like home. (06/06/2007)
By beth
We are from Pennsylvania so we are putting a pack of crayola crayons, Hershey candy, endless mountain water, a postcard that is stamped, so everyone can have a piece of Pennsylvania from the kids to adults. Then, since I am getting married in the summer, we went with the Burt's Bees theme. I have 55 gift bags that will be filled with Burt's Bees conditioner and shampoo, exfoliating soap, face wash, lotion, cuticle cream, exfoliating foot scrub, hand scrub, and who could forget lip gloss so everyone will be at their best :) I even got Burt's Bees children stuff for the little ones. (07/02/2007)
By CHRISTY
For my daughter's wedding we went with a Colorado theme. I went to the local farmer's markets and found vendors who were willing to work with me. I had a sample size (2-drink size) salsa bloody mary mix with a special label. Honey from honeyville, spice boys vanilla lavender lemonade, individual micro cakes from the greeting cake co., Boulder chips, and water from where my daughter and her fiance met!
By Lori
I found a site which will personalize your welcome kits. They are absolutely fabulous! Go to www.chicasandbrides.com You don't have to spend a fortune in what you include in the welcome kits: an apple, homemade cookies, a small aromatherapy tea light, a granola bar, etc. What makes these great is that the presentation is awesome and you don't have to break your budget on the box or the contents. I don't think your guests will forget these! Good luck! (09/30/2007)
By Lila
I am getting married in May '08 in Jamaica. I have personalized seashell bags with our names and the wedding date. The wedding coordinator will have a bag in each room of the guest upon arrival.
Inside the bag there will be personalized cameras with our photo on it, a set of four seashell candle set with a tag saying "thank you for sharing our special day" a seashell photo album book, a welcome letter from the bride & groom, and a post card from Jamaica. (11/13/2007)
By Snugglebunny
I must thank you for all the wonderful ideas for welcome bags. My wedding is in July in Buffalo, NY and decided to fill my bags with water, snacks, menu's of local restaurants, candies, band-aids, lint brush and brochures of all the attractions in Buffalo including Niagara Falls. Thanks again! (02/04/2008)
By maisie & raul
I'm making 50 guest bags right now for my guests in Washington, DC and this is what I've done:
-I have been on the drinkmorewater.com site and had them make me water bottles with personalized labels with our picture on them. WAY CHEAPER than the knot.com bottles by the way!
-I put together a booklet with a picture of us on the cover. Inside is a note of thanks to all our guests, mentioning how far people have traveled, Transportation information around DC as well as directions for the big day (also for those who may forget the directions from their invitation), How to get around the metro (explaining how it works), What metro stops have what museums, historical landmarks, etc to visit, a listing of my favorite restaurants in DC and their addresses/metro stops, Evening entertainment at the resort as well as around the area for those that come down the day before, and a schedule of the wedding weekend.
- Included brochures of the resort and from some of the area attractions around it.
- Included a post card of DC.
- Also included mints, small lint brushes, personalized chocolates, chex mix, and cookie snack bags.
- Thinking about including the tea light candle now that I've read that on here. Sounds like a nice touch!
Even if the guests don't want to go site seeing around DC, they have a booklet that will help them get around when they are eventually ready to come back and tour. It's also not as expensive as you think to have 50 made! (04/01/2008)
By Jamie
I'm trying to come up with ideas for mine also (wedding coming up in July!) and here is what I have so far: homemade cookies, sudoku or crossword,etc. books for adults/older kids, coloring books and crayons for younger kids, snacks (e.g. granola bars, mints), map to wedding/reception, local brochures/maps, personalized welcome note. Also, I went to Micheal's craft store and purchased small bunches of our wedding flowers (gerberas and tulips) and am attaching one flower to each bag to dress them up a bit and to tie it into our wedding theme. I like the ideas on here about fruit, and the weather forecast too. (05/09/2008)
By kellie
I am placing inexpensive picture frames in my bags and inside the frame I have a print out that says "And they lived happily ever after". I am also using a smaller version of the same framed saying for my wedding cake topper! (05/14/2008)
By Kelly
I am only having 25 people to my wedding so I went all out on the welcome bags. I feel that is one of the only places I could add my own personal touch. I am getting married in Key West. What I put in each bag was a scented sachet to put in your dresser that smells like Coconut lime. A travel size candle from my favorite store that has a tropical scent. Key lime jelly beans in a shoot glass, some home made Key Lime cookies. Personalized water bottles with our name on them and a tropical soap and lotion. That is for the couples and my single girlfriends. Then for the single guys I did everything the same except for the scented sachet, the soap & lotion instead I did mini shaving kits through Anthony Logistics which is my fiance's favorite. I made a label for the front of the bag also hung a small label of the handle that read "some of our favorite things" Thank you for sharing this special time in our lives with us! (05/17/2008)
By Danielle
My reception is at a beach resort. So I purchased tin beach buckets and filled them with lip balm, sandals, tropical soaps, cookies shaped like sandcastles, fun drinking straws, water bottles, and fish shaped candy. I also decorated the buckets with scrap booking stickers of flip flops, fish, tropical drinks, etc. They are then wrapped in tulle and tied with a bow. They each have a welcome note and agenda of the weekend events. I want one myself! (08/01/2008)
By Florida Bride
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