If you are planning a destination wedding, we always think it’s a good idea to give your guests a little something for the shlepping. Yes, we know it’s a vacation for them, too, but showing your appreciation for celebrating with you near to their hearts and far from their homes is a nice and classy thing to do. Travel bags or gift baskets can also be a great way to set the mood of your wedding, show off your personalities, and allow your peeps to get to know you even better.
You may like the idea of Welcome Bags, but maybe you’re not sure what to put inside. We’re here to give you some ideas of items to include for your travelers.
- Down to Business:
- A note welcoming your guests
- The schedule of wedding events and their addresses
- Map detailing the important locations
- Fun Location Specific Amenities:
- Sunscreen for beach or tropical weddings or seasons
- Glove warmers or hot cocoa packets for winter wonderland weekends
- Something unique from the locale: a mini bottle of wine from Napa Valley or a I HEART NY t-shirt from… well, New York.
- Party Pals:
- Disposable camera
- Bottles of water
- Ibuprofen packets
- Band aids
- For the Munchies:
- Candy: if you two are known for your chocolate obsession, fill ‘er up! If everyone jokes about your love for sour gummies, toss ’em in! There are really cute novelty candy items that look great in these bags, too.
- Mints or gum
- Crackers
- Dried fruit
- Nuts
- Cookies
- For the Ultimate Tourist:
- Map of the city (these are free if you’re a AAA member!)
- A local newspaper
- List of tourist attractions nearby like museums, theaters, bike rentals, or tour groups
- List of important information like closest hospital, taxi company phone numbers, bus or metro stops, babysitter services, places of worship, or post office
A lot of the local information can be obtained from the hotel’s front desk or concierge, so you don’t really have to do that much work. They provide lists with relevant local information for their guests regularly, so asking them for these points will be a cinch.
The list of munchies we’ve included is a very basic and general list. We actually love the idea of including local food that makes the location famous. If you’re in Atlanta, give your guests some beautiful fresh peaches from a farmer’s market. A wedding in Memphis definitely requires you to include famous BBQ sauce in the Welcome Bag. If your guests are traveling to Mexico, why not salsa? Hawaii, macadamia nuts! Paris, croissants! We could go on and on and on… but this is making us hungry.
So what should your gift bags look like? It’s up to you! If you have a monogram or wedding logo designed, use it! Create stickers and attach them to bags or include the monogram or logo on all the paper items. Also, this is where you can incorporate the style of your wedding. The gift bag on the left hints that the wedding is going to be modern with a whimsical and feminine twist. The gift bag on the right tells us that the wedding is a more formal affair with traditional elements. Both are beautiful and their guests will be thrilled!
If putting together your own Welcome Bags sounds about as fun as breaking the Yom Kippur fast with a chili pepper smoothie on an empty stomach, that’s okay! We don’t judge! Fortunately for you, Kate Parker Weddings can make gift bags for you and your guests! These custom baskets can be shipped to your wedding weekend location so you have to do less shlepping! Sounds like a dream, right? It’s real and we love it!
Traveling for weddings is never simple, but it doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Have fun with this step of the planning and relax! Your guests are going to love traveling to be at your wedding because you are a special couple and you’re celebrating a wonderful milestone.
You’ve got this one! It’s in the bag!
