WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR WEDDING WELCOME BAGS THAT WILL LEAVE YOUR GUESTS IMPRESSED
Wedding welcome bags are a fun and personalized gift to give your guests when they arrive for wedding weekend! Although they are not necessary, they are traditionally left in the hotel rooms of guests who are coming in town for the celebration and can include local treats, special favors, and possibly forgotten necessities. In this post, I will discuss thoughtful wedding welcome bag ideas that can fit every budget!
Although this addition is not mandatory, it is a thoughtful touch for those who may have come a long way or made sacrifices to share in your special day.
If you are keen on sticking to a small budget, a couple of water bottles and a prewritten note can go a long way in leaving a thoughtful touch for your guests.
Personally, the welcome bags were a last-minute (week of the wedding) project for us, but they did not take long to come together. They were a great task to delegate to bridesmaids or family members who offered to run an errand leading up to the wedding to help out! We had many guests mention how much they loved the personalized details we included in ours, and they even sent us photos enjoying the snacks we included which made it even more special! I will include all the details about our own welcome bags at the end of the post.
IDEAS FOR YOUR WELCOME BAGS
1. Local Snacks
Including local snacks and treats in your wedding, welcome bags is a great way to introduce your guests to your city or state! It can be a great idea to include something sweet and something salty or savory so there is a little something for everyone. Ideas for local treats include candy, jam, honey, chocolates, crackers, chips, and cheese. Keep in mind if you will have access to a fridge if you choose to include any perishable items. The great part about consumable gifts is your guests don’t have to worry about fitting them in their luggage on the way home!
Add a Personalized Touch:
Include a small box for favorite treats of the couple!
2. Something to Drink
It is a thoughtful gesture to include a couple of waterbottles in the welcome bags, so guests can have them on hand if they are just flying in or after spending all night on the dance floor.
Additionally, if there are local drinks you think your guests would enjoy such as coffee, tea, a festive ale, hot chocolate packet, etc. those can be a fun addition too!
Looking to make it more personalized?
Consider using beverage bottle stickers to give the drinks a custom touch!
3. Commonly Forgotten Necessities
Other thoughtful inclusions are items the guests may need during their stay. This can include ibuprofen, lip balm, small toiletries, etc. These items can often be purchased in large quantities to save money, or you could use leftovers from the bathroom baskets you prepped for your wedding day.
Click the images below for ideas of necessities you can add to your welcome bags for guests!
4. Travel Information
A helpful addition to include is a stationery item that lays out the details for the wedding weekend and information about local restaurants or attractions recommended in the area by the couple. Below are some recommendations for welcome bag stationery depending on what you are looking for. Click on the images for links to the stationery to fit your big day!
5. The Packaging
Wrapping your welcome gifts is a fun way to tie in the theme and feel of your big day and leave a great first impression! When planning what type of packaging you want - basket, gift bag, tote, etc. consider how you plan on transporting them to the hotel. If it is a destination wedding, you may be able to purchase all of the supplies you need online on a site such as Amazon so they can be delivered to the hotel. If not, you may want to opt for a gift bag that can easily be flattened in luggage. Click on the image for the packaging options below to shop!
OUR WELCOME BAGS
We got engaged while on a trip to Europe, so we wanted to include a snack inspired by each of the countries we visited as a personalized detail! We included a Stroopwafel (Netherlands), Biscotti (Italy), Swiss Chocolates (Switzerland), and Macarons (France) with our names on them. In addition, we added two water bottles and ibuprofen. To communicate the significance of the treats, restaurants and attractions in the area, weekend itinerary, and the Uber voucher code I created a newspaper-style pamphlet. I was sticking to a strict budget, so I printed the newspapers at home, found gift bags and tissue paper on Amazon in bulk, and had wedding gift tags I had created and printed through Canva.
