Perfect Destination Wedding Welcome Bags

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Destination wedding welcome bags for guests, are a token of thanks for them, for enriching your happiness with their presence, by traveling all the way from their towns to your wedding destination. It takes a good deal of amount to travel. So, as the wedding etiquette suggests, it would be a very positive gesture by you to welcome your guests with welcome bags.

What to Put in Destination Wedding Welcome Bags?

Before you work out the final list of the items, you must remember to include the items that may prove functional for them during this whole venture.
1

Customized Receptacle

The way these welcome bags are presented on guests’ arrival, would leave a lasting impression. Not just pick the best ones but pack them in the best possible way. Tote bags are the hot favorite for a beach wedding. These can also be reused later. Get them customized with special welcome notes. Themed storage box or paper bags can also be utilized.

2

Contact Guide

Landing in a strange place makes one feels like an alien. Add a card, containing all the contact info of the people who are going to cater the guests. The info to be included should be the contact numbers of the related people, wedding attendants, and wedding planner. Not only the personal but local landline numbers (especially of the hotel where guests would stay) should also be written.

Don’t: No need to add your contact info. You have much more to deal with at the moment.

3

A Welcome/ Thank you Note

Don’t forget to add a nicely printed welcome note with a short and crisp message from you. The message should convey your heartfelt feelings of gratitude on their arrival. It could be something like: ‘thanks from the heart for adding to the joyful spirit of our wedding.’ To make them look more inspiring, get them customized with a printed photograph of the couple-to-be.

4

Chart for Extra Wedding Activities

Arranging a number of events and activities for the guests, for their free time, is quite a common practice these days. It keeps the guests engaged and helps eliminate the boredom (if someone feels). Get all the weekend activities enlisted in a print form and include that in the destination wedding welcome bags. Get the help from some graphic designer to customize them your way. The other necessary info should include the venue, time, date and any extra cost (in case) for some particular activity.

5

Map out a MAP!

If you have an accurate map, you are no longer a stranger in the town. It’s the responsibility of the hosts to provide the guests with an accurate map of the area. We highly recommend you to get assistance from the local authorities like chamber of commerce or visitor’s bureau for a map. As the maps normally available on the web, are not that reliable.

6

A Local Transport Guide

Many times it happens during the wedding that guests want to be on their own. Roaming around the new town, exploring the local markets and other such tasks tend to be on their agenda. For a situation like this, they must have a city transport guide containing the right info like contact numbers of local car and taxi services. As a host, you should provide them with it. A printed card with all the related info should be a part of destination wedding welcome bags.

7

Local Dining & Activity Guide

Being a host of a destination wedding, it’s one of your many responsibilities to collect all the necessary local data of the hotels, clubs and restaurants along with the contact numbers, locations and the price they charge respectively. It would prove quite handy for the guests to move around.

8

Toss in Some Edibles

You can stuff the edibles of your choice, as well as some local items can also be included. Both sweet and salty items can be added. For sipping, a wine bottle, local beer, coconut water or miniature bottles of local wines are just a few of many options.

Don’ts: Peanuts can cause allergy. Choose the snacks without it. Do not add the food items that get affected by hot temperature, they may include, chocolate-based sweets. Wine, beer and soda can give odor in the heat. Adding some fruits? Choose those that can be peeled off easily.

9

Something to Pamper Guests!

There must be some useful items to protect and pamper your guests in various situations. A destination wedding is more about spending time in outdoors. So, it is highly advisable to include the handy items like a sunblock, lip balm with SPF 15, blotting linens, Aloe Vera gel, mosquito repellent, sunglasses, or even a disposable camera!

10

Weather Alert!

Destination weddings are very often organized in tropical areas. Weather conditions are the most unpredictable in such locations. Adding a few items to deal with the weather’s surprise is highly advisable. Add the stuff like umbrellas, flip flops, and waterproof ponchos for rainy weather. Adding hand warmers and pashminas can be great help in winter weddings.

11

Hangover Aid!

Facing hangovers in weddings is quite a common issue. Make it easy for your guests by adding a hangover kit in the destination wedding welcome bags. It should have small-sized Advil tubes, water to drink, Alka-seltzer and Emergen-C packets. 

12

Other than the items mentioned above, you have all the rights to customize or personalize the list. There are many other favorable items that you can include in the welcome bag. They might be: cigar, candies, coasters, deck of cards, waterproof key holder, luggage tags, bottle opener, fans and koozies.

Note: Do not include breakable or heavy gift items in the bags.

Tips & Tricks

Decide Your Budget and Headcount to Prepare Accordingly

Make a headcount of the guests extensively. It would make it easy to determine the number of bags you will need. Following the below given criteria can help:

  • One welcome bag for a couple in one room with two beverages and added snacks.

  • With two roommates, prepare one bag each.

  • For a family in a room, one bag for husband and wife and one for the kids.

  • For children, a bag with some toys, according to their ages, would be quite fun.

  • You can add some special gift items for the wedding party (for their extra support). It may include accessories like cufflinks for groomsmen or pashmina shawls for bridesmaids.

You know your budget limits. If it's tight, choose simpler bags without any personalized messages. Not only it would cost less, but are easy to reuse in future. Secondly, it’s better to decide the number of items of your destination wedding welcome bags, according to the budget.

How would you send them to the destination? You may get help from immediate relatives to carry some stuff for you. If that seems hard, the best option is to get it shipped about 6 to 8 weeks in advance, to avoid any delay. Or you can buy it all from the wedding destination and pack them, then and there.

Who will pack welcome bags? Most often, wedding planners do that. You, with the help of your bridesmaids can give it a try. Locale services can also be approached for it.

How to deliver them to the guests? The easiest way is to deliver them in person, in the welcome party or rehearsal dinner. You can also get them delivered in the hotels, where they are staying (hotels may charge for it). If name tags are there, it would not be hard.