Sarah and I put together a fool proof guide for assembling useful and personal Wedding Welcome Bags for The Daily Meal. Wedding guests get to their hotels rooms to find a bag full of surprises that excite them about your location, speak to your style, and cover a few weekend necessities.  I recently attended a wedding in Santa Barbara where the couple welcomed guests with all the right treats. Take a cue from this couple but adapt the ideas to fit your specific wedding.

1. Local Flavor
Vintage postcard welcoming guests by name (our bride made B & W copies of a cute Santa Barbara postcard)
List of great local eats and sites of interest
Map of the area
Local Magazine (e.g. LA Magazine, Chicago Magazine)

 

2. Drinks or Snacks
Go local whenever possible to give your guests a taste of the region.  Aim for little sweets or savories to satisfy late-night cravings or something to be enjoyed the morning after.  Remember, no one wants to carry anything home.

Here are a few cute ideas we’ve seen:

-Santa Barbara pistachios (see image)
-Tootsie rolls or Vosges chocolates for a Chicago wedding
-Ghiradelli chocolates or fresh fortune cookies for a San Francisco wedding
-Two fresh Black & White cookies for a NYC wedding
-a duo of Sprinkles cupcakes for a Los Angeles wedding (http://www.sprinkles.com/)
-Coors Light and Chapstick for a Colorado mountain wedding
-Saltwater taffy for a beach wedding
-A split of wine for a vineyard wedding
-2 Cokes in a bottle for a Southern wedding
– Hav-a-Chips for a Southern California wedding

 

3. Homemade Treat
A homemade item always adds a warm and personal touch. If you can enlist a family member, have them make something that represents your heritage.
-Your aunt’s famous banana bread

-Your mother-in-law’s sugar & spice pecans

-Your mom’s signature toffee

-A family recipe printed on a pretty card

 

4. The Necessities
The bride featured here did a first aid kit with Advil, Band-aids and Emergen-C and a wet wipe from Minimus.biz in muslin bags from Paper Mart stamped with a red cross. But it can be as simple as 2 water bottles and a pack of gum or a tin of Altoids.  We’re also fans of a $5 Starbucks card for the morning after.

 

5. Containers Ideas
Remember, most containers get left behind in the hotel trash can so don’t blow your wedding budget on this detail!
Kraft containers for an all-natural wedding (see image) Brown Gable Boxes from Nashville Wraps
Kraft or white paper bags stamped with bride & groom’s monogram or wedding date
Baggu reusable shopping bags in bright colors tied up in a bow for a chef’s or eco-girl’s wedding (that’s what Sarah did for her wedding)
A white tote printed with lyrics from your first dance song (see image)
Plastic Beach Pail
Woven Basket

 

What fun ideas have you seen for Wedding Welcome Bags?

 

xo,
A & O