GUEST GIFT
WELCOME BAG
When planning a wedding, small details can make the difference between a nice wedding and an incredible wedding. A welcome bag is such a unique touch to offer your guests that will get them excited for the event, and even better to offer them a glimpse of the weekend as a whole. Wedding gifts have seen their hay day in the wedding world and are slowly being replaced by more personalised options, such as welcome bags, and even more so for multiple-day events. For a destination wedding or if you have guests from out of town this is an exciting surprise for them to receive when they arrive to their hotel.
If you’re thinking about having welcome bags for your big day, then follow this simple guide to creating a bag unique to your wedding!
INHALT
Choose your theme
To start creating your welcome bags, you start the same way as your wedding – choose your theme!
If you’re having a destination wedding, then create a bag that will give your guests a sense of the location, from the color palette to the items in the bag. Using the color scheme from your wedding is also a great jumping off point to the bags, ensuring that it will be cohesive with your event and will of course look great in photos!
Calculate your budget
Depending on how many guests you have, this will of course factor into your budget. The smaller the guest list, the more options you will have to create a more elaborate and custom bag. A good rule of thumb is to see the overall amount you have allocated for “extras” – gifts, accessories, etc. and when you have figured out how much in total you are able to spend, divide this by your guest list. A good option to lower costs is to do one bag per family or one bag per room, rather than per person.
If you have a larger budget or larger guest list, you can also opt for using a custom gift building company such as Marigold & Grey. With your set budget, location, theme, and number of guests, they are able to curate a welcome bag for you that will keep you from going over budget and will always impress your guests.
Pick a container
Even though the term “Welcome Bag” is the most used phrase, don’t let this confine you to just using a bag!
Think outside the box, by using a box or a basket! There are many options out there, one that will fit your style and be unique to your wedding.
Some things to keep in mind when selecting – if people are traveling by plane, make sure this is something that is easy for them travel home with. Also keep in mind the practicality of it. The more practical and usable the item is, the more likely your guests will use them after the wedding is over. This will make the gift more sustainable, and how fun is it to know that they get to enjoy something from your big day for years to come!
Try to avoid putting anything too specific on it. It’s cute and fun to have your names and the wedding date on the bag, but not so practical for future use, so try to keep this in mind when selecting.
One of our favorite options is a jute bag, such as the ones from Wordans here in Europe. Jute bags are easily customisable, fit into many themes, sustainable, and easy to fold or travel with.
Keep it local
One of the best ways to keep your welcome bags custom and impressive is to use local items. This is especially exciting for friends and family who may not have been to the location where you’re getting married.
Include local foods, handmade items, drinks, etc. that will get them excited about being in a new place. This is also a great way to give them a souvenir from a destination wedding or things they can use throughout the weekend during your other activities.
Think creatively on this one – such as the bag in the photo. This was from an Italian wedding and handprinted limoncello bottles were included in each welcome bag, along with some local treats.
As a bonus, the more local it is, the more sustainable and we love a sustainable gift!
Make it personal
This category is what will set your welcome bags apart from all the rest.
When thinking of items to include, think of ways you can make it personal for each of your guests.
For example, if you want to have a Turkish towel in your bags for a beach destination, try to get a variety of colors so that you can give each of your guests one that fits their personality.
This of course can be a bit difficult if you have a large guest list, but even the smallest personal touch goes a long way.
Write the guest’s name on the card in the bag, or include the type of candy that they like. Anything that will make them feel like they were thought about will be a special moment for them.
Don’t forget the Itinerary
If you are having a multiple day event, this is a great opportunity to give your guests an overview of all of the activities, the time, what they should wear, etc. This will give them a good idea of when they will have free time and will be exciting for them to see all of the fun things you have planned! Another helpful thing to add to this is a list of local sights to see, places to eat, or things to do so that when they have free time they already have recommendations. This is such a nice touch for destination weddings especially, as this will add the ultimate holiday vibe to the bag.
Let’s talk about snacks
Ok, let’s get real for a minute.
You’re a guest traveling for a wedding. You’ve been on a plane for hours with only crappy airport food and visions of a relaxing holiday to hold you over. You’ve finally made it to your hotel in a far away destination and all you want at that moment is to be able to freshen up and eat. Bing!
This is where your welcome bag comes in to save the day!
Your friends and family will be so appreciative of the fact that you have thought about this so that they are able to relax and get in the wedding weekend mindset without worrying about when their next meal is coming. Trust me – this is a must!
Write a note
Something you do not want to forget is the opportunity to thank your guests for coming! Write a little note that you can attach to the bag stating how thankful you are that they are there and how much they mean to you. Keep it short and sweet – just a few sentences will make a big impact.
When talking to your stationary supplier, see if they can do something like this for you. This will also keep the look of everything for your wedding cohesive and ensure your bags still look stylish.
Add a touch of luxury
Luxury doesn’t have to mean expensive! If you’re selective about the items included in your bag, this gives you the ability to have high impact goodies. Nice travel sized toiletry items (bonus if they’re from a local company!), a candle, or even just upgrading the bag to a nicer one will make a big impact for a small price difference. This will just show the guests you really thought about what they would use or want and it also means they’re less likely to throw it out. We’re looking at you, cheap plastic sunglasses!
One of our local German favorites for toiletries is Day One which has handmade and organic products.
Get creative!
When curating your welcome bag, make sure you have fun with it and mold it to fit your wedding and style. The more you put your personality into it, the more your guests will love it because they will feel the care and thought put into it.
If you want something totally unique, talk to a local artist and work with them to create a one of a kind illustration to put on your bag or paper products.
You could also work with a local bakery to create some personalised sweets with your new last name and color palette.
The possibilities are endless!
