4 Ways To Wow Your Bridesmaids With "Totes Adorable" Bags

Tote bags are the absolute best kind of bags. All the storage space of a beach bag with all the style of a purse? And they’re so versatile. You can actually use one as a beach bag one day and then as a purse the next. Sign me up!

I don’t know who had the idea to start using tote bags as gift baskets, but they must be a genius. You can stuff them full of presents and give them as bridesmaid invitations or bridesmaid thank-you gifts, travel bags, morning-of bags – so many options!

Source: Gold Metallic Tote, Canvas and Leather Tote

Will you be my bridesmaid?

Give your best girls everything they’ll need to be your best bridesmaids. If you’re unsure what to include, start with a sweet letter explaining why you chose them to be your bridesmaid and then use that letter to come up with ideas. Have you known her since high school? Frame that super embarrassing photo of the two of you from your yearbook. Work friends? How about an essential oil diffuser and bottle of oil for her desk? Siblings? Get matching anklets.

Here are some general ideas, too:

• A small bag of coffee or a gift card to her favorite coffee shop
• A bottle of wine—or whatever her booze of choice is!
• Candles
• Jewelry
• A nice picture frame with a note inside that says “insert picture of us from my wedding here”
• Her favorite candy or snack
• If your wedding has a theme, don’t forget to include a related item or two! If you know all the details already, make sure there's a note with the date and location of the wedding.

If you’re worried about your potential for being a bridezilla, throw in a gift that will help everyone: a “tame the bride” gift, so to speak. What makes you happy? Put your favorite candy, a picture of you and your fiancé, a favorite CD, a scented candle, or even a bottle of alcohol. Attach a card that says “open in an emergency!” If (when) you start to freak out, whichever bridesmaid is closest can whip out her emergency kit and everything will be peachy again in no time at all.

Hand-deliver the gift bags to each girl or invite everyone out to brunch or dinner so you can all celebrate together.

Source: Silver Dipped Tote, Brunch, Personalized Floral Design Tote

If a formal outing isn't quite your style, opt for a sleepover! Start the night by giving the girls their beautiful, personalized tote bags, which should be full of all the ingredients needed for your best girls’ night yet:

• Face masks
• Eye covers and ear plugs
• Nail polish
• temporary tattoos
• a mixtape (even better if you make a different, personalized one for each girl!)
• Popcorn and toppings
• Your favorite candy from when you were kids
• Alcohol
• Hot chocolate
• Cards
• Games
• Give your girls a few minutes to gush and be excited for you and then turn on your party playlist and let the festivities begin!

Thank you for carrying my emotional baggage – here’s a tote bag to make it easier on you

Your bridesmaids, mother, mother-in-law, and others worked tirelessly to not only make your wedding day extra special, but made sure the entire planning process went as smoothly as possible. Even though they already know you love them, make sure to thank them with an extra-thoughtful gift full of proof of your friendship and gratitude.

• Coffee
• Alcohol
• A small photo album with pictures from the wedding planning process
• Jewelry
• A locket keychain
• A small shadowbox for their bouquet (if you're really on top of things, have someone collect their bouquets or corsages at the end of the reception for you so you can put the flowers in the boxes yourself. Just be sure your girls know they'll get the flowers back soon!) 
• For an extra special gift, throw in an IOU as a promise to meet up for a cup of coffee or a glass of wine when you return from your honeymoon
• Of course, you can't forget the letter telling them how much you appreciate them and everything they do for you

Morning-of kits

Another perfect use for a tote bag is to help you keep track of all your things while you are getting ready the morning of your wedding.

This would be a great time to give your bridesmaids their thank-you bags, too! Along with the bag, throw in some things they may need to get through the day:

• Personalized coffee mug (don't forget to provide the coffee, too!)
• A protein or energy bar
• Matching jewelry for everyone to wear that day
• Flip flops if it's hot, or a cardigan if it's cold
• A small bottle of perfume
• For the “thank you” part, follow the same guidelines from above—gifts should be thoughtful, unique, and should remind your bridal party why they were asked to be bridesmaids.

Spread the love on your honeymoon

Don’t let your bridesmaids have all the fun – get a bag (or two) for yourself! They’re a great size for a carry on bag for a flight, and some are even small enough to count as a personal item.

Source: Gray Weekender Tote, Blue Travel Tote, Canvas and Faux Leather Women's Weekend Bag

Taking a road trip? I put all of my road trip necessities in tote bags. The rectangular, somewhat stiff bottom paired with the soft sides allows tote bags to fit just about perfectly on the floor behind the front seats. Keep all your snacks, games, and travel guides within your reach, but out of the way. Not to mention, when the bags are empty, they take up next to no space, but don’t create the trash that plastic or paper bags do.

There’s no bad reason to buy a tote bag, we know that. But having a great reason is so much more fun – and so is sharing that reason! Besides, when it’s done being used as a gift bag,  a tote bag can go on to lead a very useful and varied life, being used as anything from an overnight bag to a grocery bag to a diaper bag, and it will carry the memories from your wedding with it everywhere. What’s your favorite use for your personalized tote bag, and where or why did you get the bag? Comment below!

Elizabeth graduated from The University of Findlay with a Master of Arts in Rhetoric and Writing. She now resides in Portland, Oregon where she is employed in the real estate business and is particularly enjoying the local cuisine. As a writer, Elizabeth believes in a quote from one of her favorite TV shows: "We have only two jobs on this Earth. The first: to learn. The second: to cope." A deep desire to learn struck Elizabeth when she was young, and now she hopes to help you cope by sharing information, and helping you apply the knowledge. Weddings and event planning can be overwhelming; sometimes it's okay to take a little advice from a stranger on the internet.

The Wedding Souvenir You Never Knew You Needed

There are two things a party always has, it seems: people and drinks. You don’t always have decorations or gifts or even food, but there is always something to drink and always someone there to drink it. 

At weddings, it is customary to give your guests favors. If this is something you plan on doing, then you know for certain you will need people, drinks, and gifts for those people. Favors are the trickiest factor in that equation and can be a difficult choice for a bride and groom. Food is common because it is easy and it is cheap. But do you know if any of your guests have allergies? Are they vegan? What about their plus 1? And what happens to the personalized wrappers after the food is eaten? They get thrown away and the favor you put so much time and energy into is soon forgotten.

Longer-lasting favors are difficult, too, though. It’s hard to find something that everyone will like. Plants and seeds are popular favors, but not everyone likes gardening, and some of the people who do (like me) can’t keep a plant alive no matter what. Matches are a classic favor too, but just like the food, eventually they’ll be used up and the container will be thrown away. Not to mention favors like these can be expensive. Beyond these, the long-term favors get expensive. If there’s room in your budget, you can definitely figure out a very thoughtful, useful, and memorable favor.

For those who have a smaller budget or just want to be frugal and/or practical, there are other options! My family started using these personalized cups at all of our events a few years ago—birthdays, anniversary parties, graduation parties, and so on. We get compliments on them every time. With all the different styles and options to personalize text, font, and images/designs, your cups will be unique and useful – a beautiful combination. Not to mention there is a whole range of styles to choose from, so whether your wedding reception involves a bonfire in your backyard (maybe you need a classic solo cup!) or an upscale soiree at The Biltmore Estate (pilsner glass, anyone?), you’ll find a cup to match.

Source: Solo Cups, Plastic Pilsner Glasses

You can design your cups basically however you want them. If you order in smaller quantities, you can get multile designs so your guests can pick their favorite. These frosted plastic cups are especially cute for summer weddings. If you’re serving hot drinks, you can get Styrofoam cups, too.

Source: Frosted Plastic Cups

If you love the personalized cups but for whatever reason, they’re not practical for general use at your wedding, consider using these champagne flutes just for the toasts!

These small, clear cups are perfect for a signature food item - such as an hors d'oeuvre or a dessert!  They come in different sizes, so you can even pick your serving size. Plus, they double as a carrying container, so if you put a dessert in them, your guests can take a second cup home (if there’s any left over!)

Source: Mini Milkshake Cups

If you think a cup doesn’t feel like enough of a favor, you can add goodie bags of candies or chocolates inside them, or baggies of plant seeds, or another small favor you’d had on your mind. You could make a miniature gift basket in them. For the adults, a small liquor bottle and a piece of chocolate. For the kids, a bottle of bubbles and a glow stick. 

Source: The Hunt is Over Stadium Cup, Dessert Tumbler, Frosted Plastic Cups, Paper Cups, Monogram Cup, Wine Goblets

Whether you just can’t decide on a souvenir for your guests, are sticking to a strict budget, or love to be frugal, these cups are the perfect addition to your wedding. Give your guests a gift they can use to celebrate your wedding for years to come. You, too, can save any leftover cups for a toast on your anniversary.

Cheers!

Elizabeth graduated from The University of Findlay with a Master of Arts in Rhetoric and Writing. She now resides in Portland, Oregon where she is employed in the real estate business and is particularly enjoying the local cuisine. As a writer, Elizabeth believes in a quote from one of her favorite TV shows: "We have only two jobs on this Earth. The first: to learn. The second: to cope." A deep desire to learn struck Elizabeth when she was young, and now she hopes to help you cope by sharing information, and helping you apply the knowledge. Weddings and event planning can be overwhelming; sometimes it's okay to take a little advice from a stranger on the internet.

6 Guest Books That Aren't Actually Books

How many books do you have sitting on a shelf right now? How many have you read? How many do you look at regularly? Probably not very many. What about photo albums—how often do you look through those? In a world as busy as ours, it’s easy for books of all types to get left behind.

Source: Traditional Guest Book

The same thing happens to guest books. At my high school graduation party, my mom put out a notebook for people to sign and leave me advice. I read one piece of advice in it the night of my party, put it in a stack of books and notebooks, and forgot about it until after my first year of graduate school. On the other hand, I used my card bucket every day for years after my party. The party was Dr. Seuss-themed, and the card bucket was one of those giant cheese ball containers that we had painted in colorful stripes to mimic Oh, the Places You’ll Go! I took that bucket to college with me and used it every day. As a trash can, sure, but I still looked at it every day.

No matter how much we cherish the printed word, traditional books are being left behind. But that’s okay, because it means we get to update our idea of what “book” means – and find new options for guest books. Luckily, there are tons of options – the hard part is picking which modern guest book will work best for your wedding, engagement party, bridal shower, or other event.

Let’s think long-term. You want something that will be beautiful or fun or hands-on; something you’ll be able to use over and over again after the event but won’t look quite so practical at the event. I have a few ideas for you.

Puzzles

Source: Wooden Puzzle Guest Book

My personal favorite: a blank, wooden puzzle! You can use light-colored wood and just about any color marker to write on the pieces to match your wedding colors. Or, you can use a dark-stained wood and use silver, white, and gold markers. You can write on both sides, so a guest can write a message on one side and sign their name on the other side. The best part is what comes after. If you enjoy puzzles, you can put the puzzle together whenever you want and as many times as you want.

Make a tradition out of putting it together on your anniversary every year and sharing a memory of the person who signed the piece you just fit into place (bonus points if the memory is from the event!) Or, if you prefer the satisfaction of putting together a puzzle only once, you can do so and then glue and seal it, frame it, and hang it on your wall. It’s more decorative than a book and a better talking point because you don’t have to pick up a book and read through it – you can just glance at the puzzle and pick out a name. Another option, if you have young people in your family, is to leave it out for them to play with. It would be a good way for them to learn about family members as well. Check out one of these wooden puzzles here.

Jenga

Source: Jenga Yard Game

If you prefer a more competitive type of puzzle, use Jenga blocks. You can yell at your friends later when you pull your name and they cause the tower to fall, because of course it was their fault! There are different sizes of Jenga games, too, ranging from travel-sized to giant (almost as tall as an adult), which makes for an exciting yard game.

Beer or Wine Growler

Source: Wine Cork Guestbook Growler

Here’s an idea that’s becoming more and more popular: a growler. Sort of like a shadow box, a beer or wine growler is an awesome alternative to a guest book for those who enjoy a good drink. Guests sign a wine cork (or bottle cap!) and drop it inside the jug. Unlike a shadow box, though, the growler can be reused. Take out the signed tokens and make your own wine, cider, or beer! If you’re not interested in investing that much time into a drink, though, it makes a great decorative item as well. A growler is big enough to sit on the floor in a corner but small enough to not overwhelm a coffee or side table, either. Put flowers or seasonal items in the top and use it as a centerpiece. Have a bar in your house (or wish you had one)? This is one of the best decorations you could find.

Sporting Equipment

Source: Surfboard Guestbook

For the more active, sporty couple, use a favorite piece of equipment. A snowboard, surfboard, or ski is a good surface for signing; then you can use it as it was intended, and remember your event every time you use it, or hang it on a wall and be reminded of both your favorite activity and your favorite event when you see it. Maybe you and your significant other met at a sporting event. Get your favorite player’s jersey and have guests sign that. Or, if the two of you argue constantly over which player is better, make a game out of it and get an answer once and for all! Get a jersey for each player and have guests sign their favorite. Later, count the signatures on each jersey. The loser has to wear the winning jersey for the rest of the season!

Shadow Box

Source: Shadow Box Guest Book

Of course, we can’t forget about the shadow box, an item that quickly became a favorite way to show off memorabilia. This shadow box offers cute wooden-shaped hearts as tokens for your guests to sign and drop in the box. The black frame sets off the silver and gold hearts in an elegant way that is sure to draw an eye or two.

Signing Stones

Source: River Rock Signing Stones

Signing stones have also become popular. I love this one because there are so many things you can do with the stones – before and after they’re signed. At the event, you can set them out in a bowl on the gift table so guests can sign as they’re dropping off gifts. Or, use the stones in your centerpieces or scatter them across the tables. Guests can sign them whenever they’re ready throughout the night, and you can leave a vase or bowl near the exit so guests can drop them off before they leave. Afterwards, you have tons of options for the stones. Put them in a vase and use it year-round. Spread them through a stone walkway or scatter them through your flower garden. Create a beautiful incense tray. Line the tray with the stones and succulents and place your incense holder on top.

Nontraditional Guestbook Books

Can’t seem to give up on a book? I get it. And you, book lovers, have some alternatives too.

Use a photo book instead of a journal. Get a polaroid camera and have guests take a quick selfie and write a message on the back.

If you and your significant other have a favorite book, set out a copy. Ask your guests to find a passage or phrase they enjoy and sign their name next to it.

Love to travel as much as you love the feel of a paperback in your hands? Use an atlas! Guests can sign on the page with their favorite place or somewhere they’ve always wanted to go. When you travel to one of these places, make sure you send a postcard to that person!

Source: Polaroid Guest Book, Atlas Guest Book

Your wedding, or any other special event, deserves an incredible memento – one that won’t get lost on a shelf or forgotten in a stack of journals.

Elizabeth graduated from The University of Findlay with a Master of Arts in Rhetoric and Writing. She now resides in Portland, Oregon where she is employed in the real estate business and is particularly enjoying the local cuisine. As a writer, Elizabeth believes in a quote from one of her favorite TV shows: "We have only two jobs on this Earth. The first: to learn. The second: to cope." A deep desire to learn struck Elizabeth when she was young, and now she hopes to help you cope by sharing information, and helping you apply the knowledge. Weddings and event planning can be overwhelming; sometimes it's okay to take a little advice from a stranger on the internet.