What Your Hotel Welcome Gift Bags Are Missing

We recently shared what hotel welcome bags are and why you might decide to gift them to your out-of-town guests. The hardest part now is choosing what to put in them! Here’s our guide to filling your hotel welcome gift bags to help you make sure you don't leave out anything important.

Source: Frosted Plastic Welcome Bags

These bags can be as simple or as extravagant as you want them to be – anything from a couple basic necessities to a location-themed grab bag. Throw items in the bag willy-nilly or connect them all with a theme. The goal of these bags should be to help your guests feel more comfortable during their travels.

The Necessities

• Bottles of water
• Personalized water bottles, koozies or flasks
• Outdoor items like sunglasses, sunscreen, bug spray, handwarmers, or a rain poncho
• Advil/tums/bandaids
• An area map
• Mints or gum
• A grooming set with tweezers, nail clippers, and a nail file

 Source: Water Bottles, Custom Lip Balm, Monogrammed Floral Sunglasses

Local Gifts

• Write a personalized guide to your favorite nearby restaurants and attractions
• Include gift cards or coupons for a restaurant (bonus: you can use these almost like tissue paper as a filler, too!)
• Locally-made food or drinks
• Check out this list of state-specific souvenir ideas

Source: Colorado, Vienna

The Practical

• Portable phone charger
• A note that says “Please call anyone but the bride” and a list of phone numbers for people who know the area and the weekend’s events
•  Snacks
• Fresh fruit
• Power bars
• Trail mix
• Chocolates
• Bride’s and groom’s favorite candy or snack
• Something sweet and something salty
• Clothing-repair kit
• Mini sewing kit
• Safety pins
• Wrinkle release spray
• Lint roller
• Bottle opener
• Hand sanitizer

Source: Bottle Openers, Phone List

The Extra

• Alcohol
• Champagne is a good go-to, but don’t be afraid to include a local wine or a couple bottles of the bride’s and groom’s favorite beers or ciders
• Coffee – beans, grounds, or already brewed
• Candles or incense
• Lotion or soap
• Deck of cards or travel-sized game
• A hardy plant like a cactus or succulent
• A small notebook and pen
• A disposable camera
• Lip balm
• Nail polish
• An uber promo code for your event
• Febreeze or air freshener
• A recipe for a dish served at the wedding or unique to the area

Source: Cards, Plant, Candles

The Whimsical

• A lottery ticket
• The bride and groom’s favorite toys
• A favorite book or a book set in the area
• A handwritten book telling the couple’s love story
• Personalized “do not disturb sign” for their hotel room door
• A framed print of a map or photograph of the area or wedding venue
• Sparklers or small fireworks
• Postcards from the area your guests can send back home
• Drink coasters

Source: Box, Postcards

Themed Bags

• Wedding
• How can you tie your wedding theme into the gift bags?
• Wedding destination
• Focus on the unique, local items and maps
• Candy
• In addition to a variety of candy, include candy-scented candles, make-your-own candy kits, candy-flavored alcohol
• Travel
• Neck pillows, small blankets, eye masks, noise-canceling headphone, reusable water bottles, reusable bags, sunglasses, hats, passport holder, toiletry bag
• Spa
• Lotion, tanning oil or sunscreen, face and eye masks, coupon or gift card for a massage after the wedding (or a handheld massager), wine
• Color
• Use your wedding colors or another favorite color scheme and choose items suggested above within that color scheme
• For example, yellow, pink, and orange: yellow-framed sunglasses, mini bottles of orange juice and pink champagne, lemon-scented soap or lotion, a rose-scented candle
• Activities
• If there's a lot to do near the wedding venue, center your gift bags around these activities: sunglasses, energy bars and trail mix, trail guides, coupons for the activities, a local scavenger hunt
• Games
• A deck of cards, travel-sized checkers or scrabble, a book of road trip games, mad libs, plus all the best gaming snacks (chips, chocolate, popcorn, pretzels, m&ms or skittles)

Source: Travel Bag, Italy, Pineapple Theme, Toiletry Bag

Make sure you include a note explaining why you included the personal items! Who likes which candy or drink? Why did you choose that particular quote for the bag? Which restaurant is your favorite and why?

Keep in mind you’re doing this to help your guests feel more comfortable away from home, and think about their favorite things. You’ll also need to remember who is driving and who is flying – and what they’ll be able to fit in their luggage.

Have a little fun with the bags. Because you're not giving them to every wedding guest, you can make them more personal and give yourself a chance to think about how much this guest means to you and why you're so happy to have them attend your wedding.

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.

Inspiration for Your Wedding Welcome Gift Bags

If you are having a destination wedding or asking many of your guests to stay in hotel rooms, it's a good idea to include a little something special for those guests traveling to your wedding.  Wedding welcome gift bags are a great way to add a personal touch to your wedding and say a special thank you to those loved ones.  But not every gift bag is created equal.  Many come in the form of baskets, reusable totes, paper bags, and boxes.  And even more different are the items you can put inside of your welcome bags.

Ideas for what to include in your wedding gift bags can range from the hangover helper kit to local souvenirs and everything in between. To help you narrow down the perfect items for your guest gifts bags, we've included some of our favorite ideas.

Local Collectibles - Whether you are having a destination wedding or a backyard wedding, those unfamiliar with the area will love getting local memorabilia to take home with them. Include maps of the area and transportation maps for guests who may be staying the whole weekend.  Don't forget to mark any spots that are of particular interest.  Items that are famous to the area are the perfect complement to an OOT wedding gift bag and help polish the look of a welcome bag.  Hawaii wedding?  Include real flower leis in each gift bag.  Vermont wedding? Small bottles of local maple syrup will add to atmosphere of your wedding.

Don't forget your wedding details.  Your welcome bags are the perfect spot to include all the important details about your wedding.  Be sure to include your itinerary for the weekend and any contact phone numbers for guests that may have questions.  Throw in a personalized koozie or photo of the bride and groom with a hand written message on the back so guests have a small token to remember the day with.

The Hangover Helper Kit has been increasing in popularity throughout the years and typically consists of everything you'll need to fend off the dreaded post-party hangover. To pull off a hangover kit, include items like a bottle of Coca-Cola, Aspirin, Water, gum, and Pepto Bismol or Tums. Add a pair of cheap sunglasses to the kit for a few laughs. A $5.00 gift certificate to Starbucks or McDonalds will be much appreciated for those looking for a coffee fix or greasy relief.

Food, Snacks, and Necessities - Include small snacks like crackers, chips, and cookies in your wedding gift bags for guests to munch on after their long flight or during the transition before your reception. These snacks also come in handy as late night munchies. Add other fun items like local magazines and mini bottles of wine or liquor. If there will be children attending the wedding, include a coloring book with crayons for them to enjoy. Lastly, don't forget toiletry items. While these functional items may be easy to overlook, many times they are the items that get the most appreciation.  Handy mini sewing kits will be a life saver for popped buttons. Other necessities like Chapstick, lint rollers, sunscreen, and mouthwash are just a few must-haves your wedding guests will be thanking you for.

  

Image Credits: Cape Cod beach bag, Kraft wedding gift bag, Honey gift basket, Photo water bottles, Itinerary, Thank you wedding gift bags, Door hangers, Gatorade hangover kit, Sunglasses, Personalized cookies, Maptote, Breakfast for two, Bermuda bag, Damask gift bag, Picnic gift baskets

Creating the Perfect Wedding Gift Bag

Today’s modern bride is finding herself receiving more out of town guests then in years past. One of the ways in which today’s couples choose to honor these guests is by presenting them with personalized wedding gift bags. Gift bags are usually given to the out of town guests that are staying in a hotel. The gift bags can be left in the guest’s hotel room to welcome them when they arrive.

Fill your gift bags with bottled water, snacks for the room and brochures with things to do in and around town for those who may not be familiar with the area. Some other good items to add would be aspirin, mints, and mini sewing kits for lost buttons and ripped hems. Of course don’t forget about the wine. You can also add a bottle of wine and a couple of wine glasses, maybe even some nice chocolates, cheese and crackers to go with it.

No matter how you choose to put together your wedding gift bags, it is always important to include a welcoming message for your guests and thank them for making the trip for your special day. By using personalized gift bags you can add a note of appreciation to the front of the bag and save yourself so time. Then dress up the bag with some nice tissue paper and ribbon. Wedding gift bags can make your guests feel welcomed and appreciated; they are a great way to start the wedding festivities.

Carrie