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
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
- 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
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
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
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)
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.
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.
