Welcome
bags are not exactly a new addition to weddings; they’ve been around for a few
years. However, recently these bags have become much more full and personalized
than they were before. Are you curious about whether to offer a welcome bag or
what to put in it? Well, you’re in luck because today I feel like discussing
these pre-wedding goodie bags.
A
pre-wedding goodie bag? Yep! That is exactly what a “welcome bag” is –
something given to out-of-town guests in recognition of their arriving at the
hotel you selected for your wedding. They are not usually given to guests who
live locally because these guests are believed to be familiar with the lay of the
land and to not need anything, since they did not have to pack a bag and travel
to the location of your wedding. Guests understand this division, and do not
baulk at the fact that some of them receive these extra treats; trust us,
therefore, when we say that there is no expectation or requirement to provide
welcome bags to all of your guests.
This
doesn’t mean, though, that you should automatically include welcome bags in
your wedding plans. The main considerations when deciding whether to gift
welcome bags are the size of your wedding and the number of guests traveling
long distances to your event. Review your guest list and count how many guests
you expect to stay in a hotel to obtain a rough estimate of this number. If the
number is large, seriously consider whether you want to offer welcome bags.
Why? Because:
They
cost money. The total cost of a welcome bag includes the bag itself and any décor
(such as stickers) you affix to the bag, the contents of the bag and – here’s
the whopper – any delivery fee the hotel charges. In some hotels, this charge could
be as much as $5.00 per bag, which when multiplied by the number of bags to be
delivered adds up to a significant amount. Oftentimes, hotels charge the same
fee regardless of whether you instruct its staff to deliver individual bags to
guests’ rooms or have the front desk clerk hand them out during check-in.
They
have to be delivered to the hotel. A hotel isn’t going to put the bags together
for you, and many times won’t even accept ready-to-be-delivered welcome bags
until the first day that your guests are scheduled to arrive. This means that
either you or someone else must deliver your welcome bags to the hotel at the start
of your wedding weekend. Also note that staggered guest arrivals subject your
bags to sitting around for longer, increasing the chances of their becoming
lost or damaged.
Okay,
you’ve decided that you really want and can afford to offer welcome bags. Great!
So, what are you going to put in them? Hmmm…..
Information
about your event, of course! Welcome bags are the perfect place to provide
guests with the weekend’s schedule, transportation offerings, and other information
they need to know so that they can enjoy all the events you have planned.
Information
about the area. Are you getting married in a large city that offers lots to do?
Tell your guests about the best activities the area has to offer! You can also
take the extra step and tell them about some of your personal favorite
activities, be they mainstream or less-known.
Snacks.
Hotel mini-bars are expensive; providing your guests with some treats they can
enjoy in the afternoon or evening is always appreciated. Snacks that reflect
the area or are created by a local store are a fun way to interject local flavor
into your gift bags. If you’ve the time, energy, and are good in the kitchen,
homemade snacks are always a unique treat, too.
Water.
Unless it’s offered for free in the hotel lobby, bottled water is always
welcomed in a welcome bag.
Enough
for everyone. If you’re giving a bag to each family and not each person, make
sure that the bag contains enough all.
There
are, of course, some warnings:
For
summertime weddings, avoid foods that can melt – especially if guests are
staying in a non-air conditioned hotel. Think of the mess, and the wasted
money! Also avoid foods or drinks that need to be refrigerated, as traveling
guests may not have a refrigerator at their disposal.
Food
and drinks are always welcome, as are small pieces of memorabilia or fun gifts,
such as candles. However, remember that whatever you gift that’s not edible requires
guests to pack and bring home with them. Read = avoid large, non-edible items.
