Let's Talk Welcome Bags

julbgordo

Are you doing them?  Is there anything other than the usual snacks, local area stuff, "health" items (like little Advil packets) that you plan to incorporate?

Since our wedding is somewhat of a destination, most of our guests will be staying at the Inn.  I want to make sure their stay is comfortable and enjoyable.  I always love getting the welcome bags when I go to weddings.  I originally wanted to get hat boxes and fill them with stuff, but those are really hard to find and more than I want to spend on something like this.

I plan to work on the design for our door hangers which I will put in the welcome bags, which is what got me on the topic this morning.  Do you have anything to share about your bags?  Are you doing anything unique?  Just curious 

KrisKenny

Just about all of my guest list is local so I'm going to save the money and spend it elsewhere. Some will be staying the night at the hotel, but only because they don't want to drive home after a night of drinking and partying.

midgedenver

We're only doing it for people that are coming from a certain distance. We have a brochure of things to do that I made using Vistaprint to put in there as well as the usual stuff.

HarperBargo

I am making sure to include enough bottles of water and snacks. We are also putting mini bottles of bourbon in the bags (it is made in Kentucky and one of our favorite dates was going on the bourbon trail).

I always like getting OOT bags when I go to weddings. 

goodine11

We are doing welcome notes, thanking them for traveling with us and brochures of what activities the resort has to offer as well as information about the island and its tours. I was doing welcome bags since people are traveling to Domincan Republic with me but, its all-inclusive. They wont have to spend money unless they are off the island. And I have a lot of luggages and boxes to carry with me over there.

Zimsgirl

I think they're a waste of money. FFIL talked about doing them and I'll be a little ticked if he does. They haven't offer to pay for anything except doing these when I don't want to do them

julbgordo

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_june-2012-weddings_lets-talk-welcome-bags?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20Club%20BoardsForum:3ae4d68d-f10a-4dec-8810-da13c14a7b86Discussion:4c4c0341-051e-4cbc-a4b5-44b01ecd55e2Post:0b724a06-ff21-4586-8971-f85b5f7abe71">Re: Let's Talk Welcome Bags</a>:
[QUOTE]I think they're a waste of money. FFIL talked about doing them and I'll be a little ticked if he does. They haven't offer to pay for anything except doing these when I don't want to do them
Posted by Zimsgirl[/QUOTE]

<div>I don't see how being a good host to your guests is a waste of money.  That's just me though.</div>

Zimsgirl

For some reason I can't quote you but they're unnecessary. I know the hotel my guests are staying in will have things at the front desk if they forget, glasses for water, snack machine, etc. it's not required to give the extra goodies and I don't think guests should expect them

HarperBargo

Guests don't expect them but it is a nice token of gratitude for people who are spending hundreds of dollars to come to your wedding. 

chelseakopperud

I think they are nice, but we dont have a hotel in  town that we could even have them waiting there for the guests....so we are skipping them.  Most of our guests are local and if they arent they are family and staying with family in town.

EmDeVine14

We're doing OOT and really excited about putting them together. I always got a "goodie bag" at birthday parties, and favors at celebrations, how is a wedding any different? We're doing OOT for local comfort as all of our family is traveling over 1,000 miles to get to us. Our favors are just hershey kisses. If my FIL's offered to pay for the OOT bags I'd jump for joy, even if that was the only thing they offered. Actually, if they offered to pay for anything, I'd gladly accept their graciousness. One less worry for me!

Zimsgirl

I just think its a waste. I don't care if they don't pay for anything. I just find it odd they offer to do these and I don't want them

SheilaDancer43

We're doing them, but I haven't put too much thought into them yet. Definitely putting a welcome note, map of St. Augustine, brochures for fun things to do/restaurants/etc, bottles of water, Advil, packet of tissues (?), maybe something local (like a souvenier or some local snack), maybe a beach towel since the beach is right across the street...that's probably it. So, nothing unusual I guess.

julbgordo

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_june-2012-weddings_lets-talk-welcome-bags?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20Club%20BoardsForum:3ae4d68d-f10a-4dec-8810-da13c14a7b86Discussion:4c4c0341-051e-4cbc-a4b5-44b01ecd55e2Post:41120113-e851-4a23-9d03-e43943f8bdac">Re: Let's Talk Welcome Bags</a>:
[QUOTE]For some reason I can't quote you but they're unnecessary. I know the hotel my guests are staying in will have things at the front desk if they forget, glasses for water, snack machine, etc. it's not required to give the extra goodies and I don't think guests should expect them
Posted by Zimsgirl[/QUOTE]

<div>I never said they were necessary, so no reason to quote me.  Throwing a wedding and having guests attend isn't necessary either.  Welcome bags are a nice gesture as a thank you to your guests for traveling (if they are) to your wedding ... which all of my guests will be doing.</div>

Zimsgirl

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_june-2012-weddings_lets-talk-welcome-bags?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding Club BoardsForum:3ae4d68d-f10a-4dec-8810-da13c14a7b86Discussion:4c4c0341-051e-4cbc-a4b5-44b01ecd55e2Post:17b287a0-df4e-4bff-a4f0-a9123fdd0cc6">Re: Let's Talk Welcome Bags</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Let's Talk Welcome Bags : I never said they were necessary, so no reason to quote me.  Throwing a wedding and having guests attend isn't necessary either.  Welcome bags are a nice gesture as a thank you to your guests for traveling (if they are) to your wedding ... which all of my guests will be doing.
Posted by julbgordo[/QUOTE]


Eh they won't be in the room a ton.

jeberes08

If I have a little money left over, I plan on putting 'hangover' bags in the hotel rooms. They aren't necessarily 'welcome' bags but I know everyone who is staying in the hotel is because they don't want to drink and drive (we have almost no OOT guests). So, if I do them I'll put: advil packets, waters, gatorades, microwave popcorn, chocolate chip cookies and anything else munchie or hangover related that I can think of.  I don't think they're necessary but we aren't doing favors, and I'm only doing them if we have extra money.

Melissa603

I think they are nice and we have extra money in the budget we will do smaller ones. Right now we are probably not doing them

myfeverplays

We have quite a few guests travelling for our wedding and many of them will be staying Friday & Saturday night...the wedding is Saturday evening.

We are doing (the plan for now anyway): welcome note, door hangers, bottled water, advil packets, pepto packets, gum/mints, hand sanitizer, prepackaged snacks (probably granola bars and pretzels), and homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Since both of us work at Starbucks we also are entitled to a free lb. of coffee or tin of tea each week and we usually don't take advantage of it. Since the begining of the year I have been taking a lb of coffee and FI has been taking a tin of tea and we will include 1 of each in our welcome bags. We also will be giving a $5 off coupon for the movie theater across the street from the hotel. FI gets them because he works in the same mall as the theater so since most guests will have Friday evening and Saturday morning free we thought some might use the coupons.

julbgordo

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_june-2012-weddings_lets-talk-welcome-bags?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20Club%20BoardsForum:3ae4d68d-f10a-4dec-8810-da13c14a7b86Discussion:4c4c0341-051e-4cbc-a4b5-44b01ecd55e2Post:baa03bef-28dd-4524-a30e-80616da97745">Re: Let's Talk Welcome Bags</a>:
[QUOTE]We have quite a few guests travelling for our wedding and many of them will be staying Friday & Saturday night...the wedding is Saturday evening. We are doing (the plan for now anyway): welcome note, door hangers, bottled water, advil packets, pepto packets, gum/mints, hand sanitizer, prepackaged snacks (probably granola bars and pretzels), and homemade chocolate chip cookies. <strong>Since both of us work at Starbucks we also are entitled to a free lb. of coffee or tin of tea each week and we usually don't take advantage of it.</strong> Since the begining of the year I have been taking a lb of coffee and FI has been taking a tin of tea and we will include 1 of each in our welcome bags. We also will be giving a $5 off coupon for the movie theater across the street from the hotel. FI gets them because he works in the same mall as the theater so since most guests will have Friday evening and Saturday morning free we thought some might use the coupons.
Posted by myfeverplays[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>That's awesome!  Such a great idea <img src="http://cdn.cl9.vanillaforums.com/downloaded/ver1.0/content/scripts/tinymce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-smile.gif" border="0" alt="Smile" title="Smile" />

</div>

courtneyclare103

If we do them, which I'm not sure if we will because we will not have a lot of OOT-ers, we're going to fill ours with New Orleans-esque things. Pralines (candy), Zapp's potato chips (made at a local chippery here), Hubig's pies (a fried pie--yes, this really exists!), and maybe a couple bottles of a local beer if we don't have too many to do.

Hilraythebride

I am doing welcome bags for just the BM, MOH, MOTB, and FMIL.  I plan to put what you had mentined as well as information about the hotel, and a timeline of events since it will only be for the bridal party and family.

I think your guests wil really appriciate this!