Websites to Bulk Order Items for Nola Welcome Bags

Adavidi

I am looking to order a few items (Hot Sauce, Gumbo Mix, Coffee, Beignet Mix, etc.) for hotel welcome bags and am wondering if there are any good websites for this that offer a discount? Thanks!

NO2012

Old Town Praline had a good variety of welcome bag items and they can be discounted for bulk. I ordered several things from them, and Zapps chips directly from their website Utz, and I ordered Crystal hot sauce directly from Baumer foods website. I made 75 bags so I ordered 150 bags of chips etc. Also I found Staples online to be the cheapest place for bulk Advil packets and they have free shipping.

mnols

I got mini tobasco bottles from the Tobasco website, alka seltzer in bulk from Amazon, found that I could get Zapps for the same price in local shops without having to pay shipping.  Also make sure to contact the CVB, they sent over beads, postcards, brochures, etc. all for free!

NikNik2013

I'm an OOT bride, and so are a lot of my guests, so I am doing all Nola themed items. I order craft bags online...cheapest even after looking at local craft places and coupons. I also ordered beads online at mardigrasoutlet.com...super cheap! I'm getting zapps chips from sam's when I get into town because they are a lot cheaper than the website, and they don't ship them.  I'm ordering pralettes from Leah's 0.89 each with no label...cheapest I've found. I'll get bottled water from sam's also. I'm having family in nola watch for camellia red beans on sale, and buying them along the way. I've already made a welcome letter, Nola lingo, popular places to eat, and a places to eat info sheet and had printed at kinkos. People have posted some samples of these, and I just tweaked them to make them fit us. I've also contacted the CVB and will pick up maps when I get to town. Hope this helps!

Bestbank Bride

You said above that people had posted samples of these- you don't happen to have any links bookmarked, do you?  I've tried searching for this and come up with nothing!

Thank you!

NikNik2013

Bestbank Bride~ I didn't save the link, and can't find them again on here! If you give me your email I will send you mine. 

harrisce23

NikNik2013 would you mind possibly emailing those links as well? I am trying to get some ideas on NOLA themed gift bags as well! Thanks

NikNik2013

harrisce23 send me an email nik.itsmylife@gmail.com and I'll send you my welcome letter, and other info I'm including in the welcome bags...

Hyce

NikNik2013 can you send me a sample of your welcome letter and other info included in the welcome bags to demarhyacinth@hotmail.com? Can't seem to find any sample links

amiyaz

NikNik2013 - would you mind emailing me a copy as well )) amiyaz@hotmail.com --- decided to throw this together at the last minute for our out of town guests and would appreciate your help!

whodatbride

Do you mind sharing your welcome letter and places to eat?

nolabride2015

Hi - I'd love to see the welcome letter.  Do any of the brides on this thread have one you'd be able to send to me?

steakfete

Can someone please forward me a sample of the letter? I'm an OOT bride and my wedding is 100% destination, so I'm a little overwhelmed as to where to start. My email is terrificsteakday@gmail.com.

Thanks!

Aeb74

Steakfete, I'll send you ours.

Aeb74

Ok, here's ours.  Our budget didn't allow for welcome bags, so what we did was printed the letter on colored paper, placed it in an envelope with a $5.00 gift certificate to Cafe Du Monde and viola.  Done.  If you're looking for a welcome bag company, I did some checking around and found Nancy's Corner was the best priced and super friendly/helpful.  For our party favors at the wedding, we're putting in a fleur de lis Christmas ornament (wedding is next month/November) and a praline.  Ornaments were from Mardi Gras Outlet (google for website) and pralines were from Gems in Meterie. 

On the letter, the top of it says "Welcome to our New Orleans Wedding Weekend!" and then there's some clip art I found online of a fun mardi gras mask with beads.  On purple paper and was three pages.  Our guests were mainly at Le Richelieu Hotel on Chartres, so that's why we included the information about Verti Marte.  We also included our 'pub crawl' outing information...Here ya go:

We are so happy you’re here to celebrate our wedding with us!  Your being here means a great deal to us and we can’t thank you enough for making the trip!!  We’ve included some recommendations should you need them, as well as some of the things we’ll be doing throughout the weekend.  Please feel free to join us at any point!

 

 If you’ve arrived on Wednesday, we’ll be making our way to Bar Tonique at 820 N. Rampart around 4:00 p.m.!

 

Please be sure to enjoy an order of the famous beignets from Café Du Monde on us!   Café Du Monde is right by the French Market on Decatur Street and open 24/7!

     

Thursday, November 6^th

11:00 a.m.         Early Arrival Brunch at Atchafalya (cab to 901 Louisiana Ave. or take the St. Charles streetcar for $1.25 to Louisiana Ave. and walk the remaining seven blocks to the restaurant.)

 

4:00 p.m.          Please meet us at Pat O’Brien’s Courtyard (Bourbon & St. Peter).  From there, we’ll make our way to Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop (Bourbon & St. Philip) and Cane & Table (1113 Decatur, between Ursulines & Gov. Nicholls; there’s no sign, so look for the address above the door).

 

7:30 p.m.          Dinner!  Praline Connection, 542 Frenchmen Street

 

After dinner, hang around Frenchmen Street for some of the best music around!  If you have arrived on a later flight, we’d love for you to join us, so please call/text and we’ll be sure to let you know where we are. 

 

Verti Marte (1201 Royal, right around the corner from LeRichelieu Hotel) is a corner grocery store that’s open 24/7.  Don’t let the gritty store front fool you; this place has excellent po’boys at the deli counter in the back!  The Clover Grill at Bourbon & Dumaine is also open 24/7 and serves up some well needed breakfast food to soak up all of the spirits.

 

 

 

Friday, November 7^th

 

First thing’s first!  The best Bloody Mary’s can be found at Chartres House, at Chartres & Toulouse.  The Grill across the street is a traditional breakfast/lunch diner with all counter seating and an inexpensive menu.  Some other good breakfast spots are Old Coffee Pot, EAT, Stanley, Daisy Dukes and Vacherie.  There is no shortage of dining or drinking options here in the Big Easy, so you’re sure to find something to suit your needs by just walking around!  We’re going to be busy getting ready for the wedding, so enjoy your day exploring the French Quarter if we don’t see you! 

 

The French Market is located at Ursulines & Decatur, and is a great place to do a little shopping.  Be sure to grab some beignets at Café Du Monde, which is right by the French Market!  Across the street is Central Grocery (923 Decatur) and the wait in line for a muffuletta is well worth it!  Be sure to visit Jackson Square (on Chartres, between St. Peter & St. Ann), which is where the St. Louis Cathedral is located.  You can always enjoy the view of Jackson Square on the balcony at Muriel’s while enjoying a cocktail. 

 

If you enjoy oysters, the chargrilled oysters at Felix’s (739 Iberville, right off of Bourbon St.) are incredible (and one of our favorite stops to make for a quick bite)!  Stroll down Royal Street for live music played in the street, unique shops and galleries.  Great music can be found most anywhere, both day and night!

 

 Frenchmen Street (much better than Bourbon Street in our opinion!) has some excellent jazz clubs and an evening outdoor art market right next to the Spotted Cat.  Adolfo’s on Frenchmen Street is excellent for dinner.  Other great dinner spots in the French Quarter are Café Amelie, Tujagues, Coop’s Place, Gumbo Shop, Irene’s, and Tableau, to name just a few.  Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse located inside the Royal Sonesta on Bourbon Street is a great place to hear some music while you’re on Bourbon Street.    

 

 

Saturday, November 8^th --The “Big Day”!

Irish Cultural Museum (933 Conti Street)

 

For a solid brunch before the festivities, take a quick cab ride to Elizabeth’s at 601 Gallier.   This is a popular (and casual) restaurant, so you can expect a wait for your table.  We cannot recommend this place enough for breakfast at some point during your weekend here (be sure to get an order of praline bacon)!

 

For a cocktail on the way to the wedding, the Carousel Bar, located inside the Hotel Monteleone (214 Royal Street), is just a few blocks from the Irish Cultural Museum.   It’s a beautiful lounge with a moving bar and one of our favorite spots to enjoy cocktail.  You’ll want to duck in here for a libation at some point! 

 

Please arrive between 2:30-2:45, as the ceremony will begin at 3:00.  The celebration will begin immediately after the ceremony, followed by dinner.  We are so happy you’re here to celebrate this special day with us!!

     

 

 

Sunday, November 9^th

 

Depending on when everyone has to return home, please feel free to meet us for a casual brunch at Ruby Slipper at 1005 Canal (Canal & Burgundy) at 10:00 a.m. 

 

If you’re inclined to indulge in a Sunday Jazz Brunch (and we highly recommend that you do!), one of the best splurges you can treat yourself to is Commanders Palace (call ahead!).  Take the St. Charles streetcar to Washington Avenue and enjoy this New Orleans landmark.  It’s a dining experience like no other!  Afterwards, take a walk through the famous Lafayette Cemetery #1 (right across the street) and be sure to check out the rest of the Garden District while you’re out this way.  This is a really beautiful area of New Orleans! 

 

Other Jazz Brunches in the French Quarter can be found at Court of Two Sisters, Mr. B’s Bistro, Antoine’s, Muriel’s, Tableau, Broussard’s and Arnaud’s, as well as many other restaurants.   Try a Brandy Milk Punch for a really good brunch cocktail!   (If you don’t dine at Arnaud’s, try to stop in for a cocktail at Arnaud’s French 75 Bar.) 

 

The Treme Gumbo Festival is taking place in Armstrong Park, located at Rampart (between St. Peter & St. Philip) from 11:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. and sure to be a good time with music, crafts and gumbo.  Best of all, free admission!  We’re heading here after breakfast if you’d like to join us! 

 

For those heading back to Chicago/Midway on the 6:15 p.m. flight, we are heading to the airport at 4:00 and will see you there. 

 

 

Miscellaneous…

There’s so much to squeeze in here in a quick weekend!  If you want to explore outside of the French Quarter, City Park is also something to keep in mind while you’re here.  It’s a free admission and the Botanical Gardens and 600 year old Oak trees are worth checking out!  You can take the streetcar right to it.  In addition, there’s a ton of great restaurants and lounges outside of the French Quarter as well.  Let us know if we can recommend anything in particular or ask around—this city is full of southern hospitality!

 

The streetcars run along Canal Street and are all marked on top for where they’re going.  The Garden District streetcar is the St. Charles line (just follow Royal Street across Canal Street and you’ll run right into the St. Charles line).  No go-cups allowed and they require exact change (approximately $1.25 each way, but ask about weekend passes if you are using it more than once or twice).

 

We hope you enjoy your time here and we simply cannot thank you enough for making the trip here to celebrate this special occasion with us!  Thank you again for being a part of such a memorable and fun weekend!

 

                                                                                         Much love, 

 

                                                                                    (our names)