OOT Bags

kevinandmonica2011 · April 2011

Anyone else doing them?

We wanted to include as many local treats as we could to give our OOT guests a small tatse of CNY... here is what we came up with:

Something salty- Bag of Terrell's Dino BBQ Chips (best of 2 CNY places)
Something sweet- either homemade fudge or something from Speaches Candy (BTW, the LS deal today is $12 for $25 at Speaches, so I picked one up)
Something to wash it all down- either Adirondack Soda or Saranac Beer (thinking I will probably go with the soda b/c warm beer is groos and it is easier to cool a soda w/ ice at the hotel)

Lots of brochures for local attractions (Niagra Falls, Corning Glass Museum, Waterloo Outlets, Wine Tour)
Map of the area and directions to Glenora
Timeline of wedding events
Invite to Welcome Dinner
Welcome Letter

"Hangover Kit" bottle of water w/ small plastic ziploc around the neck which includes aspirin, alka seltzer, saltine crackers.

We picked up a lot of the goodies at Sam's Club for really cheap (I will probably have a lot to sell after the wedding if anyone is interested) and we wrote letters/emails to Adirondack and Terrells and got lots of free stuff, so they actually came out pretty inexpensive. Maaaaaybe $5/bag.

Am I missing anything? If you were checking into a hotel for a wedding, what would you like to have in your welcome bag?

rsfan23 · April 2011

I like what you have in that bag. I'm thinking of doing them too. Great idea with the Dino BBQ terrell chips. Saranac also makes sodas and that's what I was thinking of adding to mine if I do them.

I can't think of anything to add off the top of my head right now.

kevinandmonica2011 · April 2011

Oh yeah... forgot Saranac does sodas.... they have an awesome Orange Creamsicle type one... and a Shirley Temple one I think. Thanks for reminding me. Hmm... maybe I will send them an email and see what they say. I am hesitant to switch from Adirondack b/c when I emailed them, they sent me abut a dozen coupons for FREE 12 packs. I love free!!!!!!!

DondadaTimes2 · April 2011

Oooo love your ideas.

We're not doing OOT bags. We only have like 4 OOT couples and every last person is from Syarcuse, so no need to tell them what they already know and see at least once a yr

sbolger17 · April 2011

Those sound awesome! We are definitely going to do bags as almost everyone is from out of town. I'm planning:

1. Ithaca Guidebook (you can get them free and they're really nice)
2. Directions to all wedding events & welcome letter
3. 2 water bottles
4. 2 snack packs of various chips
5. 2 Cornell chocolates (they're tiny)
6. maybe a larger candy bar
7. maybe apples picked from local orchards

I'm excited to put them together!

rsfan23 · April 2011

Monica-Did you just email Adirondack and Terrell's? What did you ask them? That seems like a great idea to get the products. Did you go to the Chamber of Commerce to get the brochures? Also, I'd stick with the ADK soda if you've already got it.

I'm just asking because I'm seriously considering doing OOT (welcome) bags and I'm not sure where to start. All of the items you have are similar to what I was thinking of doing.

kevinandmonica2011 · April 2011

I emailed them. If you google their website, it will have a "Contact" page of some sort with emails. Adirondack gave me TONS of freebies (coupons for a free 12 pack... literally a bunch of them) and lots of extra coupons for $1.00 off. They were very generous!!! Terrell's just gave me ideas (the Dino BBQ chips were at their suggestion... I told them I was looking to include the best of CNY and they gave me a great idea!)... they also gave me directions to their plant in Eastwood where I could buy the chips at cost. A flat of 36 bags was only $18... so .50 a bag!!!! (The size you normally get in a vending machine for $1 or $1.25 a piece).... good deal!!!

As far as the brochures, I contacted each location I knew I wanted to include directly.... just googled their website and sent an email for most of them... I think I had to call a few. Some were very generous also. Waterloo Outlets sent me like 100 coupon books!!! I also contacted the Town of Waterloo and both the American and Canadian sides for Niagara Falls. FingerLakes.org sent me some maps, etc.

We also stopped at a rest stop on the thruway when coming back form Pittsburgh one weekend and I picked up one of each of the brochures I wanted to include, then called or emailed and asked them to send me 100 copies.

All of the brochures were free.... I just explained that I was doing some welcome bags for OOT guests at our wedding and most of the companies/attractions were very happy to accommodate and tossed in as many freebies as they could. All it took was a few emails/phone calls and I have some pretty well stocked bags!

whereismymind32 · April 2011

I am impressed with your awesome bags! I especially love the "hangover kit" idea! The only thing I might add would be a "taster's guide to NY wines" or something along those lines since you're right in the middle of wine country and I imagine most guests will go on a wine tour (probably using the map you already included). You could personalize it with your favorite varietals or wineries.

Are you giving a bag to every guest who booked a hotel room, or just the ones that travel from far out of town? I imagine you have quite a few people from Syracuse who will be staying over since you're over an hour away.

kevinandmonica2011 · April 2011

We will have one bag for every guest/couple who is staying at a hotel. We were sooooo happy that several of our "local" guests have decided to make a weekend trip out of it and will be staying in the Finger Lakes. We are basically treating them just like OOT guests (it is about 90 minutes away anyway... so sort of OOT).

Great idea about the tasting guide!! I will have to get working on that!! Thanks!

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