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Out of Town Guest Welcome Bags

Other than a bottle of water with a monogrammed label on it, what are some good things to add to the welcome bag/goody bag for my out of town guests? It's a winter wedding. 

Re: Out of Town Guest Welcome Bags

  • I'd say chapstick... lips get chapped in winter. :) Also, we're doing snacks, and hand sanitizer. Just little things. We are doing koozies too, but its only b/c ours is in Vegas where drinking is OK on the strip... I think snacks and drinks are #1 for guests though
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  • I would do some kind of snacks local to the area, sample packs of Advil, some tums if you're serving spicy food, and a card with the schedule of events on one side and map on the other. Keep it simple.
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  • I would do some kind of snacks local to the area, sample packs of Advil, some tums if you're serving spicy food, and a card with the schedule of events on one side and map on the other. Keep it simple.
    These things!  Also, a list of your favorite area restaurants if guests are going to need to cover meals on their own.  I know people can always look stuff up for themselves, but I like knowing which places get the seal of approval from people I trust.
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  • Since it's winter, maybe hand warmers
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  • Definitely chapstick and a card or sheet of paper with the ceremony and reception time and location and a map with directions. My local convention and visitors bureau gives us free bags with local "stuff to do in the area" information already added to the bags so this is something you could also look in to? We're doing this plus including a couple bottles of water, apples, granola bars, and a small bag of some cookies from a local bakery.



  • atlastmrsgatlastmrsg member
    5 Love Its First Comment First Anniversary Name Dropper
    edited September 2014
    I always post this with respect to welcome bags...I think they're a waste.  I don't want ANOTHER reusable shopping bag or tote bag.  I have a zillion under my kitchen sink for grocery shopping.  Before I travel, I look up things to do and I can use my iPhone, so I don't need a map.  I don't have space in my luggage for knickknack-y stuff in the bag that I'd have to transport home.  If you're heart set on welcome bags, keep it edible and inexpensive.  People are likely to throw them away so they don't have to pack them and are perfectly capable of packing for a trip.  If you're flexible, put the money towards a bar, more food, a signature drink, valet parking...things that will actually make your guests feel special.  
  • @atlastmrsg - I disagree, I love getting OOT bags when I go to weddings.  I think it is a nice touch and shows the couple's personality AND also makes me feel special.

    I am sill figuring out my OOT bag contents, but original thoughts are: a bottle of water, bottle of gatorade, granola bar, 2 bags of chips, advil, tylenol, gum & a shout wipe.

  • tcnobletcnoble member
    First Comment First Anniversary First Answer 5 Love Its
    edited September 2014
    @atlastmrsg I think you make plenty of good points... I also agree with PPs who say they like to receive them. But as was pointed out, don't fill the bags with stuff that is hard to pack. As someone who has traveled to several OOT weddings in the last year, we have really appreciated bags filled with snacks! Gives us something to munch on in our hotel room over the weekend. Our wedding is in Vegas, but we also live here, so we are able to make our welcome bags a bit more comprehensive as we don't have to travel with them. Our gift bags themselves will be personalized from BeforeTheIdos on Etsy - just the brown kraft bags with a personalized label and bow that matches our wedding colors. We are planning to include two water bottles, a bag of gourmet popcorn from a local Vegas place, playing cards, chocolate poker chips, bags of chocolate covered pretzels, and a Vegas guide from the convention center. We are also doing do not disturb door hangers that double as a welcome note on one side. We were going to do maps but figured it's Vegas, people can find their way to the strip and go from there. ETA sorry the knot ate my paragraphs
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  • I don't know why, but I worked on welcome bags this weekend and I LOVED it. I actually at this point don't care if all my guests throw all this shit away. Wedding planning has been horrendous the past few weeks and for whatever reason, putting together welcome goody bags made my freaking day.

    I included a mini bottle of champagne, a local autumn beer, some of those orange slice candies (I bought a giant bag, and then divvied them up into cute little treat bags and tied them with a ribbon) because we live in Orange County, a first aid baggie (a couple individually wrapped tums, an individual packet of advil, and two Micky Mouse bandaids - again, Orange County), a Ghiradelli chocolate square, a little pin that says "I <3 OC", a mini-sunscreen (none of my midwestern family is going to travel to Southern California in October expecting it to be 90 degrees and sunny), and a mini tin of altoids. I'm also planning on making some chocolates shaped like the California bear and sugar cookies shaped like California.

    Overboard and unnecessary? Completely. I don't care. It kept me sane this weekend. "What FMIL? You want to change OUR ENTIRE SEATING CHART? I can't hear you over the crinkle of all this tissue paper I am stuffing in these adorable little bags!"

  • Oh and useful things. I am actually including useful things. A map of the downtown with the locations of our welcome party and venue on it. And a little card with cab numbers and instructions on how to download and use the Uber app in case people want to use that instead of cabs. And info on the hotel shuttle to the venue.
  • I've seen granola bars, packs of cookies, mints, gum, bottles of seasonal beer, tissues, advil, gatorade/gatorade single serve packets.  For a winter wedding you could add hot chocolate packets (if the hotel provides hot water)  
  • how about those tiny bottles of booze
  • If I were a guest at a winter wedding and getting a welcome bag things I would enjoy getting

    • Water
    • Salty snack like preztels
    • Something sweet
    • Hot chocolate (assuming the hotel room has way for me to make it in my room) but don't give me a mug I have to figure out how to pack, give me a throw away cup
    • List of resturants in the area where I can get a great breakfast, lunch or even midnight snack
    • List of places to go see & their prices & don't forget to include parks for those who might enjoy winter weather and want to get outside for some fresh air
    • If there snacks that are found more in your area, like a speciality peanut shop or a bakery that has cookies or muffins to die for, include that. Like in New England Maple Sugar Candy, down south, it might be something citrus for example

     

  • Erikan73 said:

    If I were a guest at a winter wedding and getting a welcome bag things I would enjoy getting

    • Water
    • Salty snack like preztels
    • Something sweet
    • Hot chocolate (assuming the hotel room has way for me to make it in my room) but don't give me a mug I have to figure out how to pack, give me a throw away cup
    • List of resturants in the area where I can get a great breakfast, lunch or even midnight snack
    • List of places to go see & their prices & don't forget to include parks for those who might enjoy winter weather and want to get outside for some fresh air
    • If there snacks that are found more in your area, like a speciality peanut shop or a bakery that has cookies or muffins to die for, include that. Like in New England Maple Sugar Candy, down south, it might be something citrus for example

     

    I'm having a winter wedding and this was very helpful. Thanks!


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