Educational Grants

If your planning a destination wedding, or if you are having a wedding with many people traveling to see you, you may be considering putting together welcome bags for those your out of town guests. Welcome bags will leave a lasting impression on your guests while offering them your sincerest form of gratitude. Welcome bags or baskets need not be filled with expensive favors and gifts, but can be filled with a plethora of goodies to make your guests feel more at home.

If your planning on greeting your guests with a hotel room surprise, you should start planning your gift giving treats at least two months before your wedding so you have adequate time to gather and assemble all of your items. You should distribute one bag per hotel room, or one per person for singles or those sharing a room. A basic bag filled with treats can cost under ten dollars, but if you add personalized items, plan on the cost increasing.

A few weeks before your wedding, gather your bridesmaids, close friends or sibilings for a fun evening of assembly. Put on a funny wedding movie, offer some light snacks or some wine and cheese. Make assembling your bags a fun pre-wedding activity! Depending on how many girls you invite over for the party, you can make each one responsible for putting in one item into each bag and form an assembly line to make packing the bags a breeze.

One person should be responsible for dropping off your bags to the hotel manager a few days before your wedding. Depending on your hotel's policy, you can either have the desk attendant hand the bags to each guest as the check in, the bags can be placed in the rooms before guests arrive, or you could have a hotel attendant deliver each bag to the rooms after check in. Stay organized and make one person responsible for ensuring all the guests received their gifts. You should also provide the hotel with a list of people to receive welcome bags, and make sure the list is checked off.

Here are some ideas to fill your welcome bags or baskets with:

• If your having a destination wedding, a map of the local area with things to do or see will be appreciated.
• Shower gel, body lotion, lip balm and sunscreen.
• Bubble bath, bath fizzers, bath bombs or confetti would be appreciated by the women.
• Mint tins, candy or gum. Along the same lines a toothbruth, toothpaste or mouthwash.
• Personalized coffee and tea packs.
• A bath pouf, loofah, brush, mit or personalized towels.
• Mini water bottles personalized with your names and date.
• Mini snacks, dried fruit or nuts to much on.
• Personalized playing cards, puzzle books or fiction will keep your guests occupied.
• Spa slippers or flip flops
• And of course, a personalized handwritten thank you note to each guest.

Erica Tevis is the owner of Little Things Wedding Favors. Visit them on the web and check out their large supply of wedding favors, including the personalized coffee, personalized tea, mint tins, personalized playing cards, shower gels, body lotions, wedding lip balms, wedding sunscreen, flip flops and spa slippers which were discussed in this article.