Welcome Bag Ideas

Here is a post I created right before my wedding with a list of what I included in my hotel welcome bags, which may help give you some ideas:

https://www.weddingwire.com/wedding-forums/hotel-welcome-bags/f30c4eacf60be88d.html

I found many of the items in the travel/trial section of the grocery store, and others on Amazon and Etsy.

If there's something that the area you're getting married in is known for (such as, tequila for Mexico or oranges for Florida, etc), or if there's something special to your relationship (such as, if you and your future spouse always do movie and popcorn nights, or if you brew your own beer, etc), definitely include it in the hotel welcome bags!

View Quoted Comment Love it - thank you!

We honestly didn't do them. I found it was going to be too complicated. Although we got married at a hotel, some guests stayed at other hotels, others rented airbnbs and others drove back home. I didn't want the headache of determining which guests were staying over night and where and then figuring out handing these things out especially to guests that weren't staying at our venue. I also didn't want guest A who stayed at our venue telling guest B who didn't about the cute welcome bag and then guest B wonder why they didn't get something.

We decided to skip them because our guests didn’t all stay in the same hotel/motel and it was too chaotic to figure out who was staying where. As guests at other weddings, we have not received a welcome bag nor missed them if they aren’t there, because most guests are usually local. We decided to put the money (and stress/time/labor/etc which also equals money) into making sure the food is better, guests didn’t have to pay for drinks and the dj was stellar. Those things are what guests remember when the wedding is over.

We added healthy snacks (granola), Smart water, slippers, Advil and hydration packs (hangover kit), face and lip masks, toothbrushes, floss, and mini toothpastes, and other NY goodies. My husband and I had a great time writing out our personal welcome message. Half of our guests were from out of town. If you're in a tropical climate, you could provide a welcome fruit basket with a kind note.

Last fall, I went to a 70th birthday party that provided welcome bags at the hotel. There were perhaps too many cookies and mini-chip bags that had to be abandoned at the airport, but otherwise was a thoughtful treat.