Are you in the middle of planning your big day and thinking about what to put in wedding welcome bags? Well here is the cheat sheet for you! From personalized items, to the free things at your local Visitors Bureau, ideas for your out of town wedding guests and step-by-step on how to get it all together in time for the big day!
First and foremost, pick a theme! If your wedding is a beach destination wedding, then make things in the soft pastel colors. If your reception is in your parents backyard, then you can add a “down home feel” to your bag with treats you and your fiancé enjoyed browning up!
Second, plan expenses! If you are at your max budget already, then this is probably a good place to either focus on the DIYs, or nix the expense all together (especially if you’re giving favors at your reception). Decide which items you’re going to do make on your own, and which you’ll buy online and splurge on in advance!
Third, pack it! don’t just throw a bunch of random things into a paper bag and call it a day; take time to arrange the items and make it visually appealing.
- personalized water bottles: Super easy to buy water bottle labels at any office supply store, and then create something with your wedding monogram or hashtag on your computer! Printing off about 80 water bottles will cost under $30!
- games or coloring books for kids: If your wedding is kid-friendly you can buy an inexpensive coloring book and box of crayons from the dollar store and stick it in the rooms with kiddos! Plus, they can bring these to the reception for some entertainment while their parents dance the night away.
- itinerary / schedule: Give your guests the timeline for the weekend. If there are dinners or cocktail hours that they are invited to, make sure they know the time and location for each!
- things to do in _____: Wherever your wedding is, be proud of the space! You can pick up some maps and brochures are your local Visitors Bureau and add those to your bags. For an extra special touch you can leave a little note with a list of your favorite restaurants, museums, parks, etc! That way your guests can really get a feeling for what you and your fiancé like to do on a regular basis.
- snacks: This is a fun place to try and stay local! Grab some locally grown produce or nut mixes at your neighborhood farmer’s market. If your guests are adults, you can add in some locally produced wine (or get the mini, airplane size bottles for added costs effectiveness). Or, if you are a baker you can throw in a little TLC with homemade cookies!
- do not disturb sign: You know you’ve seen them on Pinterest, and this is another easy and cheap DIY for your welcome baskets! Print off some cute and personalized “Do Not Disturb” signs on contraction paper from your computer and then cut a hole in the top that’s large enough for the doorknobs.
- thank you note: This is the most important piece to this bag. Your guests have come from all over to spend this one special day with you and it is so important that you recognize the effort and energy they have put into this. Make sure to thank you guests for coming out to celebrate your union!
Image Credits: Do Not Disturb (etsy); Personalized Water Labels (etsy); Wedding Weekend (StyleMePretty)