Wedding Welcome Bags
Wedding Welcome Bags
Bag It? Or. Bag It!
The other day I was in line at Starbucks waiting for my Triple Mocha Frappuccino order when I overheard two brides- to- be behind me discussing the details of their upcoming weddings. They were so excited and giddy conversing on their latest undertakings in wedding planning. “Oh, Jill! Are you going to have guest bags?” Jill replied,”I don’t know. I am on the fence. Are they necessary? I mean will the guests even care?”
Should brides bag it? Or, should brides bag it!
Etiquette states that it would be nice to have a welcome guest bag for out of town guests. However, some brides find this to be an additional expense let alone another time-consuming endeavor. You have just planned your entire ceremony and wedding, and now you have to come up with welcome bags! Isn’t that like a wedding favor? The answer, yes and no.
Yes, bags and favors are small thank you gestures. However, the wedding welcome bag is meant to acknowledge and greet out of town guests. Let me put it this way. When family members or friends visit your home, don’t you offer them a drink or something to eat after their journey? And when they have relaxed a bit, don’t you discuss any plans you may have in store for them on their visit? The welcome guest bag is a thank you as well as an extension of hospitality, so your guests feel welcomed, appreciated, and loved!
A wedding welcome guest bag creates excitement and anticipation. It sets the tone for the wedding weekend. In my opinion, if cost is a factor, ditch the favors and splurge on the bags. How many times have you gone to a wedding and forgot to take the favor? I can tell you this, at Becca’s wedding, we had a ton of leftover favors. The numerous compliments received from our guests regarding the welcome bags were endless. To this day, family and friends want the recipes for the homemade apple muffins with caramel sauce and the homemade peanut butter buckeye candy!!!
Below are a few pointers to make your welcome guest bags meaningful and enjoyed!
- First impressions make a difference! Pinterest has a plethora of ideas, products, and items to purchase for welcome guest bags. Whether you decide to place the articles in a tote, a basket or a box make sure it is pleasing to the eye.
- Write a letter. A welcome greeting on beautiful stationery should include a sincere thank you for attending your special day.
- Put together a Welcome booklet. Guests enjoy seeing the wedding itinerary and any events around town. Make sure to include pamphlets, maps, and entertaining reads.
- A rule of thumb for items. Make sure to offer a drink, whether water, a soft beverage or something a little bit more spirited. There should be a combination of sweet and savory snacks. Consider offering non-food items to assist in sleeping after the party. Things such as Advil, sleep mask, lavender lotion, breath mints and band-aids ( you never know what a night of dancing can do to one’s feet!)
- Think of a theme. At Becca and Musa’s wedding, I based the articles on their hometowns and states. Becca from Syracuse, NY. Musa from Columbus, Ohio. New York State is the second apple grower in the nation. In 1987, a fourth grade class in North Syracuse, NY petition state officials to make the apple muffin the state muffin. I ran with the apple muffin recipe for Becca’s sweet snack! Musa’s sugary snacks were yummy peanut butter and chocolate buckeye candy! The Buckeye is Ohio’s state tree and produces a nut that looks like the eye of a buck! The salt snacks fell right in line with the theme. Terrell’s Potato Chip, Co. made in Syracuse, NY and The Horse and Buggy Pretzels at Grandpa’s Cheese Barn in Ashland, Ohio right outside of Columbus! I included all food/candy recipes, as well as, the facts regarding the food choices. Their hometown foods made a sweet and thoughtful impression, and to this day our guests still comment on the welcome bag snacks!
- Enlist a friend/family member. Our dear friend (shout out to Sammy Appleby), gifted the cost of all the sweet ingredients as well as imparted her culinary baking talents! Think about asking a dear friend or family member to assist you with your welcome guest bags. It is a beautiful wedding gift one could offer and considerable cost savings to you.
So there you go! Put the time an effort into welcoming and thanking your guests from the start! You don’t have to put a ton of money into it just a ton of heartfelt thought and gratitude!
Post Written By PKM
Bag It? Or. Bag It!
The other day I was in line at Starbucks waiting for my Triple Mocha Frappuccino order when I overheard two brides- to- be behind me discussing the details of their upcoming weddings. They were so excited and giddy conversing on their latest undertakings in wedding planning. “Oh, Jill! Are you going to have guest bags?” Jill replied,”I don’t know. I am on the fence. Are they necessary? I mean will the guests even care?”
Should brides bag it? Or, should brides bag it!
Etiquette states that it would be nice to have a welcome guest bag for out of town guests. However, some brides find this to be an additional expense let alone another time-consuming endeavor. You have just planned your entire ceremony and wedding, and now you have to come up with welcome bags! Isn’t that like a wedding favor? The answer, yes and no.
Yes, bags and favors are small thank you gestures. However, the wedding welcome bag is meant to acknowledge and greet out of town guests. Let me put it this way. When family members or friends visit your home, don’t you offer them a drink or something to eat after their journey? And when they have relaxed a bit, don’t you discuss any plans you may have in store for them on their visit? The welcome guest bag is a thank you as well as an extension of hospitality, so your guests feel welcomed, appreciated, and loved!
A wedding welcome guest bag creates excitement and anticipation. It sets the tone for the wedding weekend. In my opinion, if cost is a factor, ditch the favors and splurge on the bags. How many times have you gone to a wedding and forgot to take the favor? I can tell you this, at Becca’s wedding, we had a ton of leftover favors. The numerous compliments received from our guests regarding the welcome bags were endless. To this day, family and friends want the recipes for the homemade apple muffins with caramel sauce and the homemade peanut butter buckeye candy!!!
Below are a few pointers to make your welcome guest bags meaningful and enjoyed!
- First impressions make a difference! Pinterest has a plethora of ideas, products, and items to purchase for welcome guest bags. Whether you decide to place the articles in a tote, a basket or a box make sure it is pleasing to the eye.
- Write a letter. A welcome greeting on beautiful stationery should include a sincere thank you for attending your special day.
- Put together a Welcome booklet. Guests enjoy seeing the wedding itinerary and any events around town. Make sure to include pamphlets, maps, and entertaining reads.
- A rule of thumb for items. Make sure to offer a drink, whether water, a soft beverage or something a little bit more spirited. There should be a combination of sweet and savory snacks. Consider offering non-food items to assist in sleeping after the party. Things such as Advil, sleep mask, lavender lotion, breath mints and band-aids ( you never know what a night of dancing can do to one’s feet!)
- Think of a theme. At Becca and Musa’s wedding, I based the articles on their hometowns and states. Becca from Syracuse, NY. Musa from Columbus, Ohio. New York State is the second apple grower in the nation. In 1987, a fourth grade class in North Syracuse, NY petition state officials to make the apple muffin the state muffin. I ran with the apple muffin recipe for Becca’s sweet snack! Musa’s sugary snacks were yummy peanut butter and chocolate buckeye candy! The Buckeye is Ohio’s state tree and produces a nut that looks like the eye of a buck! The salt snacks fell right in line with the theme. Terrell’s Potato Chip, Co. made in Syracuse, NY and The Horse and Buggy Pretzels at Grandpa’s Cheese Barn in Ashland, Ohio right outside of Columbus! I included all food/candy recipes, as well as, the facts regarding the food choices. Their hometown foods made a sweet and thoughtful impression, and to this day our guests still comment on the welcome bag snacks!
- Enlist a friend/family member. Our dear friend (shout out to Sammy Appleby), gifted the cost of all the sweet ingredients as well as imparted her culinary baking talents! Think about asking a dear friend or family member to assist you with your welcome guest bags. It is a beautiful wedding gift one could offer and considerable cost savings to you.
So there you go! Put the time an effort into welcoming and thanking your guests from the start! You don’t have to put a ton of money into it just a ton of heartfelt thought and gratitude!
Post Written By PKM
