What Makes The Perfect Destination Wedding Welcome Bag?
One of the questions I get most often from my clients, after the deposits are put down and rooms are booked, is about what they should do to make their guests feel welcomed and appreciated. I almost always respond with, “ The wedding welcome bag, of course!”
What is a Wedding Welcome Bag?
I say the welcome bag is a perfect replacement for traditional wedding favors. However, most brides still put favors in their bag. Destination welcome bags are a great way to personalize your wedding and show your guests how much you appreciate them for flying across the country, getting those first-time passports, and going out of their way to be there for your special day. If you really want to up the anty here are a few other ways to wow your guests.
So now that you know what it is, you’re probably wondering how you should go about putting the right items together. Should you go with a theme? Will your friends and family just end up tossing everything before they catch their plane back home?…. Hold it right there! We will answer all of those questions and more in this post.
How Do I Put My Welcome Bag Together?
The Welcome Bag starts with the bag, of course. Do you want a nice trendy beach tote or sturdy bag that can double as something to carry groceries in after the wedding? It’s all about the bag. You can do the small tote, or go for a beach bag or even a brown paper bag with a monogram stamp.
I suggest giving your guests something they can reuse. Beach bags are very popular and can also be used while they are on their trip. But, at the end of the day, it’s your wedding, get creative!
CHECK OUT THIS FREEBIE: We put together the perfect guide to show you exactly what we would put in a destination wedding welcome bag! Follow this link to download the guide for yourself!
What Goes Inside of My Wedding Welcome Bag?
We know how guests will receive all of their goodies, now let’s talk about what goes inside. Depending on your location, it’s cute to do a theme. I have seen several great themes in different welcome bags: Beach, City, Mountain, Vineyard, Garden etc.… whatever you choose just make sure the items you choose go with that theme. However, try to match the theme to your destination as best you can — you probably don’t want a beach bag in Paris. The things you should consider beyond location are wedding style, budget, and even the color palette.
Great Welcome Bag Gift Items to consider:
Flip flops - great for hitting the dance floor after the ceremony
Mini liquor bottles - we did this for ours, tequila came in handy.
Tip: Think Rum for Jamaica and Don Q for Puerto Rico. Buy these when you get to your destination to avoid any immigration + traveling issues.
Cigars - this one is for my fellas, they also double as great groomsmen gifts, lots of times you can even hire a cigar roller for an added touch.
Candy + Snacks - Go local if at all possible! Plantain chips at your destination? Special chocolate? You can’t go wrong sourcing treats from your destination spot. We also love a sweet treat by Sugarfina, those Champagne Gummy Bears are my favorite. We also know a good savory snack hits the spot. My dad loves salted peanuts, my grandmother would enjoy crackers and one of my good friend’s says you can’t go wrong with popcorn. The choice is yours.
Example of Local Items: In Jamaica, you could do Blue Mountain Coffee or Appleton Rum. In Cancun, try little bottles of Mezcal and/ or the Chocolate from the Olmec Indians. Remember, you want to give them a little piece of the culture and destination flair.
A nice refreshing beverage goes well with a great snack. We say top it off with some fancy sparkling or coconut water. Help guests stay hydrated because let’s face it, they will probably be enjoying cocktails all day and night and we have all seen that crazy uncle who has had one too many. If you are hosting a winter wedding or throwing an event in a location other than the beach, we have seen plenty of city couples throw in an IPA from a local brewery as a nice touch.
Practical items - lip balm, sunscreen, first aid kit, and in my case, a hangover kit.
Bonus: Add something that you and your fiancé love that you would like to share and explain to guests in a cute little note attached to the item.
Another quick tip: Buy items when you get there if you aren’t using a gifting service like Marigold and Grey or Camden & Blue. Don’t worry about the hassle of shipping, or relying on that bridesmaid who accidentally forgot to bring something or even that groomsmen that broke something on the way over. I have been there and done that. Get to your wedding early, and take the first couple of days to go shopping. There are a lot of cute little boutiques, markets, and shops that will have items you can use.
Now that you have some ideas on what to add, create a Pinterest board. Check out the TravelBash Pinterest board!
Last but not least, The Finishing Touches
This leaves me with the important and sentimental stuff like the welcome letter. What is a welcome letter? Add your special welcome note and make sure to put a main point of contact. You do not want anyone contacting you about an issue on your special day. Make sure to include the schedule for the week as well. Now, you can pull everything together will a pretty bow, ribbon or even throw in some greenery if you are feeling real creative. This means you don’t always have to use a bag, a cute old box works just as good.
DESTINATION WEDDING WELCOME BAG Little Details + Logistics
Now that we know the “what” about the welcome bag, let’s talk about the “HOW.”
Questions to Consider:
How many bags will you need? Will there be a bag per room, per couple or per family? Sometimes it’s better to combine individuals. We did: one per couple, roommates got individual bags and if your wedding is family-friendly meaning you are going to allow children, then I suggest, one bag per family with some kid-friendly items inside. Maybe even a cake pop from the resort’s wedding team which can be delivered to the room! Just a heads up, most resorts will charge you anywhere from $3-$5 per bag to be delivered to your guests’ room. For me it was a no-brainer and one less thing I had to worry about.
Will you have items specifically for the bridal party?
Should items be age appropriate? My gran gran might want a bottle of tequila, but does yours? My fiancé’s parents don’t drink, so we had to be mindful of this as well as dietary restrictions and allergies of our guests. This is a must especially if your wedding is kid-friendly. If you are buying in your destination, make sure you get a list of ingredients and sometimes different countries call different food items something different than we would. Ex: If you say Lemon in Cancun, you will get a lime.
What is your Budget - How much will you spend per bag? Obviously, these can get expensive. Set a limit up front and do not go over! Besides thinking about the cost of the items inside the back, take a look at how much you want to spend on the actual bags/boxes themselves, then add up the cost of the printing or special labeling on the outside.
Tip: Work with an agent and/or planner to reach out to destination’s tourist boards and CVB centers for free items such as maps, coupons and guides.
How Will You Deliver Bags? Will you entrust a bridal party member, deliver upon check-in or have the resort put in the room? Nowadays, most resorts can deliver them to your guest upon check-in and even go a step further to put them in their room at turn down for an additional fee. I think ours were $5.00 per room. We did this for our wedding and didn’t even think twice — we didn’t have to deal with who gets what where etc.… it was a lot easier.
Who will put the bags together, and when? Do you and your bae put them together before guests arrive? Do you have bridesmaids work on it for you? What about your planner or onsite team? I say you and bae complete this task the same day you go shopping! Take that right off your list and grab a cocktail before everyone arrives.
Do I even want to or have the capacity to take on this task? If not, no worries there are several companies that will do all the creative stuff for you but with that said, please order in advance. This gives you time in case there are missing items or something is delayed or even a few items are on backorder.
Do you have a plan for perishable food items? What could go bad on the way over, melt or get hard etc…
Tip: Give the hotel a heads up if you choose to ship your items. There is nothing worse than the hotel recieving a package and them not knowing who it is for, when someone is coming to pick it up or where they need to take it. When you arrive, review all that information and make sure they have your rooming list with any special requests upfront. They will appreciate it and it will make you look like a rockstar.
Some Quick Wedding Welcome Bag No No’s
Nothing too heavy
Nothing breakable
Nothing too bulky
Nothing that would be hard for people to carry home
Keep it simple, and don’t try to overdo it
Lavish doesn’t always mean better
Never purchase the exact amount of items you need. Allot for Extras!
NEED HELP With Printing or Creating Your Welcome Bag/Letter/Gift Design?!
PaperTales Custom is great and nope, we do not get anything for telling you that. We just love their work and thought we would share! Amy is the best!
Check out some of her welcome bag decals.
Courtnie is the founder & CEO of TravelBash. After years as an ambitious fundraiser, she took her passion for travel full-time. She has lived all over the U.S. and abroad and after planning her own destination wedding, she decided to help other couples plan their big day abroad too. She has written “Passport to Paradise: The Complete Destination Wedding Guide,” a top seller on Amazon. She has also been featured in Travel + Leisure, Destination I Do and The Washington Post. As a certified travel advisor, expert event planner and natural connector, she uses her powers to create VIP travel experiences.
