July 5th, 2012 
(Photo Credit: ackgiftbags.com)
Guests who are traveling from far distances to attend your wedding should be welcomed and thanked for the trek they made to share in your special day. One great way to do this is to have a welcome bag waiting for them upon their arrival. The number one thing to always include in the bag or basket is a hand written note welcoming the guests and thanking them for traveling to your wedding.
The first thing to consider is the design of the bag or basket; including your colors or monogram is a creative way to immediately let guests know the bag is from you. The bag or basket can range in price, but doesn’t have to be very expensive to achieve its goal. If you do have a larger budget, consider having a special map and weekend itinerary created and enclosed to match your wedding invitations. This personalized touch will tie in your theme as well as provide helpful information for out of town guests. This same idea can be accomplished on a smaller budget by hand-making the itinerary at home using colored cardstock. Consider purchasing a stamp with your monogram or a symbol that represents your wedding.
(Photo Credit: blissweddingsmarket.com)
(Photo Credit: Google Images)
Other great items to include in the welcome bag are a few snacks for hungry travelers, a couple bottles of water (possibly customized with your names and wedding date), and small travel size items such as hand lotion, chap stick, mints, and even a cute pair of flip-flops. These are just a few ideas of items that can be included in a welcome bag or basket. The more personal and fun you make the basket the more guests will enjoy it. Thoughtfulness goes a long way and your guests will thank you later!
Lauren, your tips will encourage many brides and “bride helpers” to create beautiful and memorable gifts that symbolize the upcoming union.
Thankfully, there are lots of edible and gift-based options for filling baskets and containers to welcome guests, and your personalization ideas won’t be overlooked now that you’ve provided numerous tips on this as well.