We’ve all been there: that moment you arrive at a hotel or rental house for a long weekend of parties leading up to a wedding. You may have been to this city or island or suburban town before, or you may be a stranger in a strange land.
Regardless of your history with this place, you’ve had a long day of travel, you’re hungry, you’re thirsty, and your blood sugar is low. You look expectantly at the person who is handing you a key and wait for one of two possible outcomes: either you are handed that blessed gift bag filled with water, chips, specialty candy or mints, or he or she just smiles.
You can see where I fall on the decision of whether or not to offer your guests a wedding gift bag. Yes, it’s an extra thing on your to-do-list during an already stressful time, but you have many – possibly even hundreds – of people who have most likely taken off work, traveled at least some distance, possibly paid for plane tickets or fuel for a long drive, and it’s a nice token of your appreciation.
For both the weary traveler and the tired partier, the gift bag can go a long way of showing your friends and family that you appreciate them. So how do we decide what to add to these multifaceted goody bags? There are a few different approaches, and of course the amount you can spend on these runs the gamut from low-key brown paper bag to monogrammed tote bags or cooler bags (yes I received one of these at a wedding, and it’s still my favorite).
You can see where I fall on the decision of whether or not to offer your guests a wedding gift bag. Yes, it’s an extra thing on your to-do-list during an already stressful time, but you have many – possibly even hundreds – of people who have most likely taken off work, traveled at least some distance, possibly paid for plane tickets or fuel for a long drive, and it’s a nice token of your appreciation.
For both the weary traveler and the tired partier, the gift bag can go a long way of showing your friends and family that you appreciate them. So how do we decide what to add to these multifaceted goody bags? There are a few different approaches, and of course the amount you can spend on these runs the gamut from low-key brown paper bag to monogrammed tote bags or cooler bags (yes I received one of these at a wedding, and it’s still my favorite).
- The Essentials: Regardless of the wedding venue, your guests will most likely be up late, possibly drinking too much, and maybe a bit lost: always include water bottles, small snack bags of chips or pretzels or something to munch on, and a small packet of Advil or Tylenol is also a nice touch. A little candy or a maybe a specialty cookie is nice for those with a sweet tooth, and some mints for your guests to tuck in their pockets or purses. I also like maps of the local city or town if they’re available. I’ve seen some brides and grooms create their own custom maps with the only the necessary locations included – this is a great way to show your creativity and a fun way to introduce your guests to the area.
- Local Color. Where are you getting married? What is your state or city or island famous for? Getting married in Vermont? How about a little jar of maple syrup or some Lake Champlain chocolate. Weddings held at beaches or islands often dole out a little jar of sunscreen, water bottles with logos, or even towels. Again, it all depends on your budget.
- The Bag: here’s where I’ve seen people get the most creative. Of course it’s easiest and least expensive to go to a party store and stock up paper goody bags. This is of course perfectly acceptable. It’s really what’s inside that matters. However, there are other options here: what if you’re getting married in a city like San Francisco that doesn’t use shopping bags? Maybe a small tote bag would be a good idea. At a wedding we attended in Aspen, the bride used recycled shopping bags and ironed on the wedding date. I’ve also seen canvas lunch bags, sand buckets, the aforementioned mesh cooler, and even small garden pots. A nice way to make any of the bags or containers personal is to add a monogram or logo – you can include your names, the date, a simple heart, or even an outline of the state you’re in.
