Wedding Ideas for Hotel Guest Goodie Bag?

[tberube]

So I want to make up little bags of goodies for each of the guests that have chosen to rent rooms at our wedding venue hotel. I''m a little at a loss for what to put in them, though.

I''ve considered getting some mini bottles of wine, maybe some little snack items, but after that I''m a tad lost. Should it be all food items?

Any ideas?

 

[Shoopy]

What kind of wedding are you having? Indoor/outdoor wedding? Where will it be held?

My best friend is having her wedding in the Keys and on the beach. So part of the goody bag are flip flops, a map of the keys, an itenerary for anyone that wants to be part of the activities we''re doing that weekend (snorkeling, jet skiing, sunset cruise, etc.) and a lot of beach stuff like sunblock, towels, etc. She''s also adding in some food stuff because she figures they''ll be hungry after the flight...fruit, muffins, assorted chocolates. It''s a basket full of random yet necessary things LOL

 

[havernell]

Maps of the area could be handy, especially if you can get a map that points out nearby restaurants or other points of interest. Along with that, brochures of interesting things in your area could also be included (and can probably be picked up for free from the sites themselves or the local Chamber of Commerce). Oh, and if you can find any coupon books for area businesses you could throw that in there too.

A schedule of events for your wedding could also be a good idea if you have a lot of things scheduled (or in case people forgot to bring their invitations that lists times of events).

Water bottles are nice for people don''t like the taste of tap water.

Finally, is there anything your area (or where you are getting married) is known for? If so, you could include that as either a joke (i.e. a can of baked beans in Boston) or for real (i.e. soft pretzels in Philadelphia).

Good luck!

 

[Krissie]

We''re including a couple bottles of water, some fruit juice, granola bars, dried fruit, a map of downtown, some Aleve, and maybe some chocolate. We''ll also have a handwritten note in each, probably on the back of a Kentucky post card.

 

[Independent Gal]

Totally depends on your guests! We filled ours with things like plastic parachute men, kind surprise eggs, and googly-monsters, as well as candy and water and maps and things. If you have a friend who particularly likes something, put that in for a personal touch. E.g., I hav a pal (old roomy) who shares my passion for black licorice, so we included some of that in her bag.

 

[doodle]

i''ve been working on these, too--it gets tricky when you live somewhere that''s not really known for a whole lot! haha...although, technically, coca cola was invented here, so i get a big break on that one!

maps are one of the best things to throw in there for OOT, and being that, every once in say 5 years i have a moment of COMPLETE brilliance, i shall pass it on to you...raid your welcome center. free maps, brochures of area attractions, coupons, the works...all free. BRILLIANT! haha, i wonder how many people are reading this and thinking, "duh! your brilliant idea is common sense, doodle!"

 

[jcrow]

agreed. i think it can depend on your wedding and guests.

here's what we included:

local brand of potato chips
local brand of hot sauce + spices
water
other snacks
nice pen with our city's name on it
brochure on the area (what to do, where to eat, etc)
local map


um, can't remember what else. you can check out your city's tourist center. they have maps/brochures/pens/bags/etc that you can have for free to give to your guests.

eta: ahhh! doodle, you beat me to it!

 

[tberube]

Hmmm. All those ideas are fantastic, I appreciate the help. Only thing is most people are not going to be coming from far away. Only a couple of them are.

It''s a rather informal wedding, with an outdoor reception under a tent. Everything is at the hotel so nobody will really have to travel, they''re only staying one night, plus it''s in a small, woodsy town so there isn''t much to do there other than attend the wedding.

which is why this is hard. Heh.

 

[saltymuffin]

What about some nice toiletries in case they forgot something? If it is a small remote place, it might not be easy to pop out for something they forgot. (Unless of course the hotel has really nice toiletries themself).

How about a couple of pairs of inexpensive slippers? Or some fruit, and a pretty plate that they can keep?

 

[jcrow]

a welcome letter is nice to include too

 

[EricaR]

I''m doing small bottles of sunscreen in ours. Since we are getting married outside and since we are going to be spending the entire day beforehand outside the last thing we want is for people to be sunburned and hurting.

 

[basil]

We''re putting:

hand lotion/shower gel (bought on sale from bath and body works)
small votive candle and candle holder (on sale at yankee candle)
bottled water
apples (fall, new england wedding)
brochures/maps
small bottle of maple syrup
packet of del''s lemonade
maybe some sort of candy, but haven''t decided what yet

 

[CJ2008]

We got married in Mexico, and put:

- handwritten note telling our guests we were happy to have them there
- all kinds of snacks (a mix of salty, sweet, crunchy, healthy items, cookies)
- one item that was particular to that person (energy spray for my sister, who falls asleep by 10 PM all the time, a nail file for DH''s mom, who loves doing her nails, etc.)
- a $25 gift certificate to Macaroni Grill OR a coupon for a manicure
- breath mints and gum
- lip balm with 30 SPF
- Shout wipes and Tide packets

I think that was it...I can''t remember for sure...I''ll add if I remember anything else

 

[Allison D.]

Depending on what your budget is, here are some suggestions.

Small bottles of spring water
Small single-serve bottle of wine or half-split of champagne
Few squares of chocolate and/or few cookies
Small serving pack of D/Donuts coffee for the coffee maker and a few individual tea bags
Package of mints
Perhaps a small candle or two
Handwritten welcome note that includes info (hours, location) about the AMAZING brunch your venue has.

Also, your venue only about 15 minutes (495 South) away from Nashoba Valley Winery, which is open 7 days a week (10a.m. to 5pm). In addition to wine tastings, they also have apple orchards for pick-your-own applies. A little info card with directions and hours would be a nice inclusion, too. (http://www.nashobawinery.com/)

 

[tberube]

oooh!!! Allison, great ideas!!!

Everyone else, excellent thoughts as well. I would never have thought of most of those things!! Thanks everyone!