Wedding OOT baskets in room or at check in

[Gwyn]

I decided to do OOT baskets for everyone staying at the hotel (only 11 so not a bid deal). And it makes sense because all of the people staying live atleast 4 hours away so a basket of refreshments and stuff will probably be appreciated after a drive like that.

So here is the question. do I have the baskets handed to them when they check in. Or do I have the baskets waiting for them in their rooms. Having the baskets waiting in their room is twice as expensive as having them passed out, however, it is a difference of $1.50 versus $3 per basket so its not a huge differece, We are talking $16.50 total.

Here are my thoughts pro and con on the options...

Getting the basket when you check in pro:
Cheaper for me (small amount but every bit helps)
They know its a basket from the bride and groom
Getting the basket when you check in con:
Guests are already bringing in luggage, now they have an additional thing to carry

Having baskets set up in room pro:
Guests dont have to worry about carrying anything

Having baskets set up in room con:
Even with a card it may seem like the basket is from the hotel and not the bride and groom
More expensive for me
Because of a change in rehersal times, some guests will be trying for an early check in. If that happens, it is unlikely the baskets will be in the room since its kind of an on the spot kind of deal.

Those are my preliminary thoughts, what are you all thinking about either option?

 

[Sparkalicious]

Whoa Gwyn! I like the way you work. You have waayyy thought this out! I''ve been thinking about it myself and you are way ahead of me so thanks for taking the trouble out of thinking for me.

I say - if you can swing it, get the bags delivered to the rooms. This is a nice little surprise for the guests and once they open it and check it out, they should be able to tell it''s from you or maybe if you are worried about it, make it clear on the bag or something by saying From Gwyn and Mr. Gwyn, for example.

Check in and out can often be a phrenetic, sometimes aggravating or hurried experience and good point about having to carry another bag along with all your luggage to the room. Apart from that, the hotel staff may forget to give the bag to the guest and it may get lost in the shuffle etc.

If you can''t hand deliver it to your guests, I say having it waiting for them in their room is the next best option, if it works within your budget.

What do you think?

 

[OUpearlgirl]

If I were a guest I would definitely appreciate having it waiting in the room. When I travel with my family, we usually don''t have any extra hands to carry anything. Traveling is pretty stressful, getting to checkout and realizing that there is something heavy/big to take up might be a bit irritating, no matter how good the intentions. Also, the wedding I went to where we got an OOT basket, it was a really pleasant surprise to walk into the room and see that waiting on the bed for us. We knew who it was from before reading the card.

If you can swing the extra money it''s definitely worth it.

That being said, a gift is a gift and it will be still appreciated no matter how it is delivered.

 

[Gwyn]

When i looked at my pro con list it seemed like the that was probably the way to go to make it better for the guests. And, considering thats who the bags are for, thats probably what I should be aiming for.

I guess i wont worry too much about the early check in thing, worse case scenario, they can deliver the baskets after the fact.

Just wanted to make sure there wasnt stuff out there i was forgetting to include in the decision.

 

[diamondfan]

I think it is best, as long as hotel will make sure to give them to the proper guests, that you have them handed out upon check in. People sometimes dislike the room they are given and change it, so they might end up leaving your basket.

I am doing this for my son''s bar mitzvah, and the hotel I used last time gave my nice and expensive bags to some other people and gave my guests other people''s bags. My bag had the directions in it so a couple of my guests got lost. How nice.

But I think that it is best for you to make sure they have a good system in place identifying your guests.

 

[Octavia]

I agree with diamondfan, I think check-in is better. Hotels are often short-staffed and have trouble getting rooms turned over on time, so even if your guests arrive well after check-in time, their rooms might not be ready (this happened to me at the last two OOT weddings I attended). If the rooms aren''t ready, the baskets won''t be, either...and are less likely to be delivered after the fact. I think it''s much safer to have the desk staff hand them out when guests check in, and I really don''t think it''s that inconvenient to have to carry them.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

We did it at check-in.

 

[Gypsy]

Always had it given to us at checkin. I''d think it was strange if it was in my room, I guess. No worries about another thing to carry. Most people are just happy to get a gift.

 

[Sparkalicious]

Oh Gwyn! I''m confused again

... Diamondfan, Octavia & Gypsy all made valid points about the pros of having the bags delivered when the guest checks in ...

To help you decide, have you contacted the hotel directly to find out how this task is best executed, according to their experience, policies etc? Maybe they can explain their usual process and this may assist you with deciding what will work best for you and your wedding guests.

Just a thought since really, in theory, either way works just fine with the end result being that your guests receive your lovely OOT bags.

 

[diamondfan]

A lot of hotels will not place them in the room. If yours does, and you find it best, do it. I think it is really not a biggie either way. If your guests end up changing rooms, it is on them to take the basket with them.

 

[Keepingthefaith21]

I''d definately say at check-in. If they are unable to carry the basket at that precise moment, I am sure they could come back down to the front desk to grab it once they drop all their stuff off.

 

[rockzilla]

If you are doing it at check-in, might I suggest a gift bag/tote bag rather than a bulky basket? This is of no use if you''ve already made them, but it would make it easier to carry and reduce the issues of having it placed in the room.

 

[lovesparklies]

I''ve always received OOT bags at check-in. The rooms aren''t usually assigned until right at check-in (correct me if I''m wrong here) so there''s less chance of losing a bag in a room somewhere if you leave them at the front desk. I second rockzilla on the bag vs. the basket. I wouldn''t take a basket home after the wedding but would feel guilty leaving it at the hotel.

 

[Clairitek]

My friend had the hotel pass them out upon check-in but apparently some of the hotel staffers didn''t get the memo because a lot of them were left over but all of the people who were supposed to get them actually did attend the wedding!

If you can swallow the cost I would have them delivered.

 

[Krissie]

Gwyn,

Our hotel charges $4 per delivery, but we have decided to go that route. Some of our guests are from out of the country and are not aware there will be gift boxes for them, and I have been to weddings before where I had to ask the front desk whether there is a gift bag. We actually have a friend who will be accompanying the hotel staff on all of the gift box deliveries to ensure they make it to the right place.

We are doing collapsable paper boxes, filled with 2 waters, snack mix, candy, a cookie, pretzels and yogurt covered raisins. I think we''re going to put some Tic Tacs in there as well, plus travel sized vials of Aleve.

 

[March-8-2008]

Nth-ing the opinions of Diamondfan and Octavia... if you want to do gift baskets, have them handed out at check-in and, optimally, make sure the front desk offers your guests assistance from a bellman.

I am a hotel concierge at a 4-star hotel renowned for its service, and - no offense - gift bags are a bane of my own work existence. There are so many opportunities for things to go wrong. Please make sure you give a detailed list to your contact at the hotel with the guests'' names, basket quantities, and make sure the baskets have secured contents - heat-shrink cellophane is good for this. I also recommend putting individual name tags on them, securely tied to the individual baskets.

Keep a copy of your list and make sure your cell number (or a trusted friend/family member''s) is ON the list in case the hotel has questions about who gets what or if there are leftover baskets.

From a hotel standpoint, it seems as though there is ALWAYS a problem with getting them to the proper rooms due to housekeeping delays or room moves/cancellations. (It''s Murphy''s Law!)

When I was married in March, my mom wanted to do gift bags, and I said NO, due to my own experience. From my perspective, they are more frustration than they''re worth. For me, it was one less thing to worry about.

However, since you''re going with gift baskets, I hope my comments are helpful so that you know it can be a bit complicated.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!!!

 

[Gwyn]

I say gift baskets but I really meant bags. I have a few people flying over and such so a basket didnt make too much sense since they wouldnt want to worry about flying back with them. The majority of the guests are coming up just for the day or the day before so I dont imagine them having too much luggage to deal with.

think to consider....i will have to think about it.

 

[CaliCushion]

Sorry if this is off topic, but why do hotels charge so much to pass out out of town bags? The wedding is giving them a lot of business, I would think they''d be able to hand out gift bags as a complimentary (or very cheap) service.

 

[Gwyn]

Oddly enough, it used to be $5 to put them in the rooms and free to pass out. Now they have changed it to only $3 to put in the rooms and $1.50 to pass out.

All in all the fee as gone down, of course they also spread it out so that regardless of your choice, they make a little money.

I chalk it up to extra labor. Yes the people are already in there making up the rooms and yes there is already someone there checking the people into the rooms but there is still extra labor involved. There was a previous post saying how these things were the bane of their existence or something similar, so clearly they involved some extra care. Thats probably why they cost a little more.

Oh and...it''s wedding related, so they know they can bleed you

Just a joke! no need to flame me if you work in the industry and have a very valid reason. Feel free to share em, I dont mind a lil off topic stuff in my threads.

 

[mintve]

I work in the hotel industry and I think its easier to do it at check-in b/c guests may request a different room from the one that is assigned to them, then the basket may get lost in the shuffle. If its there at the front desk, with anote on their reservation, they will get their basket when tehy check-in. If they have too much luggage, I am sure there is a person at concierge, or a bellman, or front desk person who could then deliver to their room, once its been assigned.

 

[mrsv]

We are doing welcome bags as well. Are you doing a welcome dinner for your guests? We are debating delivering them to our guests or having a fun table at the welcome dinner after desserts. At the moment we are leaning towards hand delivering them to people as they check in because our welcome bags have personalized polo shirts in them and sizes and fits are different for different people. Either way however I think people will really appreciate your thoughtfulness in wanting to show appreciation and care for their time and efforts in attending your wedding.

 

[Gwyn]

Date: 10/2/2008 2:28:05 PM
Author: mrsv
We are doing welcome bags as well. Are you doing a welcome dinner for your guests? We are debating delivering them to our guests or having a fun table at the welcome dinner after desserts. At the moment we are leaning towards hand delivering them to people as they check in because our welcome bags have personalized polo shirts in them and sizes and fits are different for different people. Either way however I think people will really appreciate your thoughtfulness in wanting to show appreciation and care for their time and efforts in attending your wedding.

We are doing a dinner, however, most of the things we are thinking of putting in there is stuff like drinks and snacks kind of a welcome to checking in, have something to eat and drink after driving 4 hours, we will see you at dinner in a few hours kind of stuff. Most of them have been to LA before so putting in local stuff wont be as prominent as other baskets. We will probably include a few tolietrie items and some advil. Maybe small can of spray deodarant. I havent quite determined all thats going in them yet.

Anyway, waiting until the dinner might be a little late. But I think it would be cute to have em there. Then again, it might also remind me a child''s birthday party (you know when you were little and your mom made goody bags for your friends).

 

[Nocturnius]

Being a hotel front desk clerk, I don''t recommend at check-in at all.

A) Guests have luggage already. Every time I''ve had to hand out baskets at check-in, the guests have given me either a huge sigh like, "you''re KIDDING, right?", have given me the most PATHETIC look ever, or have said "I''ll have to come back and get it later." In the end, they never DID come back to get it because they were in such a confusion over the wedding and we had to deliver it to their room anyway.
B) It''s a hassle for the staff to do it at check-in, it extends the check-in process and ultimately makes other guests trying to check-in wait more than they should have to. I remember one bride gave us 23 baskets to hand out as her guests checked in - and I wound up with two lines almost out the door of people waiting because I had to go back, check the cards for names, bring them around and hand them over... by the time the majority of HER guests checked in, they were irritated and rushed.

It''s much easier to just have them put in the rooms. Someone mentioned "not turning over the rooms fast enough" - but any GOOD hotel will put those rooms on priority knowing something is supposed to be delvered to them.

 

[mrsv]

Date: 10/2/2008 7:23:22 PM
Author: Gwyn

Date: 10/2/2008 2:28:05 PM
Author: mrsv
We are doing welcome bags as well. Are you doing a welcome dinner for your guests? We are debating delivering them to our guests or having a fun table at the welcome dinner after desserts. At the moment we are leaning towards hand delivering them to people as they check in because our welcome bags have personalized polo shirts in them and sizes and fits are different for different people. Either way however I think people will really appreciate your thoughtfulness in wanting to show appreciation and care for their time and efforts in attending your wedding.

We are doing a dinner, however, most of the things we are thinking of putting in there is stuff like drinks and snacks kind of a welcome to checking in, have something to eat and drink after driving 4 hours, we will see you at dinner in a few hours kind of stuff. Most of them have been to LA before so putting in local stuff wont be as prominent as other baskets. We will probably include a few tolietrie items and some advil. Maybe small can of spray deodarant. I havent quite determined all thats going in them yet.

Anyway, waiting until the dinner might be a little late. But I think it would be cute to have em there. Then again, it might also remind me a child''s birthday party (you know when you were little and your mom made goody bags for your friends).

Oh that''s a good point. We are doing golf towels, polos, chocolates, Cokes, Water, boiled peanuts and pens.....an odd combo but it means that we don''t need table favor.

But then the place we are having the wedding will be greeting our guests with waters and fruit and cheese platters. I think it depends on your location.

 

[princesss]

Oh my goodness, I really can''t imagine being given anything else to juggle at check-in. The only wedding I''ve been to where I had to travel, and they came by and delivered the baskets after we''d been placed in our rooms (we came back from dinner with everybody and they were in the room). It was a nice surprise, and we didn''t have to carry the dang thing!

 

[diamondfan]

Princess, I like the idea of it but it is nice to have it right away sometimes. For my son''s bar mitzvah, I am putting a very nice set of printed directions in the bags, and they are needed for the guests to get to the dinner Fri evening or to our home after temple Fri night for dessert. I cannot wait to give it. Also, a lot of hotels simply do not want to do it that way. Frankly there are errors either way. If someone is gauche enough to be annoyed that their hosts are giving them something, too bad. Get a bellman to take your crap upstairs or ask it be brought up once you are settled. I am putting a lot of time and effort into my bags and hope my guests appreciate them, and do not mind carrying it. I am not in charge of how the hotels do things.