Welcome your guests with bags they'll love

How do I know that guests love welcome bags so much?  They tell me so.  Today I saw a fantastic reaction when guests came into our hospitality suite to pick up their welcome bag.  When they checked in at the front desk they were handed this card:

And then they came into the Sharp Room, so incredibly excited, flashing their card.  They found their bag and there was an immediate, "Oh my gosh, how perfect!".

That's what I call a proper welcome.  What a way to start the celebration after their travels.

Some things we like & sometimes to include in our bags are:
2 bottles of water
Breath Mints
A savory snack like Pringles, Sunchips, or pretzels
A sweet snack like Famous Amos cookies or Nikkis Key Lime cookies
2 Pillow packs of Advil
Sunscreen
Lip balm
Koozies (personalized are the way to go)
Postcards
Maps (Love Snappy Maps!)
Beach Towels
Candy (like m&m's)
Matches (personalized)

and always: a guest guide outlining the events for the weekend!

The New Years Bride Series

We started the year off with such a great wedding.  It goes down in history as our coldest wedding ever, and I have to confess, I hope that it stays that way.  These pictures below are not pro pics, they're ours, but I couldn't wait to show off this great weekend at South Seas.  As soon as we can share the images from the super cool Tonya Malay, we'll post away, and then you'll just drool,  I'm sure.

 

These beach chic welcome bags included customized koozies, bottled water, gum, ibuprofen, key lime cookies, and  pretzels.  The basics are always a hit with destination wedding guests.

 

It was just too chilly to have the rehearsal dinner out of the deck like we planned, but the indoor table for 24 ended up looking just as great indoors.  We used simple potted orchids and bougainvillea with lanterns and beach rocks on a linen tablecloth to have a completely natural tablescape.

 

This is me and the groom, Mr Prince.  We bumped into each other on the golf course (it runs right next to the ceremony site at Sunset cove beach) when I was checking on ceremony set up.

 

Could you die over how cute this hanger is?  You can find one like it on Etsy.

 

I recommend to all my clients to have make & hair done professionally for wedding day.  If ever there was a day when you wanted to look perfect and be pampered...this is it.  Heather Longshore did an outstanding job on Mrs. Prince's hair & makeup as well as the rest of the bridal party.

 

Um, yeah, I dream about these shoes. Not even going to lie.

 

Here's the kicker with the sash and this gorgeous embellishment on it.  Mrs. Prince told the designer she didn't want a sash.  When the dress arrived, it was included as a surprise.  It totally made the dress.  See below...

 

Told ya.  Sash is awesome.

Make sure to read all the posts in this series because I have an awesome ending care of the masters over at AMC video.

Defining a Destination Wedding: Let's Clarify.

Disagree with me if you'd like, and I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts on this, but I have a different point of view than many on what makes a wedding a destination wedding.
Are 85-100% of your guests traveling to your wedding location?
Will all the guests traveling be staying overnight or longer?
Is your wedding taking place at a locale that would be considered by most a "travel destination"?
Are you also staying overnight at the location you're marrying (or where your guests are staying)?
If yes to the above- then YES it is a destination wedding. Even if you (Bride and/or Groom) live in that destination.
Here's why I believe this is the case:
You're going to have to provide all the same information (travel, accommodations, maps/directions, itineraries, etc.)to your guests.
You'd still be blocking rooms.
You'd still do welcome bags.
You'd still plan welcome and farewell events.

Still not quite sure? Read this post from a few years ago (I forgot I wrote about this). Also, Pick up Destination Bride
and a few recent issues of Destination Weddings & Honeymoons magazine and read them. Does they speak to your wedding? If you're reading these and finding a great deal of it really does apply to your wedding; well, if the shoe fits.

Destination Wedding Rule #4

Put yourself in your guests shoes when considering their experience. If you're bringing them to a warm and/or humid destination from a cold location, do what you can to keep them comfortable. This means offering (welcome bags & hospitality baskets) and suggesting things that will keep them safe and feeling good:
Bottled water, sunscreen, skin moisturizer, off wipes, chapstick, ibuprofen packs, mints, flip flops, and most importantly a guest guide for the weekend.

The bag above is one of the best I've ever come across. It's large enough to carry items down to the beach and pool, but small enough to pack away in an overstuffed suitcase. And at under $6 each...A STEAL. And the cute bags below- I love these for bridesmaids gifts. Perhaps with a nice thank you note inside along with lip gloss, a mirror, and blotters (to fight the mid-reception shine).

Champagne Cocktails on the fly

Bellini: Champagne & Peach Schnapps
Blood Orange Mimosa: Champagne & Blood Orange Juice
My thought: Delicious
Use them for: Wedding or farewell Brunch, bridal showers, welcome bags,
Present them in: White tissue papers (at least 4 pieces) tied with double faced satin ribbon in your wedding colors.
Cost: $10-$13 each. Have to love that.

Welcome bags+Brides=No room. Oops.

Today was welcome bag day. Since most of our weddings are destination, we have a once a month shopping and assembly day. It's pretty fun until we start pushing 175 bottles of water down the already packed aisles of Sam's Club. As you can see, today was a heavy load.
Then while we were assembling the bags- which take over the place (see photo), many a brides stopped in to look at invitations and browse the library. We've quickly learned that now welcome bag assembly will have to be early in the morning before we flip the "open" signs and that 6 bottles of champagne goes quick. HA!

It was so great to meet some new brides this week. We met brides getting married in Hawaii, Pittsburg, Cape Coral, Naples, Bowling Green, Savannah and Boca Grande. We're glad you stopped in!:
Tiffany I.
Barbara L.
Lesley M.
Jennifer P.
Nicole K.
Tiffany M.
and
La Lauren

Showcase #4

From Me: A Big Beach Wedding Weekend Guest Gift. This is a super welcome bag, full of all kinds of goodies. This bag I made specifically for a hypothetical Bridesmaid- single, and in town for 4 full days. A note- if you can, customize the guest gifts for each kind of guest (couples, families, single gals/guys, etc.).

What's in it?
Beach Stuff: A hat, flip flops, beach towel, Seagrass beach mat, Market tote
Spa Stuff: Aromatherapy candle, body mist, and lotion and pajamas
Itinerary & Personal Note: A scrap book with the weekend events/times/locations/attire, a handwritten note welcoming & thanking her for coming
Info & Reads: Area map & brochures and a couple magazines to read by the pool
Drinks & Snacks: A bottle each of bubbly water, flat water & soda and a box each of crackers & cookies

Another showcase submission coming in a bit...

***To answer LouWed's question (see comments) about the bag- It's a market tote. Apparently I got really lucky because I found a couple at TJMaxx for $9.99! You can buy them at Sur La Table or The Container Store for $29.99. Just do a search on Market Tote. Oh, and I also found some on Ebay for $19.99, but the shipping was $10, so it evens out.

Wedding showcase: By you.

I had the best idea this afternoon as I was catching up on all my favorite blogs. Half the reason I love to read blogs is for the pictures. I find them very inspiring. Inspiration boards I DO love. But how much fun would it be to show a bunch of tabletops, welcome bags, or favors that you come up with yourself? Let's do it! But you'll have to give me until Friday to post mine, because it'll take me that long to do one and my current to do list is ridiculous.

Here's the info:
1. You don't have to go out and buy everything. Feel free to get creative with stuff you have and save a few bucks.
2. No copycats. Going to West Elm and taking a photo and then just changing the colors won't fly. The whole point is to be creative. Be inspired by- but don't copy. Don't be scared to try. Go way over the top- or don't. I'm always pleasantly surprised by how awesome simple can be on occassion.
3. It doesn't have to be "wedding". Yes, this is a wedding blog, BUT, there is more to getting married than the wedding. There are lots of dinners, showers, parties, etc. So a tabletop or favor for something like that would be fine!
4. No winners. This is a showcase- I'll post every one that comes in. If you can send a few shots of your designs, I might make a board out of it. But 1 or 2 photos (jpeg please) would be fine too.
5. You can do one in each category (tabletop, welcome bag, or favor) or you can do two, or just one- whatever you like. Just be prepared for a rash of questions if everyone loves what you came up with- I might email you for a resource list.
6. In your email, tell me a bit about whats in it and why (if applicable) and if you are a bride, wedding pro, or...

I'll post pictures thru the month of September. Oh I am very excited! My email address is over on the left sidebar. Email me if you have any questions.

Wondering what to put in the welcome bags?

A wedding planner friend of mine asked the other day about what I put in welcome bags. I've never put 2 of the same together. Just as each wedding is unique, so are the bags. First of all, I don't always use a bag. Sometimes we use a box, sometimes a basket, even a bath robe we used once (it looked really neat).

There are a few staples that go inside:
Bottled Water, Map, Brochures, and guest itinerary

Then there are the things that are unique to your wedding. Here are some of my favorites:
Stewart sodas or those fancy lemonades- can't remember the name, wine & opener (or a champagne split) with 2 glasses, pashminas, parasols, flip flops, beach towels, koozies, regional magazines, sunscreen wipes, chips/pretzels/popcorn, local food goodies, candy, cookies (photo cookies are huge hits), battery powered fans, off! wipes, pre-stamped postcards & pens, room key chains (those kind that go on your wrist), drink tickets (pina colada by the pool?),spa gift certificates, scented candles, cd's of your favorite songs, robe & slippers...

I could go on, but this is a good start right? Oh- and don't go thinking you need to put all this in there! The most important thing is that your guest who is spending 2 days travelling and maybe $1000 or more to attend your celebration feels welcomed. Put in what you like and what your budget affords you. These gifts can range from $7 to $175 each, depending on how lavish you want to get.

Quick tip: If you can attach a personal note to each bag- it speaks volumes. And its a task you can start as soon as the RSVP comes in. Also, if you do a welcome bag for each guest, a favor a the reception is certainly not necessary.