Welcome Bags

Your wedding is around the corner, and family and friends from all over are gathering to celebrate your big day. If you can't be at the hotel to greet them, A welcome bag is a wonderful way for your guests to start their wedding weekend with you. Fill the bag with lots of personalized goodies and full of information to celebrate their arrival. Your guests will be thrilled with your thoughtfulness!

So, what goes into a perfect bag for your out of town guests? Here are some wedding welcome bag ideas:

A welcome bag that can be reused is the best kind. It’s not only handy, it’s a nice reminder of the fun of your wedding weekend. Your best bets are beach bags or reusable shopping bags, which both fold down nice and small for the return trip!

Nobody wants to drink the tap water in an unfamiliar town, and hotel bottled water costs a fortune, so a freebie will be appreciated.

Consider the climate when you pack your welcome kit. If you’re in a hot spot, make sure to include sunscreen. If it’s chilly or dry, lip balm and hand lotion are nice. No matter what the environment, your guests can always use hand sanitizer, mouthwash, and other mini-toiletries that everyone forgets when they travel.

Welcome Bag Items:
- Local Map          - Personal Note                 - Wedding Event Times & Location Card
- Water                 - Regional Food                 - Small Bottle Of Wine
- Snacks                - Restaurant Listings         - Cheese & Crackers
- Mints                  - Weather Report              - Postcards From Area

Unique Tables

I recently went to a tradeshow in where they had a table top contest.  I saw some really great ideas and it got me thinking about how many different ways a table can be set.  One great setting I saw at the show one year looked like there was an impromptu dinner taking place in the middle of a construction zone.  Paint cans were used as seats, there was paint splatter on the tables and they used paint brushes and tape as centerpieces.  Depending on the style of the couple a table can be classic, modern, natural, or fun.  Here are some of my favorites:

A Japanese style setting uses very low seating as if you were sitting on the floor.  You can use bamboo on the tables and have cherry blossoms as the floral element.  China can be square to match the square tables and if you want you can even add in a water element to create an overall experience for your guests. 

A fun style setting can use packing bubbles on the floor underneath guests’ chairs.  The playfulness of guests’ feet popping the bubbles is a great ice breaker.  Adding a mad libs pad on tables keeps your guests entertained during the party. Using many colors in the color palette implements a visual connection with your guests.

Thinking outside of the box is key to creating unique table settings for your event.  Once you get one idea in your hands you can expand on it and go from there.  The ideas and themes are endless.