Weddingbee Blog

Local Travel Guide ( sites, restaurants, history, facts ) for OOT guests that may come a few days early or stay later to enjoy the place your wedding is being held.

A list of favorite restaurants or fun coffee shops. On our map, I listed some favorite places around town, and I included the park where my husband proposed.

For the bags of the older kids, I included fun card games. I gave each kid a different game so they could swap around and play together.

we started tallying up how many oot bags we would need. When the total hit 60, we backed off from our grande ideas. We went with galvanized pails filled with two bottles of water, a bottle of Texas wine (my husband sells wine), some peanut brittle (made by a family friend), some tostitos, and a small packet with a welcome letter, information and maps.
We tied the handle with a red bandana. Everyone loved it!
Our families weren’t in the room long enough to need games or toys. Most families prepare for trips like that, so we felt no need.

a-not at all! Some things I’ve read suggest you provide guests with the phone number of a “designated contact person” that they can go to for directions, questions, etc. This person could be a local friend or family member, someone who won’t be TOO busy close to the wedding day. We plan on providing guests with this contact person, and then “for big emergencies only”, my and my FI’s numbers.

As for our kits, we’re planning on including a welcome letter, brochures/coupons to area attractions (since the wedding is at the start of memorial day weekend), personalized bottled water, some candy/snacky foods, and another copy of the directions/map for the reception.

As I expected, you have all come up with some wonderful ideas Thank you so much!

Wow! You all have such great ideas! Our wedding is this coming December, and it is in San Francisco. Thanks for the bottled water idea with the personalized labels, I will look into making those soon! I’m also keeping in mind, NOT to use baskets or boxes as the guests will probably not have room in their luggage for this. So……a nice gift bag with personalized design on it as well as the bottled water, local coffee, tea, chocolatesm etc., a SF Tshirt, warm socks, its cold here and many guests are flying in from Hawaii and Miami….I’m also thinking a photo Christmas Ornament of me and my husband to be with a word of Thanks, or Mahalo as they say in Hawaii. Our wedding is jsut ten days before Christmas.

Hey Darla, Do not worry, its alot easier than one thinks. First of all, make your first stop to be the Dollar Store, now I am NOT one for CHEAP, but, I found Hallmark brand Wedding bags (usually retail for 6.99 ea.), for a whopping $1.00 each! Tissue paper doesn’t have to be name brand and I also found emergency sewing kits, and mini firt aid kits as well….all travelers LOVE these!

I made water bottle labels in MS Word with our monograms for bottled water and tied organza ribbon to them. I then incorporated SF coffee (mini packs and San Francisco chocolates), an SF Magnet and a SF T-shirt, and a pair of warm socks for each guest. Our guests loved them!

I also made monogram gift tags, size of a business card with a map and a note of thanks……Each grown up should get one if they arrive alone, for married couples, make their bag a little heftier than for one, and they will usually share. As for kids, they are so much easier one per child, keep it simple, and stuff those bags with things to keep them occupied, coloring books, mini puzzles, etc. Keep it simple, make it PERSONAL! You will be fine and your guests will lvoe the thought!

I think I spent a mere 12 bucks per bag, and that is mere in comparison to what they spent on travel arrangements and lodging. Besides, the bags looked pash, they probably think I spent at least 40 bucks per guest on these! Wink Wink!

I am also preparing to do personalized water bottles in my OOT bags and for the wedding day. I have been looking online and am a little overwhelmed. What places have people used, how much they cost, and were they labels or water bottles with labels?

Bahvee-

I was thinking of doing the same thing but I was thinking that they would run when they get wet from the ice… did they??