Weddingbee

How do I know it’s getting close? Because the OOT bags are ready to go!! This was a long time coming, since those tote bags had been sitting here since December. And now I get to share the process!!

Step 1: Ordering totes. There were a few routes I was considering:

I thought these were super cute, and they’re only $2/piece for the large size. However, the “large” size is only 5×5x3, so definitely an option if you can control yourself on the stuffing.

Ah, the gable box. I love this one for a budget, since these bad boys are only $39.50/100 and measure 9.5×5x5!!

These make me think of Miss Cream Puff’s color scheme (which I LOVE) - $15.95/12, 8.75″ tall!

Just one of the many options available at cheaptotes. I happened to love that this was only 89 cents for a 10×13 bag. I planned to get this one for quite a while, but at the time, they were sold out. So after stalking them for a month, I went a different route.

In the end, I followed Mrs. Lemon’s sage advice and got my tote bags from jiffyshirts - $2.80 a piece (though there are some minor bulk discounts - I think mine worked out to be $2.74 each… big whoop). And these bad boys are HUGE - 18×12x4. In the end, I came NOWHERE close to stuffing it.

Step 2: Decorating tote bags. I really didn’t know what to put on these - or even if I should put anything at all. Usually, the need for a design prompts me to scour Paper-Source’s rubber stamp collection. In the end, I thought this stamp was reaaally cute, so I stuck the word “merci” on the bottom and created this:

I printed it out on cardstock. Then I whited out areas to make it a stencil. Finally, I used an exacto knife to trace out everything in red. This. Took. Forever.

The hardest part was getting the design onto the bag. I opted to use fabric markers - they’re like fabric paint that comes in marker-form so that you can just color in the stencil. It worked pretty well, though they run out mighty quickly. I think the real problem was in the fact that my stencil wasn’t top notch. I can’t say I’ve thought of any better ideas since then, but - again, this took forever. Here’s the final product:

Step 3: Stuffing the bags. This consisted of two components: an information packet and GOODIES.

The information packet was a lot harder to get than I thought it would be. We contacted the Old Orchard Beach Chamber of Commerce, and they said they wouldn’t send anything in bulk because it would cost them too much money. Hm, no fair. All the other bees got free area info. We even tried contacting the hotels where we have rooms blocked, but they said the Chamber of Commerce hadn’t even given them their shipment yet. Again, boo. So in the end, we ended up just downloading important information from their website and making copies. Our information packet included:

-A letter from us thanking our guests for coming.

-A schedule of events for the weekend.

-The phone numbers of taxi companies in the area.

-Our phone numbers.

-Directions.

-A fancy map.

-A list of area restaurants.

-A list of area activities.

-A crossword about us (make your own here)!

The goodies were the MOST FUN. To do this among other things, I ended up getting a 60-day FREE trial membership at BJ’s Wholesale Club (I don’t know if these are all over the place - it’s like a Sam’s Club/Costco for the east coast). The goodies included:

-Bottled water.

-Snickers.

-Chips.

-Nuts.

-Fruit snacks.

-Granola bars.

-Oatmeal bars.

-Gum.

-Tea.

And here’s Mr. BG amid our assembly line:

Step 4: Distributing the bags. We’ll be doing this on *gasp* WEDNESDAY, as our first guests will start arriving on *gasp* THURSDAY!! But for the time being, here they sit, ready to go:

• To Have and to Hold
• Dr. Tiramisu!