Weddingbee Blog

Every time I see “OOT,” I start singing “Boot Scoot Boogie.” Maybe that’s not normal. But that’s just what happens.

Of course, I’m talking about OOT bags, or out-of-town bags! Approximately 84% of our guest list will be coming into Atlanta from elsewhere. Most are from Florida, we have several from Massachusetts, and even a few from overseas! Many of these loved ones have already expressed that they plan to attend our wedding. Mr. Lion and I are just so humbled by the fact that these people would inconvenience themselves just for us; the least we can do is give them a little somethin’ extra to make their stay more comfortable.

Though I’ve never actually received an OOT bag as a wedding guest, I’ve run into quite a few in the wedding blogosphere. My personal favorites are the ones with a theme:

A Baseball Basket by Kate Parker Weddings

I like the idea of building a basket around the couples’ interests (like the baseball one above), but what better theme for an OOT bag than a local theme? As an OOT guest, I would appreciate some exposure to local fare and flair; I’m sure some others would feel the same way. Most city-specific OOT bags that I encountered included a map, a list of fun local places, and some local delicacies, not unlike this Miami bag:

Source

I found all kinds of inspiration for cities across the Northeast and the West Coast, but it was slim pickins for little old Atlanta. Then, I found some inspiration where I least expected it:

Source

A light bulb went off over my head during one of my cherished weekly trips to TJ’s. What if we bought groceries for our OOT guests?! And not just groceries…Georgia-themed groceries! So naturally, I bought as many of these babies as I could get my paws on. (Get it? Lioness?)

{personal photo}

Trader Joe’s makes these reusable grocery bags for every major city (Sister Lioness has a really cute NYC one with a fun spin on Lady Liberty’s “Give Me Your Tired”). They’re only $1 and they’re fabulous. We decided to fill our Atlanta bags with:

• A glass bottle of Coca Cola
• Peaches
• Pecans
• Peanuts

Aaaand that’s about all I’ve got so far. ”Cotton” balls? Maybe some Vidalia onion jelly? Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated!