Welcome Baskets For Wedding Guests

http://askmissa.com/2012/03/05/wedding-guest-welcome-baskets-a-thoughtful-touch/

One wedding idea I love is that of a welcome basket with an itinerary for the weekend, especially for out of town guests! This lets guests know that you are appreciative and grateful for their arrival and tells them what to expect, where to be, and when. Another nice touch I saw at one venue in Asheville, North Carolina {http://www.bohemianhotelasheville.com} was that the bar will deliver a beer to the guests room after check-in. This is a great idea for the groom's men's welcome and would add an extra touch if you went with a local brew!

https://atyoursideplanning.wordpress.com/tag/wedding-guests-welcome-baskets/

Design your welcome baskets and then deliver them to the hotel for staff to put in guests rooms prior to their arrival. You could do a set of baskets for your maids, grooms, and guests or you can do a standard basket but add a unique item for each group. For maids you might add cute emory boards and bobby pins or pink champagne. Grooms could be given a cigar or matching cufflinks. Here are some items to include in your basket:


1. Two bottles of water. Sure, there is likely a vending mating down the hall, but how relieved is the guest that returns home from dancing and drinking the night away at your reception to bottled water.

2. Ibuprofen {see #1}. Consider it an adult first aid kit. With some water and motion guests will be less likely to skip your farewell brunch!

3. A map of the area with shopping and dining suggestions. If there are any restaurants, parks, or other locations particularly sentimental to you and your sweetie you can denote them on the map with a heart shaped sticker. "This is where we had our first dinner date.", "This is the park John proposed in. Great photo op by the fountain!" This gives guests something to do while you are busy with rehearsal dinners and the morning of.

4. A sample of local libations. For example, if you are from Kentucky, what a nice touch to add some small bottles from distilleries located along the Bourbon Trail! {http://kybourbontrail.com}. Some states have great wines. If you aren't serving alcohol you could include a local drink or something your region is known for. A Carolina wedding might have a can of Cheerwine or Georgia might have Coca-Cola.

http://www.buildabasket.com/knob-creek-straight-bourbon-whiskey-gift-crate.html

5. A small snack. Almonds, peanuts, a granola bar. Something for guests to snack on while they wait for their +1 to get beautiful!

6. An itinerary. 

Guests want to know what is going on, where to be, and when. A simple card can tip guests off to:

• Friday evening happy hour for out of town guests {time and location}
• Time for shuttle transport to and from venues {times and location}
• Time and location for farewell brunch
• Times and locations of any other activities you may have planned for your guests. For out of town guests perhaps you have lined up tour times at a local art gallery, a trip to a local farmer's market, or another morning activity to showcase your location.

Images from: http://limoncello-style.blogspot.com/2011/04/unchosen-one.html