Wedding Welcome Bags and Favors for Guests

Giving out wedding welcome bags and favors to friends and family members who surround you with love and support on the happiest day of your life is an age-old tradition. Should you check out this feature on LovetoKnow, you will learn about how brides and groom in the 16th century started giving out little tokens that served many purposes. To begin with, they acted as favors when invitees brought gifts or projected the wealth and status of the hosts. Then again, the wedding boxes along with their contents had special significance wishing health and happiness to the newly-wed couple.

Wedding Welcome Bags are an International Tradition

It may interest you to know that different countries across the world have their own versions of tokens of appreciation for the presence of their guests. Some of these little mementos are edible while others are keepsakes that recipients may preserve to remember the event. Some of the most famous are Jordan almonds that are given out in specific numbers. For instance, Greeks prefer odd numbers and believe that unmarried women can place the almonds under their pillows to dream of the men they’ll eventually wed. Italians, on the other hand, gift just 5 almonds that signify a long life, fertility, wealth, a happy life, and good health.

If you’ve been looking out for ideas for the wedding welcome bags to give to your friends, know that modern-day brides and grooms like to include small items that will make the stay of their guests all the more comfortable like this collection recommended by Martha Stewart Weddings. Get creative and add a bunch of things with messages, one-liners, and small supplies that evoke a smile and touch a special cord in the hearts of your loved ones.

Eco-Friendly Tokens are the Newest Trends

If you’re trying to cut back on the waste generated at your wedding, know that many couples are aware of the impact of a big reception on the environment. They now prefer small ceremonies with a choice of eco-friendly wedding welcome bags and other favors. The folks at CarryGreen reveal how brides select beautiful bags made with green materials like cotton and burlap and fill them with handmade goodies wrapped in recycled paper. In this way, they avoid the use of plastic and other materials that add to toxic waste.

Lynn Fosbender is the co-founder of The Green Wedding Alliance, a company created in Chicago in 2010. As she spoke to the Chicago Tribune, “A green wedding really just means being conscious of all those decisions that you make along the way to try to minimize waste.” Lynn also talks about choosing green vendors, paperless invites, and locally-grown fruits, flowers, and other produce using methods that have a minimal impact on the planet.

Modern-Day Bags are Innovative and Interesting

As a modern-day American bride in the 21st century, you can take your pick from any number of special themes that can make the occasion truly memorable. In place of wedding welcome bags, you can opt for pretty baskets or reusable, smart boxes that can be folded up and are easy to carry back home. And, that’s just a couple of the amazing ideas out there.

Here are some others:

● Delicate tulle bags with drawstrings that can carry small candies and special chocolates decorated with the couple’s monogrammed initials

● Jute tote bags containing a beverage, bottle opener, pack of nuts, candy, Band-Aids, and an exotic local handmade bracelet as a souvenir

● Metal baskets in gold with a collection of color-coordinated organic soap, bottles of beer brewed with unique flavors, a scented candle, and small pack of savory treats

● Hampers with a collection of gourmet nuts covered in chocolate, small bottles of water, chips, kettle corn, and after-dinner mints

● Woven baskets containing items that reflect the theme of the event like, for instance, if you’re having a southern wedding, you can add mason jars with homemade jam, paste sauce, cookies, olive oil, and any other handmade delicacies that the location is famous for

● Flip-top cane basket with destination-specific essentials like, for instance, if you’re having a beach wedding, add in sunscreen, water bottle, cute wide-brimmed hats, and cool mints

● Depending on the budget you’ve allocated to the wedding favors, you can consider giving out mini wine and cheese hampers, travel kits, portable perfume bottles, or even, photo albums

Choose a mix of bites, snacks, and beverages along with a map showing the best route to the venue. Your wedding planner may also suggest basic medicines, and emergency makeup essentials. Of course, be sure to add a handwritten note to the wedding welcome bags thanking your guests for being there. Pack in shredded wood to prevent accidental breakage.

Personalizing the Bags and Favors is a Thoughtful Gesture

Adding a personal touch to the each box or hamper is a lovely gesture and shows that you’ve taken the time to acknowledge every one of your guests. When slipping the “Thank You!” note into the wedding welcome bags, consider attaching a tag on each of them that carries the name of the recipient like this article on the Brides magazine describes. Personalization also works like a charm when you want to give out little party favors by placing them on the dinner tables for the guests to take home afterward. You can be sure that they will save the cards as reminders of a lovely evening with lots of dancing, music, and interactions with close friends and family.

Wedding welcome bags and favors are a wonderful way to show your appreciation to the people who took the time to attend the ceremony and be a part of your special day. They are also cherished mementos of a lovely event. Put a little thought and effort into organizing the favors and your guests are sure to carefully preserve them just as you save the memories of their presence.

Thanks to Saroj