When I have the rare opportunity to be a guest at a wedding, especially a fun destination wedding, I squeal with joy when I check into my hotel room and there is a lovely welcome tote for me! With my type A personality, I scan the wedding weekend agenda and check out the deets on what fun ideas the bride and groom have suggested for me during my non-wedding activity downtime. Wedding guest welcome totes or what are also known as Out of Town (OOT) bags, are a fabulous way to connect with your guests on a personal level before the wedding festivities even begin. As a couple, you are sharing why you chose this great spot to be married in and letting them know that you care about their whole guest experience, not just during the wedding.

As a planner, when working with a bride and groom who will be expecting the majority of their guests to be coming from out of town, I usually suggest a wedding guest welcome tote. Kate Parker Weddings has pre-made ones you can order and be sent directly to guest’s hotel rooms, or ask if your wedding planner can create and deliver these for you. This is a great way for your guests, who have taken the time to travel to your wedding, to become familiar with their new surroundings.

Here are my thoughts on what should be included in a wedding guest welcome tote and below I share some fun sample ideas for specific destinations.

A good welcome tote will have:

• Thank you: a quick note of thanks for coming to your big wedding weekend away
• Water: hydration is key after a great wedding
• Advil/Tylenol: just in case the morning after is a little foggy
• Snacks: a carb-o-licious one, a fruity one, and a sweet one
• Mints: gum looks horrible in wedding photos — mints are a great way to avoid this
• Wedding Weekend Agenda: let them know where to be when
• Map of Wedding Festivities: directions are always appreciated
• Local Area Map and Info: Label your fav spots and important finds, like the only gas station in town

Some fun extras would be:

• Travel candle: Paddywax makes the best by far
• Sunscreen
• Lip balm: especially when guests are flying in to a new location
• Lotion
• Dental floss

The best piece of advice I can share is to have fun with it. My husband loves those crazy plastic dental picks (I personally think they are super silly) but if we were to put those in our welcome totes for guests, everyone would “get” it because our friends know how much he loves them. The more personal the totes are, the more fun they become.

And you don’t have to stick everything in a tote. If costs start to get to high, the best place to shop is Target, Cost Plus, Costo, and Ikea. You can find the best items in bulk at these places. You can also get paper kraft bags with handles and rubber stamp your initials and your wedding date. Or find some great baskets! The possiblities are endless.

Here are some ideas and images to include as special extras for popular destinations:

The San Fran Tote:

• A small loaf of sourdough bread
• Ghiradelli chocolate
• Tickets to the Exploratorium
• Map of bart and muni buses with a $10 fare pass
• Magnent of the golden gate as a memoir
• Pashmina for when the fog rolls in

The Wine Country Tote:

• A bottle opener
• 2 wine glasses and a bottle of wine from the area
• Picnic essentials such as a cheese knife and board
• Winery map
• Tasting note book
• Wine Tote

The Beach Tote:

• Beach ball
• Sunscreen for sure
• Visor
• Beach towels: can be personalized with the couple’s name and date — such a great idea!
• Flip flops
• Sand bucket and toys: you can use the bucket as the “tote”!

Again, these are fun ways to help your guests get acclimated to their new area and have a blast at your wedding celebration! Are you doing out of town bags for your guests? What great finds are you putting in them? Do share!