What Your Hotel Welcome Gift Bags Are Missing

We recently shared what hotel welcome bags are and why you might decide to gift them to your out-of-town guests. The hardest part now is choosing what to put in them! Heres our guide to filling your hotel welcome gift bags to help you make sure you dont leave out anything important.These bags can be as simple or as extravagant as you want them to be anything from a couple basic necessities to a location-themed grab bag.

Throw items in the bag willy-nilly or connect them all with a theme. The goal of these bags should be to help your guests feel more comfortable during their travels.The NecessitiesBottles of waterPersonalized water bottles, koozies or flasksOutdoor items like sunglasses, sunscreen, bug spray, handwarmers, or a rain ponchoAdvil/tums/bandaidsAn area mapMints or gumA grooming set with tweezers, nail clippers, and a nail fileLocal GiftsWrite a personalized guide to your favorite nearby restaurants and attractionsInclude gift cards or coupons for a restaurant (bonus: you can use these almost like tissue paper as a filler, too!)Locally-made food or drinksCheck out this list of state-specific souvenir ideasSource: Colorado, Vienna The PracticalPortable phone chargerA note that says Please call anyone but the bride and a list of phone numbers for people who know the area and the weekends eventsSnacksFresh fruitPower barsTrail mixChocolatesBrides and grooms favorite candy or snackSomething sweet and something saltyClothing-repair kitMini sewing kitSafety pinsWrinkle release sprayLint rollerBottle openerHand sanitizerThe ExtraAlcoholChampagne is a good go-to, but dont be afraid to include a local wine or a couple bottles of the brides and grooms favorite beers or cidersCoffee beans, grounds, or already brewedCandles or incenseLotion or soapDeck of cards or travel-sized gameA hardy plant like a cactus or succulentA small notebook and penA disposable cameraLip balmNail polishAn uber promo code for your eventFebreeze or air freshenerA recipe for a dish served at the wedding or unique to the areaThe WhimsicalA lottery ticketThe bride and grooms favorite toysA favorite book or a book set in the areaA handwritten book telling the couples love storyPersonalized do not disturb sign for their hotel room doorA framed print of a map or photograph of the area or wedding venueSparklers or small fireworksPostcards from the area your guests can send back homeDrink coastersThemed BagsWeddingHow can you tie your wedding theme into the gift bags?

Wedding destinationFocus on the unique, local items and mapsCandyIn addition to a variety of candy, include candy-scented candles, make-your-own candy kits, candy-flavored alcoholTravelNeck pillows, small blankets, eye masks, noise-canceling headphone, reusable water bottles, reusable bags, sunglasses, hats, passport holder, toiletry bagSpaLotion, tanning oil or sunscreen, face and eye masks, coupon or gift card for a massage after the wedding (or a handheld massager), wineColorUse your wedding colors or another favorite color scheme and choose items suggested above within that color schemeFor example, yellow, pink, and orange: yellow-framed sunglasses, mini bottles of orange juice and pink champagne, lemon-scented soap or lotion, a rose-scented candleActivitiesIf theres a lot to do near the wedding venue, center your gift bags around these activities: sunglasses, energy bars and trail mix, trail guides, coupons for the activities, a local scavenger huntGamesA deck of cards, travel-sized checkers or scrabble, a book of road trip games, mad libs, plus all the best gaming snacks (chips, chocolate, popcorn, pretzels, m&ms or skittles)Make sure you include a note explaining why you included the personal items! Who likes which candy or drink? Why did you choose that particular quote for the bag?

Which restaurant is your favorite and why?Keep in mind youre doing this to help your guests feel more comfortable away from home, and think about their favorite things. Youll also need to remember who is driving and who is flying and what theyll be able to fit in their luggage.Have a little fun with the bags.

Because youre not giving them to every wedding guest, you can make them more personal and give yourself a chance to think about how much this guest means to you and why youre so happy to have them attend your wedding.Elizabeth graduated from The University of Findlay with a Master of Arts in Rhetoric and Writing. She now resides in Portland, Oregon where she is employed in the real estate business and is particularly enjoying the local cuisine. As a writer, Elizabeth believes in a quote from one of her favorite TV shows: We have only two jobs on this Earth.

The first: to learn. The second: to cope. A deep desire to learn struck Elizabeth when she was young, and now she hopes to help you cope by sharing information, and helping you apply the knowledge.

Weddings and event planning can be overwhelming; sometimes its okay to take a little advice from a stranger on the internet.Originally published at on June 1, 2018 RELATED QUESTION Why do American men wear class rings, but wont use their postnominal degrees on door signs and business cards? American women wear class rings, too. I wear mine.Generally speaking, displaying where you got your degree from on a business card or a door sign would be seen as odd, at best.

If somebody handed me a business card with the Harvard logo on it and he didnt work at Harvard, Id probably ask about it: Oh, do you do work with Harvard University? and if the answer was, No, I just attended Id find this an unpleasant level of showing off. Not classy.A lot of Americans will have college-related paraphernalia in their offices, though.

Like, you may see a pennant or they may have their degree(s) up on the wall. This is a more casual display of affiliation.Likewise, the ring is casual. Class rings are usually not that obtrusive, particularly the signet variety.

Usually, the signet is only immediately recognized by others who attended the university (though I have had people ask me to hand over my ring so they could take a closer look at it before), and thus it kind of acts like a secret handshake. Ive had people from my college recognize my signet ring on sight, and then we have an instant connection.Its just a lot classier than shoving it in everybodys face all the time in an American social environment, basically.