We know you're curious.
Updated Jun 09, 2025Here's Everything You Need to Know About Wedding Welcome Bags, From a Gifting Editor
Make your loved ones feel right at home.
Photos: Getty,Graphic: Ashley Detmering
Let's talk about wedding favors—specifically wedding welcome bags. The lead-up to your wedding is a busy time, so greeting guests prior to festivities like the rehearsal dinner and ceremony may not be feasible. But wedding welcome bags for guests, especially out-of-towners, can show friends and family you're excited they came before you can give them a hug and tell them yourself. Plus, wedding gift bags can help introduce them to the area, ensure they're prepared for the party ahead and thank them for their support. That's why we're sharing everything you need to know to get started on your wedding bags, including who gets one, what to include and how to deliver them.
In this article:
- What is a Wedding Welcome Bag?
- What to Put in Your Wedding Welcome Gift Bags
- Where to Get Your Wedding Welcome Bags
- Where to Get Your Welcome Gifts for Guests
- How to Give Your Guests Their Welcome Bags
What is a Wedding Welcome Bag?
Wedding welcome bags are bundles of small gifts couples give out-of-town guests to thank them for traveling for the big day and make them feel at home in their hotel room. As such, they're most common at destination weddings. After spending money on flights and accommodations as well as using up precious vacation days, it's a nice way to show appreciation to friends and family.
There's no hard and fast rule as to who should cover the cost of wedding welcome bags. If you and your partner are paying for the wedding yourselves, totes and guest favors typically fall to you. But if either (or both) of your parents are helping cover costs, they may offer to pay for wedding gift bags for hotel guests. To help navigate all the various wedding expenses, turn to The Knot Budget Advisor. It breaks down all individual wedding costs, from big-ticket vendors like the venue to smaller fees like guest gifts, and estimates how much each should cost based on the wedding's location.
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What to Put in Your Wedding Welcome Gift Bags
So, what exactly goes in wedding welcome bags? In summary, you'll want a mix of practical and personal items. Think: luxe bath products to get them dolled up for the big day, water, mints and ibuprofen for the morning after, and fun favors unique to the location or to your relationship—like hand fans for a tropical soirée or each of your favorite snacks. Other wedding welcome bag ideas we recommend include a handwritten thank-you note and a guide on local attractions. To help you out further, we're sharing the best ideas for what to put in wedding welcome bags below.
1. Tasty Provisions
Photo: Kelly Hornberger Photography
You've just landed after a long flight, or perhaps you're finally home after a fantastic, but late, night out. What's the first thing on your mind? Food, of course! Your wedding guests will likely experience those same hunger pangs, which is why snacks are a top priority when assembling your wedding welcome bags. To satisfy a variety of cravings, we recommend offering a mix of sweet and savory options. Take a cue from one thoughtful couple who perfectly balanced their welcome bags with crunchy potato chips, energizing trail mix and classic M&M's.
2. Something Hydrating
Photo: Allison Jeffers Wedding Photography
Just as guests would like something to munch on, they'd also enjoy something to sip. While water might seem like a simple choice, it's undeniably the most practical, especially for guests who will be enjoying your open bar. You can easily elevate a basic water bottle with a custom label for a personalized touch. For a more sophisticated feel, opt for sparkling water or, if you're hosting a destination wedding, coconut water is a great choice for a tropical setting. Beyond (or in addition to) water, you can consider gifting your favorite soda, an energy drink for that much-needed boost or even a canned cocktail. (But we'll delve more into alcoholic options later!).
3. Pampering Toiletries
While hotels usually provide shampoo, conditioner and body wash, luxe toiletries still make great wedding welcome bag items. You could give guests some extra shower products, artisanal bar soap, mini hand lotions, relaxing bath salts, refreshing face masks, lip balm or sweet-smelling essential oils. These extra touches will help your guests feel more at home and at ease during their stay. Just make sure your spa-like goodies can be brought through TSA.
4. Thoughtful Keepsakes
Photo: Kelly Hornberger Photography
Give your guests something special to remember your big day! Small souvenirs are fantastic additions to your welcome bags, offering a lasting memento they can take home. When selecting keepsakes for your wedding welcome bags, we recommend items that tie into your nuptial location, the season or your overall aesthetic. Take, for example, a couple who truly embraced their Aspen, Colorado wedding destination. To perfectly complement the mountain setting, they included charming tin camping mugs in their welcome bags adorned with the sweet and fitting phrase, "I love you to the mountains and back." Beyond custom glassware, consider other souvenirs like ornaments, luggage tags, candles and bottle openers.
5. A Travel Guide
Even with all your wedding details available online, guests still appreciate a physical copy of key information. At a minimum, your welcome bag should include a detailed itinerary with the time and location of all important events, from the welcome party to the ceremony and even the post-wedding brunch. Add any other helpful details, too, like what's on the food and drink menu. Beyond the schedule, consider including a map of the area alongside a custom pamphlet or a local magazine. These resources can highlight must-see attractions and activities, proving especially useful for any downtime guests might have. Suggest top sites, experiences they shouldn't miss and a few good restaurant recommendations if they're not joining you for every meal. If it's the city where you two fell in love, a sweet anecdote about a place (maybe your first date spot) or street (your new home) makes for an extra-personal recommendation your guests will swoon over.
6. Local Treats
The main idea behind wedding gift bags for hotel guests is to introduce your loved ones to the area. And what better way to do that than through some local flavor? Aside from the fact that everyone loves edible wedding favors, locally made snacks, pantry goodies and other treats are a great way to show your friends and family just what makes your wedding destination so delicious—er, special. Think: Garrett's Popcorn Shop for Chicago nuptials, Ghirardelli Chocolate for San Francisco or locally-grown oranges for Florida. Every state and country has at least one (or two) extra-special snacks. This couple tied the knot in Manchester, Vermont, so they put Cabot cheddar and crackers, O.W.L. energy bars and VerMints in the hotel gift bags for out-of-town guests.
7. Party Starters
Photo: Abby Jiu Photography
Help your guests kick off the festivities the moment they arrive! Consider adding an alcoholic drink to the wedding gift bags for your adult guests to set a celebratory tone. It's a fantastic way to welcome them and get them in the spirit of your celebration. Consider including a bottle of champagne or wine like this wedding welcome basket or some local craft beers, canned cocktails or even shooters to throw back. You could also provide mixers like ginger beer, Aperol or bitters so guests can craft a refreshing cocktail right in their hotel room.
8. Health and Safety Supplies
Show your loved ones just how much you care by including some health and safety essentials in their wedding welcome boxes. These small but mighty additions can make a big difference in their comfort and enjoyment throughout your celebration. Hand sanitizer is always a thoughtful addition, especially when it's compact enough to tuck into a clutch or pocket. It's perfect for helping guests keep their hands clean after mingling and celebrating with everyone. Sunscreen is great if you're hosting an outdoor ceremony and, for an added touch of comfort, consider including lip balm to combat dry lips. You might also include earplugs so they can give their ears a break from the booming music and Band-Aids for blisters from their dancing shoes. Offering these items ensures your guests are well-prepared for any situation, allowing them to fully relax and enjoy every moment of your special day.
9. Hangover Helpers
Don't let your guests regret that last celebratory glass of champagne! Show them some extra love by including a special hangover kit in wedding goody bags for hotel guests. This thoughtful gesture can be a true lifesaver, helping them combat any morning-after ailments. For a truly effective kit, we suggest including essentials like an electrolyte drink to rehydrate, pain relievers (such as Advil) for a headache, Vitamin C for a little boost and some breath mints for a refresh.
10. Something Personalized
Anything you can do to add personality to your bags for hotel guests is a win. Don't be afraid to incorporate personalized wedding favors that feature your names, the date you said "I do" or the location. An easy way to do this is through custom tote bags. You can use them to wrap all of the lil' goodies you'll be gifting and your guests can reuse them as a beach or travel bag. Of course, you could also customize koozies and sunglasses like this couple did.
11. Weatherproof Essentials
Photo: Carrie Patterson Photography
Take a cue from the climate and stock up on items that'll help your guests brave the elements. If you're hosting a tropical destination wedding, sunglasses, hand fans and beach towels are appropriate wedding gift bag ideas. Conversely, pashminas, flannel blankets, cozy socks and hand warmers are perfect for a fall or winter wedding. Your guests will appreciate the practicality of your wedding welcome baskets.
12. Lots of Thanks
Your favors are just one more opportunity to thank your guests, so include a thoughtful letter to greet everyone on your wedding weekend and tell them how happy you are to be sharing your big day with them. Handwriting each wedding welcome bag note will give that extra-personal touch that says, "You're so important, I took the time to pen this myself." But if you're short on time or don't have the most legible handwriting, at least sign each one in ink.
Where to Get Your Wedding Welcome Bags
Now that you have some wedding gift bag ideas, it's time to start shopping. Remember, you're not just looking for favors, you're also looking for the bag, box or basket that will hold all of them. Below, find some of our go-to places to find the actual bags for your welcome bags for wedding guests.
- Zazzle: For a wide variety of wedding welcome bag options, Zazzle is an excellent choice. You can find everything from durable canvas totes in varying sizes that guests can reuse, to more affordable and disposable, yet still cute, cardboard boxes or paper bags. They also have hundreds of designs to choose from and personalize with your wedding details.
- Etsy: For more predesigned options that you can personalize with your names, dates and location, search Etsy. This platform is a treasure trove of unique wedding welcome bags. Plus, by shopping on Etsy, you'll be directly supporting countless small businesses and independent creators, which is a win in our book!
- Custom Ink: If you're feeling creative and tech-savvy, and have a custom design in mind for your wedding welcome bags, Custom Ink is an excellent destination. Not only do they offer a vast array of bag types, from totes and drawstrings to coolers and pouches, but each item is 100% customizable. This means you can easily upload your unique design or create one directly on their user-friendly website, ensuring your welcome bags perfectly match your vision.
- Amazon: If buying in bulk is a higher priority to you than extensive customization, Amazon is an excellent platform for wedding welcome bags. You'll find a vast selection of plain and predesigned gift bags, boxes, baskets and more, often available in large quantities at competitive prices.
Where to Get Your Welcome Gifts for Guests
Once you have your chosen bags, the fun really begins as you curate the perfect assortment of treats and essentials. From snacks and sips to practical items and personal touches, there are many fantastic places to source everything you need to delight your guests.
- Shop locally: If you have time, shop in person for your wedding welcome bag contents. After all, you want to give your guests a peek into the local scene and the best way to do that is by buying directly from the town. Think: salt water taffy at the destination's boardwalk or fresh apple cider bottled by the farm down the road from the hotel.
- Etsy: If you're looking for unique wedding welcome bag favors, Etsy has a practically endless list of goods—most of which are handmade by skilled artisans. We personally love shopping Etsy's extensive options for personalized artwork and unique favors like luggage tags. It's also a great place to browse handmade soaps, bath salts or candles in bulk.
- The Knot Invitations: It's all about the details! Shop for thank-you notes that complement your wedding stationery on The Knot Invitations. You can even get matching gift bags, gift tags and stickers.
- Amazon: If you're looking to buy items in bulk—or at the last minute—Amazon is a convenient retailer. Buy dozens of bottle openers, bubble wands or tissue packets as well as candies with just one click.
How to Give Your Guests Their Welcome Bags
You've put together an amazing wedding welcome bag, but now you have to figure out how your guests are going to get them. You or your wedding party will most likely need to build the wedding gift bags for hotel guests yourself once you've arrived at the destination, but once they're ready to go, you have a few options for delivery. Ask the hotel staff to help hand out the bags at check-in or leave them in guests' assigned rooms prior to their arrival. They should be able to assist, just keep in mind that some hotels charge a small fee for this service. Alternatively, you can enlist a few friends or family members to help you distribute the wedding hotel gift bags once guests have arrived. Lastly, if you're hosting a welcome party, have a table of the bundles for everyone to grab.
