Tips for Creating Unforgettable Wedding Welcome Gifts

Are you planning your wedding and wondering how you can fit wedding welcome gifts into your budget? Do you even need to have wedding welcome gifts? Or maybe you are wondering what wedding welcome gifts even are and what to include in your welcome gift bags.

With an abundance of swoon-worthy wedding inspiration on Pinterest, Etsy, industry blogs and influencer social media posts, it’s easy for one’s wedding budget to get out of hand - quickly. By the time guest response cards come rolling in, it can be difficult to carve out room in the wedding budget for guest experience details such as wedding welcome gifts.

Welcome gifts are a great way to set the tone for an amazing wedding weekend! And, welcome gifts for out-of town guests have even become something wedding guests secretly hope for upon arrival!

I've personally designed thousands of custom wedding welcome gifts, so I have a few things to share with you to make your life a little less stressful. I'm going to be sharing some gifting expert insider tips all about creating unforgettable wedding welcome gifts that your guests will be talking about long after your wedding is over. But, don’t worry! We’re not talking about shoving two water bottles in a brown paper bag and calling it a day. 

With my help, your wedding welcome gifts will be beautiful, full of thought, and done with a budget in mind! With all that you have going on with your wedding planning, I've got your back when it comes to epic wedding welcome gifts for your guests!

Let's get on with my best tips for creating memorable wedding welcome gifts that your guests will be talking about long after the wedding is over - that don't bust your entire wedding budget...

Downsize the Size

My first tip when it comes to designing high end wedding welcome gifts on a budget is to consider the size of your gift container first and foremost. A popular option for wedding welcome gifts is to choose a tote bag and fill them with goodies for your wedding guests. These do make for a nice keepsake for your wedding guests that they can reuse in the future, but then you have to source all the items to fill them up and make the bags look full.

The budget-conscious way to make wedding welcome gifts is to choose smaller size packaging that won’t require tons of gift items in order to make it look like a substantial welcome gift.

I highly recommend small gift boxes or mini tote bags. They make a great statement without the additional expense!

For more, be sure to get my advice on what to include inside of your wedding welcome gifts.

Dress Up the Ordinary

I joked about using a brown paper bag for your wedding welcome gifts in my intro but plain kraft bags don’t necessarily have to be a bad thing! A kraft bag with handles, dressed up with some beautiful ribbon and a hanging gift tag can look stylish and high-quality for any wedding welcome gift!

(Your guests will probably appreciate the extra bag to carry essentials home at the end of your wedding too!)

Consider additional ways to fancy up a plain brown such as stamps or paper flowers, both of which can be bought online in bulk at low prices. This is an easy DIY to tackle in the final days leading up to your wedding.

If you're in a time crunch before your wedding, you can shop our ready-to-ship welcome gifts that are perfect for out of town guests.

Back to Basics

While I always love creating custom wedding welcome gifts using snacks and keepsakes that are handcrafted and sourced locally, if you’re on a budget, stick to the basics.

Ultimately, your wedding guests want something to snack on while they are getting ready for your wedding, or munchies for midnight when the wedding is over. Instead of macarons from your local patisserie, opt for a package of regular cookies at a fraction of the cost. A grocery-store brand will suffice. For a savory option, a bag of simple trail mix or cocktail nuts are perfect.

When it comes to your wedding welcome gifts, it's the thought that counts and thinking about what your guests might need while they are away from home will go a long way.

Be sure to get my list of what to include in your wedding welcome gifts.

Buy in Bulk

The easiest way to save money with your wedding welcome gifts is to avoid sparkling water and alcoholic choices such as wine and champagne. Purchase regular bottled water in bulk and add two bottles per gift. This is probably one of THE most important items to include in your gifts and always appreciated by guests. Staying hydrated during wedding weekend is important and not every hotel offers bottled water for their guests.

It's not just the water bottles or snacks that you can buy in bulk to save money. The same is true for popular amenity items such as gum, breath mints and even medicine. These are fantastic items to add to your welcome gifts and can easily be bought in bulk for hugely discounted prices. Putting together your own "hangover recovery kits" can be cheaper than buying the cutesy ones you see online.

If you're stuck on what to put in your wedding welcome gifts, be sure to get my full list of what to include in your wedding welcome gifts.

Avoid Hotel Charges

When considering your wedding welcome gift budget, get in touch with the hotel(s) where your guests will be staying to discuss wedding welcome gift bag logistics. Yes, wedding welcome bag logistics is a big thing that many people don't know about or forget to consider when DIY-ing their wedding welcome gifts and it can cause a huge source of stress in the final wedding planning stages.

Some hotels charge for handling welcome gifts. There’s usually always a charge if the gifts are being hand-delivered directly to the guest rooms. Some hotels even charge to hand them out at the front desk. If this is the case, you might consider asking a friend to be present at the hotel to greet your guests upon check-in. This way, your guests get an even more personal welcome and you avoid the additional fees. A win-win!

For more, be sure to get my best tips for planning wedding welcome gift logistics so there is no stress before your wedding.

Welcome Favors

Rather than purchasing several items per welcome gift, consider just one single gift item wrapped with ribbon and a gift tag. For example, I like the idea of a small favor box of macarons or even a small package of cookies. It’s a nice gesture to welcome your guests to your wedding without all the additional items, making it easier on your budget but still letting your guests know they’re special.

It’s actually very similar to a wedding favor except you’re presenting it upon arrival rather than at the end of the wedding. Presenting it at the beginning of the wedding ensures that your guests won't miss it and it's not a wasted effort or expense on your part as what happens with many favors given out at the end of the wedding. This is also a fun way to set the tone for your wedding and get your guests excited about what's to come! 

For more, be sure to get my tips for when and how to deliver your wedding welcome gifts.

Gift Tag and Welcome Letter Combined

In addition to the contents of your wedding welcome gift, you also want to think including a wedding welcome gift note or letter. A heartfelt note of "thank you for being here" can go a long way without breaking the bank.

Be sure to also include the itinerary details for your wedding weekend along with the welcome letter so that all your guests will have the important information at the ready. Even though I'm sure you've told your guests a million times the timing and location information, they will appreciate this one last touch and it will cut down on them be late, or contacting you when you'll be busy getting ready for your wedding.

However, the cost of having such wedding paper goods designed and printed can add up. Consider a hanging gift tag with a simple message that expresses “welcome”, “thank you” and your names all at the same time. You can then ask the hotel to offer directions to guests who inquire about the weekend itinerary without having to print extra materials.

For more, be sure to get my suggestions on how to write a wedding welcome gift letter to your guests.

That does it for our best tips for creating DIY wedding welcome gifts on a budget. For more help in putting together your wedding welcome gifts, be sure to read our tips on what to include in wedding welcome gifts. 

If DIY-ing it is not your style, reach out to our gifting experts to inquire about custom wedding welcome gifts. And for more inspiration about how to personalize your wedding welcome gifts, be sure to check out our galleries of custom wedding welcome gift sets.

If you're running around at the last minute before your wedding and you need gifts in a hurry, be sure to shop our ready-to-ship bathroom amenity basket, and our collection of pre-designed wedding welcome gifts.

Happy wedding welcome gifting!

3 WAYS TO DO GIFTING WITH MARIGOLD & GREY

When it comes to corporate gifting, gifts for your business, or gifts for your company's employees, clients or events, there are three unique ways to gift with Marigold & Grey.

#1: Custom Gift Design Service

If you're interested in elevated branded gifts for your company for employee appreciation, holiday or any corporate event in between, please get in touch with us to ask about our custom corporate gift design services. We'd love to work with you or your team to create something that reflects your company's brand with limitless options for customization to include branding the packaging, gift contents, printed collateral, and more. 

#2: Add-Your-Own-Logo Program (i.e. Semi-Custom Gifts)

In addition to custom gift design, we also offer a thoughtful semi-custom gift design program with low order minimums and your company's logo and brand on each gift you send. Our Add-Your-Own-Logo Program is perfect for businesses that want to send company branded gifts either all at once for an event or particular marketing campaign OR throughout the year, on demand as you need them, for special occasions like employee appreciation, birthdays, client thank-you gifts, and more.

#3: Ready-to-Ship Collection in our Online Shop

For curated gift sets and themed gift baskets that are easy to send for any occasion in life or work, don't forget to shop our curated collection of ready-to-ship gift boxes with quick turnarounds and no order minimums. These ship out within 1-3 business days; rush next-day shipping is also available at checkout.

Images: Elisenda llinares,  Natalie Franke Photography,  The Knot, Krista A. Jones Photography