02-28-2017
Unique Wedding Welcome Gift Trends
FILED IN: Education, Wedding Welcome Gifts
Posted By: Jamie Kutchman, Founder
It’s only February but our custom wedding welcome gift designs for the 2017 wedding season are well underway. And already, there are certain trends that we’re noticing that we can’t wait to share with you! We did see some of these here and there last year, but looks like in 2017 they are here to stay!
Hashtags
In 2016, we saw about 50% of our couples report to us the use of a hashtag on their Gift Design Questionnaire we ask them to fill out upon beginning their custom gift design. Already in 2017, about 90% of our couples are not only using hashtags, but are loving the idea of us incorporating the hashtag into their wedding welcome gifts. And the hashtags are witty! Some of them even become the main topic of conversation around the studio. They’re THAT good!
Welcome Booklets
Virtually every single wedding welcome gift that left our studio last year included a custom welcome letter. Basically, this is a personal note from the couple to their wedding guests. Some of our clients even went as far as asking us to provide transportation information and simple directions to the ceremony location and reception venue. Moving into 2017, we are seeing the desire to have all of this information included in one cohesive booklet. The booklets will hold the welcome message, transportation details, the weekend itinerary, directions, as well as the hashtag and elements of their wedding branding (logos, crests, monograms, etc).
Boxes
I’ve noticed a phenomenon in my job as gift designer. No matter what vessel you use to hold the gift contents, people will refer to them as “welcome bags”. In other words, I can create a gift using a basket or a box but they are still referred to as bags. Not only does it make me laugh but it happens so frequently that I realize that there really is a trend towards the use of boxes and baskets versus welcome bags.
Themes
I hate to use the word “theme” because it sometimes implies cheesy. However, for lack of a better word, themed gifts are becoming a thing. We’ve created breakfast-in-bed gifts, brunch-in-a-box gifts, cocktail-in-a-box gifts…you get the idea. As couples are becoming more and more focused on the guest experience, they want their welcome gifts to be thoughtful and something their guests will actually use.
Telling Story about the Couple
Couples want their welcome gifts to be about more than just the city they’re holding their wedding in. They want the gifts to further connect them with their guests by telling a story about them and their relationship. Perhaps you saw our recent feature in Washingtonian Bride & Groom magazine, a prime example of using the gifts to represent the couple. We are seeing our clients including food from their favorite eateries and bakeries around town. If the couple is military, they might include nods to their military service such as flag pins on the welcome bags or sweets made by a non-profit bakery known for hiring military veterans. If the couple met in college, we’re including logo cookies from alma mater. The possibilities are endless and we just love when our clients want to take their welcome gifts to the next level of thoughtfulness.
What do you think of these trends? Leave us a comment on this post or reach out via our contact page. We’d love to hear from you!
Images: Red October Photography
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