Creating Nashville Welcome Bags For Your Out-of-town Wedding Guests

Out-of-town guests attending your wedding day? Welcome bags are a great little wedding gift to treat your guests as an extra thank you! Learn the details behind creating the perfect wedding welcome bag.

What was the idea behind using blank (no-design) beige bags for your welcome bags?

We just wanted plain brown bags. We had everyone's name printed on little manila tags and tied them to the bags with twine. The design of the bags went along with the rustic venue, the Fontanel. The bags are plain and that's what we wanted, they went with the feel of our wedding. They had a simple southern feel, especially the twine.

What components did you include in the welcome bags?

My mother and I worked hard on those. Especially my mother, because some of her friends were coming in from afar and she wanted to showcase good Tennessee stuff. Everyone got Goo Goos, Moon Pies, a miniature bottle of Jack Daniels and an RC cola or two. Maps of Nashville and a list of things to do downtown and in the area. And some basics like water and Advil. My mother also found little mini boxes of Martha White cornmeal, which were really cute. There was also a wedding agenda. The bridal party had a slightly different agenda, while the guests had agendas that invited them to additional events and also made them aware of the shuttle service from the hotel to the wedding venue.

We had so many items left over, my mother bought way too much stuff.

welcome bags out of town guests nashville

Who were the gift/welcome bags given to and how were they distributed?

The bags were for the out of town guests. Most people were staying at the hotel where we were, in the Hilton downtown. So we personally delivered them to the hotel, to be held for everyone when they checked in. There were a couple of people who we knew were staying nearby and we had a happy hour welcome on Thursday (since this is when a lot of people came into town). So, we gave a lot of them out at that happy hour too.

How important do you feel that the welcome bags were to the guest experience?

I think they liked them. I think that some of the items appealed to some individuals and not others (i.e. some people may not drink whiskey, while some might not like Moon Pies). I think it's probably important. I have been to some destination weddings and I think it means a lot to get there and see that people are thankful that I came all this way and left some cool things for us during our stay here.

I think the addition of the wedding agenda was a big help because not a lot of people are checking the website to get the additional information. I think it's really nice to show out of town people that these are the things that Nashville and Tennessee are known for. It gives them refreshments in case they get back to the room late and need something small to snack on. I think it's very handy.

welcome bags out of town guests nashville

welcome bags out of town guests nashville

Photos: The Collection

Impress your guests with these wedding welcome bag ideas on your big day. It's a sure way to make them smile and an additional way to say "thank you" for traveling to come see you say "I do!"