Make Your Out-of-town Guests Feel Like Royalty with a Great Gift Bag

Imagine you’re in a strange city for a friend or relative’s wedding. You don’t know anyone but the couple. You don’t know the city. You’re stranded until the wedding. Don’t let that happen to the people who cared enough to travel long-distance to be part of your special celebration. Here’s how to put together a very special gift bag for your visitors’ hotel rooms. 

Tell them where to go. Your local tourism bureau probably has free maps of the city to pass out. They showcase local attractions, and often include discount coupons. Get some of those maps, and include one in each gift bag. If your community has its own magazine, get some copies and distribute them. Your guests are certain to find lots of inspiring ideas. 

Tell them where to eat. Offer your best advice about great restaurants near their hotel. 

Treat them. A great gift bag includes a personalized water bottle and some tasty snacks. Your caterer may offer a nice package of treats. Your planner may have some great ideas, too. It’s great to return to the hotel at the end of a long day, with some nice snacks waiting for you. 

Prepare them for emergencies. A small kit with painkillers, antacid, feminine products, safety pins, band-aids and so forth will be most welcome. 

Keep them connected. Provide each guest with a list of critical phone numbers, like your venues, a cab company (for folks who don’t have Uber), a local hospital, police and fire emergency, and a day-of contact person who can answer your guests’ questions. 

Help them schedule their day. Give them an outline of your wedding events — rehearsal place and time, ceremony location and start time, reception location and start time. Don’t forget to provide directions to each place (for guests who don’t use GPS). 

A wedding favor or special gift

A “thank you” note

You can, at your option, provide your own phone numbers to your guests,; but include a note that you may not be there to answer once the rehearsal or ceremony gets underway. 

A thoughtful gift bag will make your guests feel loved, welcomed, and connected to your hometown in a very personal way. It’s worth the modest expense!

© Fourth Estate Audio, 2018 – Jay Congdon is president of Fourth Estate Audio, a professional Chicago DJ and  Chicago Wedding DJ company.

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