Wedding welcome bags for travelling guests: what to include and how to deliver them

Guests who travel for your wedding arrive tired, often in an unfamiliar place. A welcome bag waiting at their hotel is a small, thoughtful way to say thank you and help them settle in. Planning wedding welcome bags for travelling guests is about useful contents, a touch of local flavour and getting them delivered on time.

Who gets a bag?

Most couples give welcome bags to guests staying in hotels or rentals for the wedding, especially those who travelled far. One bag per room or household is usual. If budget is tight, focus on guests who flew in.

Wedding welcome bags for travelling guests: what to include

Practical items

• water;
• a printed schedule with times, addresses and a contact number;
• a simple map or directions;
• items for the climate, such as sunscreen, a hand fan, insect repellent or a small umbrella;
• pain relief or rehydration sachets, where appropriate and permitted.

Local treats

• snacks or sweets from the region;
• a small local product, such as coffee, tea or honey;
• something from either family's culture.

A personal touch

• a short handwritten or printed note thanking guests for coming;
• a recommendation list: a café, a walk, a viewpoint.

The welcome note

Keep it warm and practical:

Welcome to Lisbon! Thank you so much for travelling to celebrate with us. Inside you will find a few treats and everything you need for the weekend. If you have any questions, call or message Ana on the number in the schedule. We cannot wait to see you at welcome drinks on Friday. With love, Amara and Tomás

Dietary needs

If you include food, check guests' dietary requirements and allergies, and label items clearly. Our guide on how to manage dietary requirements for wedding guests explains how to collect this information.

The schedule

A printed one-page schedule is the most useful item in the bag. Include each event, time, address, dress code and transport. Our guide to a wedding website schedule of events shows the format; print a simplified version.

Families with children

Add something for children: a small activity, a snack they will like, or a note about child-friendly places nearby.

Budget

Welcome bags can be simple. A sturdy bag, water, two local snacks, a schedule and a note is plenty. Buying locally, rather than shipping items, saves money and supports local businesses. Our guide on how to save money on a wedding has other ideas.

Delivering them

• Ask hotels in advance whether they will hand bags to guests at check-in, whether there is a fee, and when to drop them off.
• Label each bag clearly with the guest name on the booking.
• Give the hotel a list of names and arrival dates.
• For rentals, ask a local helper or your planner to deliver bags, or hand them out at welcome drinks.
• Allow time: assemble bags a few days before guests arrive, not the night before.

Destination considerations

Check local rules on alcohol and food gifts in hotels, and avoid anything guests cannot easily take home on a flight if they will want to keep it. Our guide to destination wedding etiquette for guests covers other ways to look after travelling guests.

When welcome bags are not practical

If guests are spread across many hotels, or deliveries are difficult, there are other ways to welcome them. You could hand out small bags at welcome drinks, email a friendly welcome message with the schedule and local tips on the day guests arrive, or ask your planner to greet guests at a central hotel. The thought and the information matter more than the bag itself.

A quick checklist

1. Decide who receives a bag.
2. Choose practical items, local treats and a note.
3. Check dietary needs.
4. Print a one-page schedule.
5. Arrange delivery with hotels or a helper.
6. Assemble bags a few days early.

A welcome bag is a small gesture, but for guests who have travelled a long way, it says that you thought about their journey as well as your wedding.