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OUT-OF-TOWNER KITS FOR EVERY WEDDING
BY HANNA COX
After a long and cramped car or plane ride, nothing will show your
appreciation to your out-of-town guests more than a welcome kit.
Weddings are special occasions, and having friends and family
travel a long way to attend this special event deserves a gesture of
appreciation. A welcome kit is the perfect way to say thanks.
These kits can be put together with a myriad of items and range
from a low to unlimited budget. So, whether you’re thrifty or the
sky’s the limit, let’s begin with the basics for every out-of-towner
(OOT) kit.
Start with a welcome note greeting them and thanking them for
coming. An itinerary of the upcoming days’ events with times,
addresses, directions, and phone numbers would be helpful.
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You should also include a map of the immediate area where
the accomodations are booked. Add guides and costs for public
transit, a list of phone numbers for taxi services, car rental
information, driving directions to your wedding venue and back,
family/wedding party contact information, and directions to the
rehearsal dinner or pre-wedding function if you’re having one.
Include delivery menus to local food spots and brochures for any
nearby attractions.
Above is your basic welcome kit for your OOT’s. These can be
either left at the front desk of the hotel so your guests will each be
given one upon check-in, or you can request that the hotel place a
kit in each guest’s room. Speak to the hotel to arrange the best way
for these to be distributed.
ALL BASKETS ARE FROM CORNUCOPIA GIFT BASKETS
Welcome kits can be packaged in a variety of creative ways inexpensive door hangers can be purchased (or for those of you
who are creative, handmade) with the info placed inside. Small
canvas or pretty cloth bags, or brightly coloured small shopping
bags can also be used. A small daypack is a good idea to help carry
everything. If there’s a colour scheme to the wedding, consider
using those colours.
If you’d like to be a little more generous, you could perhaps include
a coupon for coffee at a local coffee shop and a few generic snacks
(granola bars or a couple of bottles of flavoured water… and get
creative with the labels). If guests are bringing children, perhaps
include a small box of crayons and a colouring book.
A more moderately-priced welcome kit could be packaged in a
Chinese food box (available from most party stores), small woven
shopping bags, a pretty straw basket, or a ceramic dish. Favour
boxes can be wrapped with coloured tissue and tied with ribbon,
and for a final touch, a custom monogrammed sticker.
Spoil your guests by including travel-sized toiletries like toothpaste
and toothbrush, hand cream, hair products, Tylenol, moist
towelettes, etc. A disposable camera is always fun too. You can
personalize these kits according to your guests’ individual tastes
- for example, does Uncle Joe golf? Include a few golf tees (in your
wedding colours if possible). Does Aunt Edna garden? Put a few
packets of local flower seeds from your area in the kit. And once
again, don’t forget the little ones - perhaps include a magnetic
board game or a miniature Etch-A-Sketch.
If you have an unlimited budget, pack a bottle of wine complete
with wine glasses (stemless are elegant) and corkscrew for outof-town guests. For the chocoholic you could add a small box of
gooey brownies from the best bakery in town, or maybe fill the
OOT kit with a variety of local specialties such as maple candies.
A scented candle, bath salts, or a gift certificate for a massage if
there is a spa nearby would also be a welcomed surprise. If you
really want to be extravagant, you could include tickets for a tour
of the city, or a gift certificate for lunch or dinner at a favourite
local restaurant. Finally, arrange for a hospitality suite at the hotel
fully stocked with snacks and drinks.
So there you have it - out-of-towner kits for all budgets. With a
little creativity and ingenuity, these are a wonderful way to say,
“Hello - we’re so glad you’re here!”
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