The Anatomy of a Wedding Gift Bag
We're all familiar with the concept of a wedding favour. But what's a wedding gift bag?
It's basically a small bundle of items to gift your guests in attendance for being present for your wedding, packed into a goodie bag. Sure enough, we also know that the bride and groom have more important things on their plate than gingerly curating a selection of goodies for the guests - because the wedding should be about the happy couple, of course.
But why a wedding gift bag over singular favours? If you're someone who struggles with decision-making fatigue, especially when deciding on specific favours for your vastly different wedding guests, a wedding gift bag combining every essential you could possibly need will do just the trick to take that load off your shoulders.
So, if you’re planning on handing out welcome bags or door gifts at your own wedding.
Here are several ideas - both classic and niche - for what you could include in those special bundles of love.
1) Household Items
Starting off strong; you can never go wrong with household items. We've seen potpourri, quirky mugs, 3-wick soy candles...
This list is inexhaustive yet timeless and therefore, will never go out of style with your guests! Everyone appreciates lighting a lavender-scented candle once in a while, or drinking out of a good mug, especially one with their name engraved on it. Some couples even gift their guests bathrobes, bamboo-fibre towels or linen throw pillows straight out of a Pinterest moodboard.
But household items don’t just mean things you’d bring to someone’s housewarming. There’s a myriad of items included under this household umbrella, including, but not limited to;
- Wall art (definitely a plus if there’s an artist among the couple),
- Toiletries
- Home fragrances
- Barware
- Kitchenware
Couples often opt for home fragrances or decor as the foundation of their door gifts due to it’s convenience and accessibility. Spritz - or soak - the whole wedding venue with a customised scent, bottle it up and place it in your gift bundles. That way, your guests have a piece of your special day with them in their homes forever (or however long the scent lasts them).
2) Customised Keepsakes
Speaking of custom scents, this next idea is a great way to let your guests feel as loved by you as you by them. Personalise things such as,
- cups,
- towels,
- blankets,
- candles,
- stationary,
- small bites like macarons with your guests’ names on them or the packaging, and it’ll be sure to be a hit.
Good thing everything can be customised nowadays! From:
- notebooks,
- playing cards,
- pocket mirrors,
- wine glasses,
- flasks,
- keychains,
- candles,
- tumblers,
- honey pots,
- soap bars,
- doorstoppers,
- name plaques to
- leather goods ie. wallets, journals, cardholders. You name the item, and there’s a vendor out there that can slap someone else’s name over it.
3) Sentimental Items
Weddings are one of, if not the perfect epitome of a heartfelt occasion. So it only makes sense that we can match its inherent sentimental nature with gifts within the same bracket of sentimentality.
One couple in particular took custom keepsakes to the next level when they dug through decades worth of photographs, photobooks and Facebook highlights to print out each photo of whenever they first met each of their guests into polaroids.
You can take a page out of their book and show your guests that they mean just as much to you. Photobooks and handwritten notes are always a great way to evoke a sense of nostalgia - and some waterworks - at your wedding.
4) Beauty and Wellness products
These are some of the most universally-loved items to receive. Sample-sized skincare items, makeup products such as mattifying powder, which is a staple to exist in every woman’s makeup bag can be next on your list for wedding favours to be handed out. Manicure kits have also been growing in popularity in the wedding favour community.
If you’re big on wellness and beauty, you might have heard of self-care or even pampering kits. Beauty products include but aren’t limited to:
- sheet masks,
- lip balms,
- body oils,
- lotions
- eye creams,
- hand creams,
- eye masks and
- lip masks.
A skincare bundle can be your wedding favour in itself with how much variety you’ll be able to play around with! Especially if the overarching theme is that it’s stress-relieving, because who doesn’t need a break from the rocky road of life nowadays?
As for wellness:
- juice detox shots,
- Himalayan bath salts,
- incense,
- aromatherapy oils
- small portable neck/head massager should do the trick.
To conclude, beauty and wellness products are always welcome, no matter who the recipient might be!
5) Humorous Gifts
If you’re a couple that prides yourself on being the life of the party or the spark in your room, then this suggestion is definitely for you. Don’t shy away from inside jokes or force yourself to remain prim and proper if that just isn’t you. Inject personality into your gifts for your wedding guests and there will be sure to be many Instagram stories uploaded because of your humorous wedding favours.
Many couples have incorporated ‘Wedding Hangover Recovery Kits’ for their adult guests as part of their wedding favours. If you’re someone who's on the naughtier end of the spectrum, make sure your guests leave with scantily designed bags, and matching shot glasses.
Surprise your guests with big head cutouts of your faces (and maybe even theirs) so that they can bring you along with them wherever they go. Or maybe get a caricature artist to whip up utterly devious drawings that look absolutely nothing like your guests. Of course, a disclaimer to all would be to only do these things if you are sure your wedding guests will enjoy and partake in the joke as well.
While on the topic of unorthodox gift choices, this special couple in India gifted every single one of their 2,000 something wedding guests a $185 Hermes plate. All at their $4.8 million dollar wedding. So if you’re ever fully out of ideas, an Hermes plate worth hundreds is something you can consider too!
So, what should I gift my guests?
At the end of the day, give your guests something that is special to both parties. Don't fret over giving them the perfect wedding favour, because they'll be sure to see the care and thought you put into whatever you have chosen for them.
With Luna Bianca, you won’t have to nitpick over details and decisions like wedding favours. We are committed to creating the ideal stress-free wedding day for you with our wedding planning and styling services.
Check out our Wedding Planning & Styling page!