Destination Wedding Welcome Bag Checklist

Your big day is almost here. Your overseas guests made outstanding efforts to be part of your celebration. They are getting excited about their journey to Israel. You are feeling grateful and committed to sharing your magical day with them.

But you have a lot of things to do and probably can’t meet and greet each guest individually. Enter: the destination wedding welcome bag.

When you put thought and effort into your welcome bags, they become like care packages for your guests.

These ideas will help you put together an ideal wedding welcome bag that will serve your guests in easing their journey and creating a memorable experience.

Welcome Text and E-Mail Upon Landing

Landing in a new country can be very stressful and the flight to Israel may be hard on some guests. To ease the transition, send an organized message to your guests with all the information they will need to get to their hotels. Include the following reminders:

• A welcome sentence that shows your appreciation
• Information about local cellular phone carriers or instructions on how to insert an Israeli SIM card into their mobile phones
• Link to the hotel or transportation information
• Car rental information
• Check in instructions
• Contact information of a designated person that can assist if needed
• Inform your guests that there will be a welcome basket in their room waiting for them

Ask your guests to send you a text or an e-mail confirmation once they landed for you to remain in communication.

Welcome & Itinerary Letter

Once your guests check in, make sure that the hotel staff gives them their welcome letter and baskets (some hotels will be happy to deliver the basket to the room and others will hand your guests their letter and basket at check-in). Make sure to list all the activities and pre-wedding events in the letter.

Map of the Area & List of Attractions

Include a map of the area with a list of attractions and activities to do. You can also gather printed materials and suggestions for day trips. Consider organizing some trips with a private guide and ask your guests in advance to sign up. Private tours are often available in English and you can add a special authentic meal at the end of the tour.

If your guests enjoy entertainment, consider booking concert tickets. Artsy folks may enjoy information about local galleries or museums.

List of Restaurants

Put together a list of nearby restaurants, cafes, and bars. Go an extra step by collecting menus in English for your guests. Guests may appreciate knowing what you will be serving at your pre-wedding activities in case they want to seek a variety of dishes.

Giveaways That Your Guests May Enjoy

Add snacks and beverages to your guest welcome baskets. You may also want to include items like flip flops, sunscreen, journals, and hats. There are many local items your guests may enjoy and you can visit the local farmer’s market for ideas.

Social Media Encouragement

Encourage your guests to document their trip and organize all their photos and social media activities with a hashtag created for your wedding. It will be much more efficient (& fun!) to have an easy way to see everything that was documented and shared.

The Importance of the Welcome Bag

Destination wedding are unique in that people go to extremes to be present for you, but you often cannot spend as much time as you would like with each of them. You have many guests to welcome and the week before your wedding is a busy one! A welcome bag is a small token to show them you appreciate their effort and want to make their trip easy on them and fun for them. If you keep these concepts in mind as you plan your welcome bag, they will be perfect!

If you need help along the way, contact us.