Want to treat your out of town wedding guests like the special people they are? Design your own Out of Town Welcome Bag just for them!

An Out of Town Welcome Bag can be as elaborate or as simple as you want. Start with deciding what type of container you want your bag to be. Will it be a beautiful homemade basket from the artisans of your state? Or could it be a linen tote with your names on it in your wedding colors? Is your wedding going to be an informal affair? You could use a giant sized Chinese food container or a wooden crate (both available online or at party stores) to hold your goodies in. Dont have a creative bone in your body? There are already made baskets waiting for you online.

Once you decide what type of bag you want, you have the fun of deciding what to put in it. Guests from out of town may enjoy a bag filled with items native to the place where you are getting married, such as handmade soaps or small containers of honey or other unique food items. Out of town guests may be staying more than one day in your area, so gift certificates to local restaurants and stores will be helpful. Area maps and guides to the area are always welcome. One gift bag from Boston may include a lobster bib, a gift certificate to Legal Seafood restaurant and a box of Boston Baked Beans candies.

Gift bags should include basic items to make your guest feel comfortable and welcomed. You could put in a pretty washcloth and sweet smelling soaps, along with some spring water and maybe some gourmet coffee. You could include miniature items such as toothpaste and hand crme in the bag, especially since airlines wont allow those items to be taken on planes anymore.

For guests you know something about, think about what that person like. Is Aunt Sue a gardener? Maybe she would appreciate heirloom seeds from your area. Is Uncle Joe a golfer? Directions to the nearest golf course and some tees in your wedding colors would be a treat! Are your guests traveling with small children? Magnetic games like checkers or miniature Etch-a-Sketch will please both parents and child.

Give your guests something to remember you by. Tee-shirts with your names on them, coffee mugs or even pens can be put easily into an Out of Town gift bag. Lastly, be sure to include a message from you thanking them for coming to your special day.