Wedding favors vs welcome aboard bags...

[SayingIDo]

I have been reading up on the forum concerning the differences, benefits, etc of the two. I am leaning towards a "Welcome Aboard" gift bag. The majority of the attendees are not sailing with us. Would that still be appropriate? I would really like to hear what others have done (so I could think about stealing their ideas;) )

Thanks

Trish

[Fantasy_Bride]

I have chosen to do favors because welcome bags seemed to be geared more toward sailing guests.

[SBT_KITTENS]

I have done favors for anyone who is attending the reception

 

For the sailing guests, I have made welcome bags!!

[SayingIDo]

I have done favors for anyone who is attending the reception

 

For the sailing guests, I have made welcome bags!!

What did you include in your Welcome Bag?

[miyucruises]

I am doing both, kind of. We are giving welcome bags to everyone who is attending at a dinner in Miami the night before the wedding. I am just putting slightly different items in each. At the reception luncheon, we are putting favors (small photo frames) at each seat.

[udelmom]

I am the MOB. My DD and SIL-to-be have put together welcome bags for our female sailing guests and are also doing a donation instead of favor for everyone at the ceremony and luncheon. I'm not sure what SIL-to-be is coming up with for the guys sailing. We decorated black totes with really pretty toile ribbon and red hydranges (sp of both??). We are having cupcakes in custom boxes as favors at our post wedding party at home. So I guess we have a little of each idea. The welcome bags have a beach towel, a first aid kit, sunscreen and a bunch of other stuff. Just sample sizes of most things but an interesting variety as they both contributed ideas of what was useful. They had attended a wedding in St. Thomas so had some ideas from what they received in their bags at that wedding and what they wished they had remembered to pack.

[SBT_KITTENS]

What did you include in your Welcome Bag?

 

For my welcome bag I put

 

1 Towel for each person

Passport covers

Hand Lotion

Bandaids

Tissues

Hand Sanitizer

Water Bottle Labels

Tylenol

Photo Albums

Lottery Ticket Holders

Candy Wrappers

Shout Wipes

Wedding Pen

 

**Still debating a picture frame**

 

The bags I got from fishseddy.com. Since we are leaving out of our home town of New York they have bags with the New York skyline

[esbie11]

All of our guests are sailing with us, so I am doing welcome bags and also donating to a charity in place of favors. In our welcome bags we will have:

 

Pen

notepad

shout wipes

advil

dramamine

alka-seltzer hang over relief

water-proof disposable camera

aloe-vera

hand sanitizer

and a candle holder thing that I made with our wedding colors on it.

[merocket59]

Are your nonsailing guests still flying in from other places because in that case it would still be appropriate to give them an OOT bag.

[Pug3636]

Miyucruises - where are you having your dinner in Miami? I'm trying to organize something similar for my guests. Having trouble deciding if it's going to work out logistically because some aren't flying in until late afternoon.

[nklpikl]

I did favors bags for all guests. They were small red totes with our logo. Inside:

tissues

silver tins with candy

custom cruise ship cookie

ghiradelli chocolate squares with our logo lable

 

For those sailing I also did a welcome bag which was a canvas oversized tote bag with our logo. Inside:

each persons favorite bottle of wine or champagne and opener

beach towel for each person

highlighter, note pad, pens

oversized bubble wands (for sail away)

toiletry pack: body wash & poof, toothpaste, q-tips, dramamine, tylonel, tums, bandaids, sunblock, chapstick, I think I am forgetting soemthng.

 

HTH

[miyucruises]

Miyucruises - where are you having your dinner in Miami? I'm trying to organize something similar for my guests. Having trouble deciding if it's going to work out logistically because some aren't flying in until late afternoon.

 

We are probably going to have it at the Hard Rock Cafe at the Bayside Mall. Kind of cheesy, I know, but it will accommodate everyone's tastes. Also, they will create a set menu for you with a set price, so it doesn't get out of control. There are quite a few restaurants around the Bayside Mall. Another poster on this board said it is a great location if you are staying near the port.

[catzmaru]

i'm doing the welcome bags, since everyone is sailing...with similar amenities as others have mentioned...but added a travel alarm clock (since the cabins don't have a clock - i think), trial size sunscreen, and terry cloth slippers. these items may sound expensive, but found them cheap on ebay. i think favors for the non-sailing & welcome bags for the sailing is nice.