When hosting guests from out of town, it is a nice idea to leave a little gift for them in their hotel rooms. Some hotels will arrange for the “welcome gift” to be delivered in advance of the guest’s arrival, others will have it brought to the room after the guest has checked in. There is usually a small fee (around $3 per gift) for these services. Another alternative is to leave the gifts at the front desk to be handed to the guest upon check-in. This is one of the advantages of blocking off a group of rooms at a selected hotel — by asking for the “rooming list” a week before the wedding, you will know in advance who is staying where.
Since D.C. is such a popular (and fun!) place to visit, I’m sure your guests will be looking forward to traveling from near and far to be with you on your big day. While there are tons of possibilities for welcome gifts, here are a few that caught my eye…
Photos: Rows 1-3 (Martha Stewart Weddings); Row 4 (Kate Parker Weddings)
Putting together a welcome gift doesn’t have to be expensive, it just takes a little time to gather your items.
For a D.C.-inspired gift, I selected items from Maryland (Crab House Crunch), Virginia (Virginia Peanuts), and the District itself (Georgetown Cupcake). Assembled in a red galvanized pail or white gable box, this welcome gift can take on the traditional D.C. colors of red, white, and blue. Alternatively, you can create your welcome bag using your own wedding color palette.
Complete your welcome gift by including a pre-stamped postcard from Washington, D.C. and a map of the local area (metro maps are always a good idea). Your guests will be so delighted by this little welcome suprise!
Photos: Red Pail from Main St. Supply, White Gable Boxes from Container Store, Fiji Water from figiwater.com, Crab House Crunch from the Blue Crab Bay Co., Peanuts from Virginia Peanuts, Washington, D.C. postcard from The2Buds, Cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake, Map from WMATA, Gift box from Martha Stewart Weddings
