Alternatives to OOT bags?

How about doing your welcome letter,and popping it onto a raffia fan for the ladies asking them to bring it with them to the ceremony simply tied in your wedding colours.How about doing the flipflops for ALL the guests with a poem attatched "girls help me here with this".They really wont expect it.I know from when i went to Jamaica it can be expensive and youll have your h2b in tow watching you.I personally wouldnt wait must of the stuff i found down there you wouldnt give house room to once the magic of a fantastic holiday/wedding has worn off.Plus if your cutting back to bear bones it would really give your guests the feeling that they were playing a part in your ceremony.Have i seen girls posting flipflops on sale for less than a dollor put them in a wicker basket with a label on the front.JOB DONE hope that helps xxx

I'm debating on this as well! With 35-40 guests everything I think of including is adding up. Also, the issue of getting it to Mexico! I already have so much to lug down there...if I can cut out some items that would be preferrable.

I'm strongly considering the luggage tag or passport cover sent out with a letter and itinerary (extra copies in Mexico for those that inevitably forget them!) before we leave.

I found little sand buckets at Target in the dollar bin when they were going out of season and got one for each room. I talked with my wedding coordinator and mailed a box down to the bahamas that was there when we arrived and then we put in a map of the resort with the wedding, reception and rehearsal dinner locations already marked and a brief itinerary on the other side. We threw in some hersheys kisses, a fan, goldfish cracker snack packs and I found a website that had really inexpensive luggage tags in cute tutrles, flip flops and a hawaiian shirt since we knew people had traveled and they were waiting at the front desk when people checked in. One lady totally had bucket envy and asked why she did not get one when she checked in and the guy explained they were for a wedding. For the families with 2 kids we did 2 buckets to avoid conflict. I am guessing a few of the buckets probably got left behind but they were $1 so no biggie.

Has anyone considered making donations to a charity in your guests' names instead of a wedding favours or OOT bags?

I totally agree with this thread...but I'm really going to have to think about an alternative that is economical and considerate at the same time.

Hey ladies - what about finding something edible when you get there - for example, we're getting married in Riviera Maya so we're going to pick up wedding cookies and then I found a place in Playa that makes really pretty chocolate truffles. Baked goods that I've been looking at are pretty expensive, they're something local and different and they don't have to be packed Just a thought!

We're also doing a charity donation to the American Cancer Society instead of favors. I've had to travel for a lot of my friends weddings because they all got married in Boston this summer right after my fiance and moved to Texas...and quite honestly, I felt terrible but the favors always ended up in the hotel room trash can (except the edible ones)...I probably shouldn't have just admitted that hahaha

Correction - I meant "INEXPENSIVE" not expensive...sorry!

This thread is great, I've been searching for some ideas for a while now so thanks for the ideas. We've decided to purchase some very inexpensive reusable bags (under a dollar each). I don't know if everyone all over is on the same trend as Vancouver, but every grocery store and market has the recyclable cloth bags to reuse when shopping. I have a cupboard full of them and I know that most of my friends are the same. They will get good use out of them! I'm going to get some inexpensive stuff from down there to fill them with. I got some cheap disposable cameras also, so those'll end up taking up some space when travelling but I'm having photographer issues (ie - budget) and this is a way to capture moments from everyone's different points of view for less than the cost of a photog.

Oh, and I'm having an AHR also so I'm not too worried about giving a gift to everyone, I'm doing 1 bag per room (10 total) to save on costs.

Hope those ideas are of some help??!!